canon ef 70-200? Mostly tripod lens? IS needed?

G

Gene Sung

Veteran
question for those of you who own the Canon ef 70-200 f2.8. I know there's a I.S. version and a non-I.S. version. The lens seems like a large lens (it has a tripod collar). I'm questioning the need for I.S. because would you hand-hold this lens for video?

Do any of you guys who shoot video with this lens hand-hold it? Or does it just live on your tripod? I suppose for stills you could hand hold it, but even then... seems a bit large.
 
OK since you've not had a reply yet I'll chime in.

I had this lens on extended loan (the 70-200mm F2.8 IS) for my 7D and in the end, despite lovely results, it's just too heavy for any handholding work for more than a few minutes - and a heck of a weight in a backpack. I think you're hunch is right, it's going to be on a tripod 95% of the time so, unless you're sure you won't use it for stills, save your money and get a non IS version....but that's not what I did.

I bought the Canon 70-200mm F4 IS. I love it to bits as it's half the weight of the F2.8 (IS or non IS), has full weather sealing (which the Canon F4 Non-IS does not, by the way) and is razor sharp (I need it for stills as well as video). Weight and portability and IS for certain run and gun video situations were more important to me than an extra F stop in speed. The IS (at least on mine) makes a bit of noise (much more than the IS on the older design F2.8 that I had as a loaner and way more than my lovely Canon 17-55 F2.8 IS EF-S - the IS on that is barely audible). But I can live with that as I do double system sound for anything important anyway.

IS is incredibly successful at allowing hand holding video, especially on the shorter end of the 70-200mm - if you really have to do it hand held with a naked camera/no rig. A tripod or rig is a better way, sure, but not always practical for the things I like to shoot. I find the IS on both my mid and long lenses mentioned here to be worth the extra cost - but that's for me/my needs/style.

Hope this helps.
 
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Hey Andy,

Thanks for the great response. I would get the f4, except I need to use the lens with the 2X tele-extender to film surfing. Since you lose 2 stops, and f4 would become an f8 which would be too slow, so I guess I'm going to be lugging around the crazy heavy lens. Sigh.....
 
But if you buy the 1.4x tele-extender, you'll only lose one stop. Plus, reviews indicate IQ is better than with the 2x.

I stepped up from the f/4 to the f/4 IS. I like it more than the 24-70 f/2.8.

In the end, you may be better served by the 300mm f/4 IS ($1250) with a 1.4 extender.
 
Good advice right there above. I have the 1.4X Canon Extender too (and had the Canon 2X on extended loan with the 70-200 F2.8). I was not that happy with the image quality from the 2X Extender (for stills, you might get away with it for video) or indeed the 2 stop light loss. If you need the reach it sounds like you'll need a 300mm (or more?). May be the way to go.

Just as an aside - here is a link to a short "quick grab and go" film I did a week ago with my 17-55mm F2.8 IS (I have n't got any non-client confidential hand held 70-200mm F4 IS that I can post). OK, it's a shorter focal length but it shows what's possible with a naked camera, totally hand held with an IS lens (and some mild Smoothcam/slow crops in post where needed). Most people I've shown this too can't believe I was not using a tripod....Notice the almost complete lack of "microjitters" too. Read the blurb on the YouTube page for more info if this is of interest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwg_hTajJps

I think it's a good demo of just how effective Image Stabilisation is on all these Canon lenses (sure, shots like this hand held with the 70-200 are more tricky - it's simple physics to understand why - but IS is still really effective/those shots would be totally unusable without it).

Make no mistake, tripods or rigs are the way to go, especially with longer lenses - if you can. But sometimes it's just not possible to use them (or like in this unplanned film you don't have one with you). I like to keep my kit minimal and as many options open!
 
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