128 Better Available Light Digital Photography
The focal length of the EF 70–
200 mm f/4 L IS USM makes it
ideal for candid portraits. This
candid portrait was made from the
deck of one boat while the crewman
was on an adjacent vessel. Expo-
sure was 1/500 sec at f/6.3 with a
(^1) / 3 stop exposure compensation to
make the white boat sparkle. ISO
was 200 and focal length was
191 mm. © 2006 Joe Farace.
The focal length of the EF 70–200 mm f/4 L IS USM makes it
ideal for candid portraits. Its IS function makes it useful for situ-
ations where your footing may be less than steady. While on a
boat, Joe made a candid portrait of a crewman on an adjacent
vessel. Both yachts were bobbing gently in the water, yet the EF
70–200 mm f/4 L’s image stabilization enabled him to capture a
sharp image. Wedding photographers should be able to make use
of this capability in fast-moving situations at receptions.
The IS function’s biggest test came when trying to photograph
Acapulco’s famous cliff divers from the deck of a yacht being
buffeted by heavy waves like a whippet in a whirlpool. Joe had a
chance to make only six shots of the divers before a couple of
female members of the crew—he thinks it was Mary Ann and
Ginger—got violently seasick. The EF70–200 mm f/4 L IS USM
never missed a beat and all of the divers’ images are tack sharp.
Another place image stabilization helped was while on the Tres
Palos lagoon photographing fl owers and fauna. The EF 70–
200 mm f/4 L IS USM’s image stabilization helped him get a
crisp photo of a heron who took off just ahead of the boat.
Although serious bird photographers will want longer focal
lengths, Joe would love to have had Canon’s Extender EF 1.4x
II with him.
During its extensive workout in Mexico, the EF 70–200 mm
f/4 L IS USM never missed a beat and always performed up