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Canon 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS


 
 
Ive not long purchased the Canon 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS lens. While I have had some good photos taken with it, I get more photos I am disappointed with. The ones that are problematic are the ones where there is movement in the shot. If I take a shot of a building etc, things are usually good, but if I take a shot of either a shorting shot or a wildlife shot then the subject is blurred where it moved, even with a shutter speed of up to 1/400. Ive attached a photo to explain. Has anyone had a simular problem with this lens or am I doing something obviously wrong ?


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May 17, 2008

 

R K Stephenson 		  Hi, Nathan,

In this case the 1/125s may well be the culprit.

A common rule of thumb is a Tv of 1 over the max focal length of the lens (regardless of the actual focal length you're shooting at). Some go as far as to factor in the sensor crop factor which, for your camera is 1.6. So for the 100-400 means a minimum shutter speed of 1/640 (400mm x 1.6).

This assumes you're hand-holding the camera. N/A is you're using a tripod.

The EF 100-400 is a good lens, but even with IS it takes very little movement to introduce blurring in the image.

Cheers,

RK


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May 17, 2008

 

Jon Close 		  I think the sample photo is terrific. You do not have a problem of blur from unintentional camera shake, the lens's IS has effectively countered that. You can ignore the 1/focal length rule of thumb when using IS. What blurring there is of the background and grass is more from panning to keep up with the players.

The "problem" is that 1/125 is too slow to freeze the motion of the subjects. But for this kind of action photo that is not a problem, it is desirable feature of this photo. The motion blur of the players hands, feet and the ball convey the speed and action of the scene. You have good focus and a still subject in the 1st player's face, showing his determination and concentration on the ball. If you'd captured this at 1/500 or 1/1000 it look unnaturally frozen like a still life with mannequins and lost much of the "drama".


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May 18, 2008

 
- Gregory LaGrange

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Gregory LaGrange's Gallery 		  This photo, your speed is just too slow. If you're having trouble at 1/400, then you need to practice more to get better at it.
More practice and your pictures at 1/125 will get better, although it's still at the slow end for getting action.
Motion blur can add to a photo to show speed or an abstract, but this isn't a candidate for it.
Focus looks to be off a little by a few feet.


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May 18, 2008

 
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