Third Party Lenses and Image Stabilization

[FallsCity]

Do any of the third-party lens makers like Sigma and Tamron offer IS on their lenses?

If not, is that considered a major downfall or should it factor into your buying decision?

[dlambert]

They both offer stabilized lenses. Sigma labels them "OS" (optical stabilization) and Tamron labels them "VC" (vibration control). I believe that both of these manufacturers have had multiple implementations of stabilization that have (presumably) improved in effectiveness, just like Canon's IS systems.

[FallsCity]

Okay, I see now. Canon must have copyrights to phrase "Image Stabilization"

[dlambert]

Maybe. Also possible, though, is that both of these companies typically make the same lens available with multiple mounts (eg, Cannon & Nikon), so even if they used "IS", the Nikon folks would be confused (they use "VR"), so this way, everyone's got their own acronym, and the marketing department gets to keep their jobs.

[Elmo]

Also remember IS, and its name variants, is relatively new technology and was not in great demand until the explosion of digital photographers where it became a must have buzz-word.

It is a good tool but I find it tends to promote sloppy camera technique.