Can you take allot of shots handheld? also how does it handle in low light ? Do you notice a huge loss because it has no IS
599074
Do almost everything hand held. No IS is not a problem as long as your above 180 range but ideally you want to be in good light above 500 IMO. Depending on your camera low light can be decent with ISO cranked up. Overall great lens but not ideal for low light.
599075
Outside no problem. Inside or in low light you need to boost the ISO quite a bit. If you are shooting things that move IS is no lost at all this is because for most sports or bird in flight you need to be at 1/500 anyway to freeze the motion. I had the lens for over a year, was hesitating to buy it for exactly the same reason and in the end its a really fantastic lens and I don't miss IS at all.
599076
I would not recommend using any 400mm lens handheld. This lens is large and heavy and really needs to be supported on a tripod. If tripod mounted IS and low light situations become non-issues as you should always turn off IS when you tripod mount an IS lens. I have gotten some remarkable bird photographs with this lens - it is very sharp and well worth the money for the extra reach it provides.
599077
It works well with a Canon 5D mk 2 or 3. In low light ISO must be set at 1600 or more and shutter speed more than 1/400 sec. Still I would recommend a monopod to stabilize. Easily hand held in bright sunlight. Great glass for the price.
599078
It was difficult for me handheld under 1/400 shutter speed. (I weigh 110) The images I shot at 1/300 or 1/250 were a bit soft and the depth of field very shallow. I haven't tried low light hand held due to those experiences. I received the lens as a Christmas gift, so I expect better results in the summer with far more natural light available. I am not a huge fan of IS, so I am not a good judge for that. I use the long lens' primarily for wildlife and don't want that extra IS focusing time. I hope that helps.
526620
Subjectively not as fast as a Nikon D4, but what is. Just shot a forth of july parade. I see no discernible lag in my so far limited use. There is a small lag before your next shot. Not suitable I think for wildlife in motion.Bill Byrd
970
Seems pretty fast to me, maybe a little slower as the scene gets darker, but it takes great pictures in very low light with autofocus.Has infrared light to focus with. Hardly ever use flash in a room with ordinary lighting.
1760741
I'm really surprised at how well the camera does at low lighted events. I usually take both flash pics and no flash pics but find many times the pics taken with available light are better than with the flash. Hope that helps.
1078011
The G5 does surprisingly well in low light! I am a bit amazed at the pictures I can take with street lights as the only illumination. There is sensor noise; somewhat more than with my Nikon D600, about the same as my Nikon D7000. Noise elimination post-processing cleans it up fairly nicely. On the other hand, consider that most Micro 4/3 lenses are fairly slow. So unless you get one of the fast lenses, you'll be using the "low-light" capabilities more than you would if you had a camera with an fast lens. The lens based anti-shake system works OK, but it's not as effective as some costlier systems, so a tripod is a must for "available dark" shooting.
1854901
I have found that using the SP mode will give you the shots you desire.You can also go in the menu and adjust your shooting preference to go from indoor to ourdoor or sunset. I recently stood on my balcony at the beach and caught pictures of sailboats about 5-10 miles out. You do have to play with it a little, but, it is great for candid shots. On SP a lot of indoor shots can be taken without a flash. There's a setting for this, and pics come out real nice.
260471
This camera is great in low light settings. Crank up the ISO settings (or set to automatic), and it does a great job indoors. One of my favorite features of this camera. Lenses all depend on what your shooting. The basic zoom does a pretty good job. If your going to shoot outdoors any, or at kids plays and programs, a longer zoom is a good addition. I also have a fast 50mm fixed lens for indoor shooting of portraits and macro photography.
2137224
I haven't used this camera in a while, but from what I remembered it handled it self pretty well in low light conditions. It depends a lot on the light that is available. I am assuming you're looking to rent the camera because of it's size, but if size is not an issue, there are probably better DSLR's out there that handle low light conditions better in terms of speed and ISO performance. But, for its size the Ricoh does a really good job in low light conditions.
96487
I love this camera because it takes really nice pictures and it is easy to carry. I also have a Nikon D-40 which I absolutely love. I have several lenses to help me capture long range photos. You may want to go to a re-furbished camera website to see what is out there. I bought a piece for my camera that helps out with lighting.
1210719
I haven't tried shooting sports, but it does extremely well in low light by using aperture priority and adjusting the AV. This has proved to be especially satisfactory in churches and museums when flash is not permitted. The menus are intuitive, it is light weight and comfortable in my hand. I am not an expert but more of an above average amateur. Buy Canon batteries - knock-offs don't hold the charge. I bought a Nikon in the same price class and returned it. In short, I like my Canon very much.
396129
I bought 3 of these for my family. Takes awesome photos. Good low light images. I don't use for action shots much, but no doubt in my mind it would do a fine job. My next, easy to carry camera, will be in this family line. I had the model before this one too. Good choice.
2169340
I have owned my 100-400 for 5 months now and I love it. I photograph wildlife and our Grandsons sporting events and use it 100% of the time. I must say that 95% of those pictures are taken using 400, however, it was nice to be able to zoom out for the 5%. The only time that I change a lens is for indoor use. So far it has been easy to use and produces very good quality photos. The only drawback at this point is that it is a little heavy so I purchased a shoulder strap to take the weight off my neck. My opinion is that if I had it to do over (purchase or not) that yes I would invest the money and purchase again. I have owned my 100-400 for 5 months now and I love it. I photograph wildlife and our Grandsons sporting events and use it 100% of the time. I must say that 95% of those pictures are taken using 400, however, it was nice to be able to zoom out for the 5%. The only time that I change a lens is for indoor use. So far it has been easy to use and produces very good quality photos. The only drawback at this point is that it is a little heavy so I purchased a shoulder strap to take the weight off my neck. My opinion is that if I had it to do over (purchase or not) that yes I would invest the... » Read More I have owned my 100-400 for 5 months now and I love it. I photograph wildlife and our Grandsons sporting events and use it 100% of the time. I must say that 95% of those pictures are taken using 400, however, it was nice to be able to zoom out for the 5%. The only time that I change a lens is for indoor use. So far it has been easy to use and produces very good quality photos. The only drawback at this point is that it is a little heavy so I purchased a shoulder strap to take the weight off my neck. My opinion is that if I had it to do over (purchase or not) that yes I would invest the money and purchase again. « Show Less
1724179
this camera is a great all round camera. with a tripod this camera work well in low light... yes, there are an array of lenses that would work with this camera.
94005
The Sony DCR-SR42 handycam shoots very well in low light conditions. I use it in ghost investigations exclusivly in zero light . I do use external Infrared for brighter video but the nightshot it comes with is very good too. Great camera and I will buy another with out hesitation. Awesome camera.
15209
The low light performance is the best I've seen in this price range. I've noticed that in low light conditions that the auto focus can sometimes cause a few out of focus moments like when somebody walks through the shot slowly. I take videos of bands in dimly lit bars and they usually come out fairly good. If low light is critical, try doing a search for reviews on more expensive cameras.
1609774
PD,Thanks for a really informative review. I'm in the process of trying to make this decision. I'm getting a 70-200. I just don't know which one. On your 2.8 w/o IS, and adding a 1.4 teleconverter, do you miss the IS? I know you said you use a tripod or monopod a lot. Is that how you overcome that? Or do you find yourself still able to shoot hand-held? I'd love to get that combination of the 200 + 1.4tc.Thanks!
866394
I don't own a 7D but I can tell you the low light performance is excellent. I am surprised how many times I can get away without a flash.