I use my EF70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM for a lot of my sports coverage. Even if the EF300 f/2.8 or EF400 f/2.8 is my primary lens for the day, I always have the 70-200 close at hand. I think you will like the lens a lot.


I find the IS very useful in situations where the lighting is less than optimal. I have a non IS EF300 f/4.0 and I can't hand hold it slower than about 1/200. With the IS on, I havehand hand held the 70-200 at 1/60 and even 1/30 and been very happy with the results.


I think the confusion comes from the capabilities of IS. IS doesn't help a bit with motion blur casued by a moving subject. If your football players are in full stride, you'll still need a shutter speed fast enough to stop the motion. Its real purpose is to eliminate the motions induced by the photographer. If you are rock solid or shoot from a tripod, IS won'tprovide a lot of benefit. If you're like me and shooting from a monopod or hand held and potentially trying to step over a fallen line judge while keeping the wide receiever perfectly composed, you'll appreciate the benefits of IS.