Quote:
Originally Posted by Jill H
Image stabilisation would be a good thing I presume??? Might as well go the whole hog - what's another $450??? What does F2.8L mean - specifically the L? and what does USM mean - although I see USM on all of them...
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Image stabilization (IS) may be a good thing for you if you plan on using the lens outside of the macro world. When you're doing macro, especially 1:1, you're going to want to use a tripod and remote shutter release, so image stabilization wouldn't help you in those cases. But, if you're going to be using the lens for a lot more than macro, then IS might be a good investment.
The "L" is Canon's designation for "Luxury." Basically, the "L" series lenses are Canon's cream of the crop. They have superior optical quality and often come with quite a price tag.
"USM" stands for Ultrasonic Motor. It is the motor that drives the auto-focus system. It is fast and very quiet, which is very desirable, obviously.