Are IS lenses any less reliable in the long run??

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As part of my quest to decide on what 35mm SLR system I should buy into I am considering the availabilty of the Internal Stabilization lenses; Do I need them, and how reliable are they??

The first question I must answer for myself, but the second dealing with reliability is one I can get some help on. To my way of thinking, an IS lens must have more electronics and, perhaps most importantly, more moving parts than a non IS lens. Thus, it seems to me that an IS lens will over many years of use and abuse, be more likely to fail or malfunction. After all those little moving parts that compensate for my shaky hands have to wear out at some time. And if the lens takes a good bumping or two, will they not also be more likely to be damaged, knocked out a alignment or whatever?

Does anybody have any experience with IS lens problems? What was it?

What is the oldest IS lens produced by Canon? Maybe that will give us an idea of how they perform in the long run.

-- Stanley McManus (Stanshooter@yahoo.com), January 27, 1999

Answers

I must say, this is a good question, since I just bought a new 300 IS 2 weeks ago. Haven't used it yet--you know, winters in Ohio, I'm busy as hell in a residency training program, blah, blah, blah! I used to own the EOS 400/5.6 but sold it due to cash flow problems, as well as my suspicion that the 300 IS w/ 1.4 extender might just be a better rig for moving subjects. I definitely lamented the slowness of the 400/5.6. I, like many, am of limited funds, and it seems to me that one therefore tends to reach a bit of a wall (asymptote (spelling?) at the 400mm and beyond range.... I would like to hear your thoughts, experience, suggestions w/ the use of this lens. Thanks.

-- kurt heintzelman (heintzelman.1@osu.edu), January 27, 1999.

Start by going here: http://digitaljournalist.org/contents.html

It's a site run by a Time shooter, who's using Canon IS lenses. There is a linked forum here: http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a.tcl?topic=Dirck%20Halstead

which would be a good place to ask the question.

-- Bruce Rubenstein (b_rubenstein@yahoo.com), January 27, 1999.


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