In-camera IS at long focal lengths

[Anbesol]

Well, *any* IS will be better at wider angles. Just think, camera shake is a bigger problem at more telephoto lengths in the first place without IS, and IS can't compensate as well for the more long focal ranges (more severe shake). It isn't a 'tiny' difference, its a huge difference. At 50mm, I was able to actually shoot a 3 second exposure handheld, even if I was braced that well at 200mm, the minor shake would have been much more severe, and it certainly wouldn't have come out right.

Lets say that the camera shake was identical throughout the focal ranges - if this were the case, then IS would offer identical exposure options. But, look through a lens at 25mm handheld, then look through a 300mm handheld; you may be holding the camera braced the exact same way, but the camera shake is a lot more serious in the 300mm. Make sense?

I got 'anti-shake' on my original Minolta Maxxum 5D body, and it offered minor help, but the A700's 'SuperSteadyShot' was a HYOOOOJ improvement, I didn't think that stabilizer technology could have done as much as I've seen done with SSS.

I don't really stake a lot of importance on stabilizers though because its still good form to keep the proper shutter speeds for the exposure, but in a pinch, its mighty helpful. Shooting birds though, can't see much of a use for IS then - when are you shooting a bird where you want a shutter slower than 1/100th??

Btw the lens I've used are the 24-50f4, 50f1.7, and the 70-210f4, I'm much more inclined to use my SSS on the 50 and the 24-50 than on my 70-210.