Image Stabilisation – Know Your Limits?

I’ve blogged previously on the other merits of Canon’s wonderful EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lens, but not really its image stabilisation characteristics. This shot from Cuba shows how good the lens is in that respect. The above is an interior detail from the Teatro Tomas Terry in Cuba, shot handheld in very low available light, at 140mm and with a 1/13s shutter speed. I’m very happy with its sharpness. Some of this may be down to my own steadiness, but it does seem that I can genuinely go to speeds 10 times slower than the traditional “1 over the focal length” rule. I’d be interested to hear what other people have found with similar lenses.