How to use IS on Canon 70-300

[Amnesia180]

Hi all...

My Lens arrived on Friday and I've only just had a chance to sit down and properly get a good look at it.

However, I left the box at Work and have took the lens home with me. The box has the instructions (I think) but I'm puzzled what the "Lock" and the two different IS buttons do.

If someone could shed some light that'd be great :D

Thanks
Amnesia

[Gandhi]

the lock will most likely restrict the focus range, much the same as one on a macro lens will do. Stops the lens hunting at extremes of the focus range. Use it when working up close or at long distances???????

Two IS buttons will either be for IS always on or just when you take the shot. Or one will be for normal IS and the other for panning mode, so IS only works on one axis.

This is all just guess work though as I've never used a canon IS lens before!

[Cobra]

IS "1" is for "normal" applications ie it stabilises in horizontal and vertical planes. IS "2" is for panning and only stabilises on the horizontal plane.
The lock "locks" the lens length into position

[desantnik]

The lock actually only works at 70mm, its a transit lock to stop it bouncing around when its round your neck and you aren't using it.

BTW, I am lead to believe that mode 2 IS will work in either plane.... but only one plane as opposed to mode 1 which is both.

[Amnesia180]

Thanks for the help guys.

Could you expand on your last sentence desantnik... when you say mode 2 IS will work in either plane... how does it know whether to use Horizontal or Vertical?

[AdWright]

Does the lens not have a tilt switch to let it know which orientation it is in? Else, it may communicate with the camera which should have a tilt switch

[desantnik]

I believe the answer is above :D

Like I say, as far as I know all Canon IS lenses work in this way...

[Amnesia180]

Tilt switch?! I'll dig out the manual tonight haha :P

Thanks again!
Amnesia

[desantnik]

Yes, when you rotate the camera round into portrait mode the camera detects this.. which is why when you review your pics on the back it shows you portrait shots the right way around :D

[AdWright]

If you put your ear to your camera and rotate it from horizontal to vertical, you should hear a small click as the tilt swtich detects the orientation change. The switch usually takes the form of a small ball bearing that moves

[Amnesia180]

wow! Thats really interesting stuff... I never knew that.
And never noticed that the picture is the right way up in the viewfinder when taking a photo in portrait mode.

I'm going to have to start paying more attention to what my camera can do :)