Please comment briefly on your experience with image stabilized lenses/cameras.

Please comment briefly on your experience with image stabilized lenses/cameras.
Yes, and I have found that I get a greater percentage of steady shots with it.
75% (165 votes)
No, I just raise ISO or work with a tripod anyway.
10% (22 votes)
I have not yet worked with an image stabilized system.
15% (34 votes)
Total votes: 221

COMMENTS
John Poletto's picture

IS lenses are great. I own a Canon 70-300 IS and when I decided I wanted to go a little longer I opted for the 300mm 2.8L with a 1.4 TC over the 400mm 5.6L just because of the IS.

D.  Forzano's picture

I would love to have IS on my camera sensor. It would keep the cost and weight of my lenses down (and I wouldn't have to replace the ones I have) and allow a couple of stops latitude. Especially useful in lower light or when using zoom.

Robert Iversen's picture

I have used it in a Point and Shoot and one of my lenses that I recently sold. It is great and really helps in difficult situation (lowlight, windy evenings at sports events, etc.). I would like to buy the nicer Canon lenses with IS, as I have friends who think that they are absolutely fantastic.

J.  Springer's picture

I use Canon equipment, much of which has IS capabilities, but - old, careful habits die hard. I still use a tripod (or a convenient tree or rock wall) whenever practical.

Carl Quattrocchi 's picture

Image stabilized lens is great for travel I leave the tripod home. Going lighter as I get older.

J.  Willson's picture

Canon 75-300 EF IS (early) with both Elan 7e and Rebel XTi, although it still needs support at 300mm with the XTi.

Sameer Prabhune's picture

Well, the "shaky hands" can effectively handled with a tripod, but yes, the new lenses with canon do have a great correction on the stabilization of the images.

Donovan Rieger's picture

Both approaches being employed seem to work well. Have had excellent results at low shutter speeds and/or long focal lengths with both a Panasonic and a K-M 7D.

Joel P.  Black's picture

I find the IS lens nice in theory but practically speaking a tripod is where you want to be.

Richard Flory's picture

A 'must have' for any digital camera that I would buy.

Bill Daniell's picture

Quicker shots with out setting up a tripod. My Canon lens with IS is outstanding!

John Mickler's picture

I now have an image stabilization lens which I have found to be helpful with my shaky hands.

Thomas Vaillancourt's picture

It is very important for the work I do that I be able to take high resolution images in low lighting situations. My Konica Minolta A2 allows me to do that without a lot of noise from using a high ISO number.

John Meek's picture

I still prefer a tripod but image stabilization works well when a tripod isn't practical.

Mark Coons's picture

I love my IS lenses and camera. I get so many more good shots since I seldom can use a tripod.

Joe Eder's picture

I used a K-M Z3 extensively in Africa. I got photos, using a monopod from within the vehicle, that would not have been possible otherwise. The combination of stabilization with simple support got results that were otherwise impossible.

Gene Thomson's picture

IS results in many more successful hand-held images.

Michael Karbon's picture

I have just started using Image Stabalized lenses - I do believe I am getting a better percentage on steady shots in low light action situations.

Geoff Butler's picture

I find "IS" a very useful tool I have a 70 - 300mm "IS" USM and a 17 - 85mm "IS" USM when there isn't time to use the tripod "IS" is a good substitute. Also for handheld photos it is a worthwhile option to have.

Joe Dlhopolsky's picture

It takes discipline to use it properly. You can't just keep it turned on. It works against you in panning shots. So you have to remember to turn it off. I just picked up a Canon L series lens that has a panning IS mode. It's great, but something else you have to remember to switch.

Charl van Rooyen's picture

Used Minolta Dimage A1, and A200, worked great, especially with low light, handheld.

Tony Passera's picture

While I do see some improvement with image stabilization, it's really not as much improvement as claimed and it's very unpredictable when it works well. It certainly doesn't replace a tripod and it certainly doesn't influence my camera and lens purchases very much.

Steve Nimz's picture

Image stabilizing works great for candid street shots.

Ellen Champion's picture

Canon lenses, Olympus camera, both work well. I welcome this innovation.

Dick Dornblaser's picture

Compared photos between non-stabilization camera (Canon G3) and a stabilized camera (Canon S2). The S2 photos were sharper and clearer.

Dennis Walton's picture

On my travels I could not live without the IS capabilities of my Canon lenses. They have revolutionized handheld low light picture taking for me.

Dave Hargus's picture

I would love to have IS lenses. But the cost is too high for me, and I would rather have more lenses without IS than a few with IS. Yes, I do raise the ISO and always carry a tripod.

Howard Martinez's picture

Although I generally use a tripod, I sometimes cannot and I have found image stabilazation to be a great help in hand-held, low-light conditions.

Walt Kendall's picture

IS is not perfect, but it usually allows me to hand hold, when I need to, for an extra couple of stops. I find it is best with shorter focal lengths, but that is expected. Why is IS important? Because even with improving processors, image quality degrades with higher ISO settings. I want to keep ISO as low as possible.

Robert Stahl's picture

Have used Nikon's VR lenses 24-120 and 80-400. Both have helped get sharper, steadier images without a tripod.

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