"Again, do not agree!!! Mode ii IS is used for panning!!!" Correct - it is for panning - keeping the subject in the same spot - but the environment will be motion blurred with a longer shutter speed because the environment is moving in the frame - not the subject. Panning is a constant directional move of the camera to keep the SUBJECT in a constant place as you PAN the camera. "Surely, that is due to bad photography skills? Personally, I would be focusing on the band!" Gotta pick one or the other, and that was just an example I gave of how those lenses will work in that situation. Moving stage performers in low light. With a longer shutter speed (needed for handheld work in low light sits), the drummer is moving, the singer is bouncing back and forth, guitarists strumming away - the performers are all moving in DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS, and the stage is stationary. Hence, if you're trying to keep your camera still so you won't have camera shake motion blur (which is the only part these lenses really help correct), the performers will still move around in the frame and cause THEIR motion blur. The only way to freeze everything at once is a fast shutter speed. The point of IS/VR/AS is that your aim will not be "jittery" and have camera shake for longer shutter speeds - particularly for longer lenses - think of looking through binoculars, then try and take that memory and equate it with taking a shot at 1/30th sec. Not "focusing better", but less "camera shake" so that your subject, or choice of focus, will not be jittery in the final shot because you don't have a tripod for a longer shutter speed.

i have a Minolta Dynax 7D and i like the the Anti Shake System a lot.i never will miss it. !!!!!!!!!! #:O) !!!!!!!!

Attaboy!! OWN IT AND LOVE IT!!

For those wondering why there are two modes: I was playing with the Canon 75-300 IS and when I moved to focus on something else there was a lag before the lens figured out the movement was deliberate. It was really strange moving the lens on purpose and the image not moving for a second.

I have a minolta dimage z5 the AS feature is great but uses more battery and causes the camera to heat up. Btw the image quality z5 isn't good.

OK...I finally tested my 5D's image stabilization by taking some dimlit indoor pics, no flash, w/image stabilization both on and off. There is a significant differance. Let me just say it works well. Turned off all the pics were a bit blurry...Switched to "On" almost all were sharp. (Tested in auto & 1/8-1/30 sec. f5.6, depended on where I aimed.)