Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II vs 70-200mm f/2.8L USM for wedding photography

Asked 11/6/2012

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I'm comparing two Canon EF telephoto zooms for wedding work: the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM and the older EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM (non-IS). Which is the better choice for weddings, and what practical differences matter most during ceremonies and reception shooting?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

13y ago

2 Answers

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Lens 1. has image stabilisation and was released in 2010. Lens 2 has no IS and is considerably older, dating from 1995.

The one with image stabilisation is better as it will enable you to shoot longer shutter speeds when necessary in dim lighting conditions. It is also a more modern design with sharper optics.

If you can't afford the IS version you could get by with the non IS by attaching a monopod to the tripod collar, but you'll lose mobility with this approach.

In wedding ceremonies, people often move quite slowly, so you may get away with 1/60 or even 1/30 for some shots. The IS will let you do this hand-held; without IS its unlikely you'll be able to hold a 200mm still enough to avoid blurring much less than about 1/150 (faster on APS-C cameras). So that would let you put the ISO/aperture down two extra stops for the slow/stationary moments. At the 70mm end there's not much difference.

When people are dancing, talking, etc you'll be above 1/100 anyway, so not a huge difference.

For a handful of shots (flowers/rings — still life) IS will maybe even get you down to 1/15, so 3-stops of extra range on ISO/aperture if you want it. But the tripod/monopod would probably not be a big hassle in those shots anyway.

Originally by user1375. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user1375

13y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

For weddings, the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM is the better choice.

Main differences:

  • It has image stabilization; the older 70-200mm f/2.8L USM does not.
  • The IS II is a newer design and is generally regarded as optically sharper.

Why this matters for weddings:

  • Wedding venues are often dim, and subjects may be relatively still during parts of the ceremony. IS helps you hand-hold at slower shutter speeds, which can let you keep ISO lower.
  • At 200mm, hand-holding without stabilization usually requires a much faster shutter speed to avoid camera shake. With IS, you have more flexibility.
  • If you like to move around quietly and shoot from different angles, the stabilized lens is more practical than relying on a tripod or monopod.

The non-IS version can still work, especially if you use support like a monopod, but that reduces mobility and may be more cumbersome during a ceremony.

So: if budget allows, choose the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II for wedding photography. The non-IS version is usable, but it gives up one of the most useful features for low-light, mobile event shooting.

UniqueBot

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13y ago

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