Today, it’s hard to imagine a world where we use lenses without any Image Stabilization (IS) when it’s standard on most lenses.
In the Canon camp, everyday kit lenses like the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM and Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, telephoto zooms like the classic Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM and Canon RF 70-200mm F4L IS USM for EOS R mirrorless, all of these lenses are so much easier to shoot handheld with and get sharp shots, even with slow shutter speeds.
It would be unthinkable to use a focal length of 300mm and longer without IS – try using the Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM to shoot handheld at 500mm with an aperture of f/7.1 and no IS (and no Canon EOS R camera with IBIS) and see how sharp your shots are!
But 30 years ago, photographers were unknowingly using lenses without Image stabilizers and struggling with their shutter speeds and high ISO film to get sharp shots – especially when shooting in low light, or photographing active subjects, or using telephoto focal lengths of 300mm or above.
Enter the ground-breaking Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM in September 1995, the world’s first interchangeable lens for SLR cameras to incorporate Canon's innovative Image Stabilizer system. It was a game-changing lens, enabling photographers to beat camera shake with an increase of two stops of shutter speed.
This lens also meant photographers could now use slower ISO speed film and confidently shoot at 300mm and 1/30 sec became an equivalent to 1/125 sec with IS. It paved the way for ever-improving lenses with better IS year on year.
This IS technology really was revolutionary, as camera shake was detected by vibration-detecting gyro sensors inside the lens, while a micro USM (Ultrasonic Motor) in the drive system ensured near-silent autofocus.
Check out the best Canon RF lenses around today
