k - posted a while back about going with the f4 or the f2.8 70-200 lens.... the feedback was awesome. The dominant chain of photostore up here is Henry's, and I love their 14 day trial period, where you can purchase something, test it out, and return it within 14 days.
So. Bought the f4. Great lens, but found it a little slow. Returned it. Just bought the 2.8... and have tested it out for about a week. I am shooting a wedding with it on the weekend, and was wondering if you have any tips/tricks (ie. What does IS1 vs IS2 mean?) to help me get the most out of the lens?
jcolwell wrote:
Tip 1: read the manual that came with the lens.
In the manual that came with mine, it does talk about the 2 IS modes, but it doesn't mention anything about the focusing modes. I had to use logic and puzzle that out on my own.
RobertLynn wrote:
In the manual that came with mine, it does talk about the 2 IS modes, but it doesn't mention anything about the focusing modes. I had to use logic and puzzle that out on my own.
In my manual for the EF 70-200mm F2.8 IS USM, Section 2 is called "Setting the Focus Mode" and Section 3 is called "Switching the Focusing Distance Range", with a special insert on things to be aware of related to the focus limiter setting.
Just bought the 2.8... and have tested it out for about a week. I am shooting a wedding with it on the weekend, and was wondering if you have any tips/tricks (ie. What does IS1 vs IS2 mean?) to help me get the most out of the lens?
I sure hope you're not the "official" photographer for these people...
John Korduner wrote:
IS2 is meant for when the lens is on a monopod.
Alas, wrong answer. IS mode 2 is for panning. It turns of IS in the direction in which you're panning (either horizontal or vertical). IS mode one stabilises the image / reduces camera shake in both directions.
Of course, a lot of panning is done on a monopod...
Emile Gregoire wrote:
Alas, wrong answer. IS mode 2 is for panning. It turns of IS in the direction in which you're panning (either horizontal or vertical). IS mode one stabilises the image / reduces camera shake in both directions.
Of course, a lot of panning is done on a monopod...
Many photographers who do lottsa panning/tracking never use IS mode 2.
My suggestion is to follow that practice and leave it in IS1.
If you are not up the snuff on fast 200mm telephotos, try to develop a feel for DoF values with the lens wide open.
John Korduner wrote:
..... the AF focus quicker when you choose the 2.4m as opposed to the 1.4m option.
That can be true in some situations but is a gross oversimplification, and can be misleading. The 2.4 meter option effectively locks the focus range to a smaller segment of it's whole by eliminating the short focal distances (1.4 to 2.4 meters). This does not necessarily result in faster focusing. The lens elements that move to achieve focus move at the same speed regardless of which option is selected. When using 2.4m they may have less distance to travel, and thus get to the "focused" position more quickly than if in the 1.4m mode. But this travel distance depends on where they were positioned for the previous shot. After the first focus in the 2.4 mode, the elements cannot be positioned for the shorter focal distances which eliminates the longest of possible travel distances. If the previous focus was already in the 2.4m to infinity range there will be no improvement in the time it takes to achieve focus. This assumes that the light is good enough for the elements to move directly to the new position without "hunting".
MTBtrials wrote:
Petkal.... what do you mean by develop a feel for DOF with the lens wide open?
How much different is it that say a slower tele, or a 50mm 1.8?
Do you mind ellaborating for me? I hope I don't come over as sounding like a smart a.....
Thanks in Advance
Well, there is a hard way by using the lens and getting portraits where only the person's nose tip is in focus, when shot at f/2.8 and at the lens MFD.
By comparison, if you try to shoot 50 f/1.8 at 2m and f/2.8 , the whole face is likely be covered by sufficient DoF.
Experimenting like that is OK to develop that "feel for DoF", however, in addition, one should also play with an on-line DoF calculator using several distances and apertures which are representative for their shooting situations.
A question typically arises as follows: I am about to shoot a duck which is swimming in circles about 10 ft away. I have a 200mm lens on me and I need 1/800 sec min shutter speed. What is the largest aperture that would still give me a DoF sufficient to cover the duck's length from bill to tail ?
Thank you, this makes much more sense to why I struggle getting those close framed face shots of my kids at f/2 with my 50mm, but why when I lay on my belly and back up to get the "commando view" of my youngest who isn't even crawiling yet, it almost always turns out nice with his face in beautiful focus, but the background blurred.
If it's your first IS lens, you need to be aware that the IS takes about a half second to stabilize. I find that I sometimes forget that fact, and my 1dm2 focuses so fast I will get a blurred shot because the IS hasn't stabilized. As mentioned you also have to be aware of DOF. Here's a handy set of calculators that can help: http://www.tawbaware.com/maxlyons/calc.htm
