KimParks Loc: Kenosha, WI

I have a Zeiss lens w/adapter for my Canon Rebel XT I love the lens and you need to use it in manual but the pictures are beautiful. I found mine on E-Bay for $150 it was all trial and error but worth the fun. I found a speed-lite on Amazon although not a Canon it was only $40 and it works plus it has settings, awesome deal.
Maybe we might be amatuers with expensive equipment, but I enjoy my hobby and I enjoy learning along with the rest.
Good Luck on the hunt. I wish you all the best. If you find something please let us know.

silver Loc: Santa Monica Ca.

A monopod is a good choice because you can move around easier with it for doing certain kinds of spontaneous shooting. If you are having trouble hand holding you need a support of some sort.

P C Loc: Oregon, USA

[quote=George H][quote=Rangerfan]I have been shooting portraits with my Canon 70-200 f2.8L Non-IS lens. I keep the iso at about 100 to keep it sharp, as I find that the higher iso the grainier the pics. I have been shooting outdoors, so I was thinking the light would be sufficient. However, because I am handholding and this is a giant heavy lens, I am not getting sharp pics in the least. Also, I am really getting in pet photography. I was wondering if it is because
1. I am handholding and there is camera shake?
2. The iso is still too low, causing the shutterspeed to be too slow?
3. I really need an is lens?
Also, I am finding that this lens, although wonderful as it is, is not the best choice for what I do. I am thinking of selling it and getting either the 24-70 or the 17-55. Any thoughts??? The 24-70 is non-IS and the 17-55 is IS. I don't want to make the same mistake again not getting IS if I am a handholder and not a tripod user.[/quote

Ranger,
I am a fashion photographer so I use that lens that you have almost all the time. You have to use a tripod or monopod. You do not have the ability to handhold that lens at the ISO you say you are using. Do what is necessary get a tripod, that is the answer. Even if you switch to the 24-70 still use a tripod. That is the definitive answer I don't care what anyone else says, oh I probably shoot on average 3000 portraits a year with models.[/quote]

I totally agree about the tripod and you may also want to use the remote.
If you have to 'hand hold', you may want to upgrade your lens to Canon EF 70-200 mm f/2.8 L IS II USM which does a wonderful 'IS' job.

Nevada Chuck

You have more or less answered your own question. A tripod will solve all your current problems, but if you insist on shooting hand held, by all means an IS lens would be a big help. Also, go to 200 ISO; this should produce NO noticable increase in noise level, and will gain you another stop.

One more thing; the rule about hand-holding shutter speeds applies to the actual focal length of the lens, not what focal length you have it set at. In other words, with a 70-200mm lens, your minimum hand-held shutter speed should be 1/200 of a second, regardless of the fact that you have it set for a 100mm focal length.

bull drink water Loc: pontiac mi.

when conditions necessitated it i have closed the legs on my tripod and used it as a monopod.if you typed in "how best to use a monopod" in a search engine i am sure you will get some good suggestions.

marcomarks Loc: Ft. Myers, FL

Crude.

George H Loc: Brooklyn, New York

I have a tripod. I will practice with it. Thanks. What are your thoughts on a monopod?[/quote]

Ranger,
At the least use a monopod, I use one in the tents at Lincoln Center for Fashion Week. Would never be able to hold that 70-200 steady enough to get good photos all day long. Monopods are a great help, especially when a tripod would be difficult to use. I use a Manfrotto with a pistol grip, I find that this combination really works well.

George

marcomarks Loc: Ft. Myers, FL

It almost has to be something you're doing. The Canon body and even your kit lenses have the ability to create tack sharp photos. Others do it every single day and Canon doesn't include crappy kit lenses. My advice:

1. Use a monopod or tripod.
2. Increase your ISO to at least 200 because a T2i is not going to show grain by that slight of a change and probably not even at 400. I almost always use 200 outdoors on my Sony unless it's a blinding sun bleached beach situation. You MUST get your shutter speed up to more than 1/60 and I personally prefer 1/125.
3. Maybe the 70-200, because it was on eBay (and I assume it was used), has something wrong with it. Set up on a tripod and try the same exact same shot of the exact same subject with the 50mm end of all your other lenses and the 70mm end of the 70-200 and compare the crispness of all of them.

If it turns out the 70-200 is working as well as the others or better, then DON'T SELL IT because you may want it for other purposes later and you'll be sorry you did.

GDRoth Loc: Southeast Michigan USA

To the Pros on this thread:

On the question of Tripods and IS, Am I correct in assuming that when using a tripod, I should turn off the IS?

Nevada Chuck

Affirmative.

abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Negative. Right now, we have 40 mph winds and I would shoot with both a tripod and image stabilization. However, in general, one or the other.

billwassmann Loc: Emerson, NJ

Don't fight the problem, use a tripod. You can then concentrate on directing the subject instead of trying to keep steady. Keep your lens but buy a shorter one. A 70-200 is not a good lens as a primary. I have a 24-105 (for film) which is more like a 28-150 on my digital. I use it for 95% of my shooting.

Nevada Chuck

That answer was a bit too brief. On the question of IS and tripods, think of it this way: IS in a lens or built into the camera body can gain you 2-4 stops, depending on a bunch of factors. A tripod, on the other hand, can gain you a near infinite number of stops because still is still, non-motion is non-motion. And unfortunately, virtually all IS systems are designed such that if there is no motion (thanks to a tripod) the system will attempt to impart some so it has something to fix. Don't think about it too much; just accept that this is the way things are.
Bottom line; tripod OR IS, not both, and between the two, tripod is better.

GDRoth Loc: Southeast Michigan USA

Thanks............

joec Loc: Central Texas, USA

A couple of other considerations:
1) IS does nothing for stopping motion. Action subjects need fast shutter setting more than they need IS., which enables slower shutter speeds on static or slow-moving subjects.
2) Whether to turn off IS when on the tripod depends on whether the IS mechanism can "sense" when it's on the tripod--most cannot, but a few can.

Joe