When it comes to shooting in available or lowlight situations, your choice of lenses is narrowed down to a specific type - the fast lenses, those with maximum apertures of f/2.8, f/1.8 or larger. You can forget about shooting pictures in such situations if you don't have fast aperture-type of lenses, either zoom or single focal length versions. Beauty pageant finalist, shot with EF 300mm f/2.8L USM Ice skater in action, with EF 80-200mm f/2.8L AFD zoom Ice skater took a tumble, with EF 80-200mm f/2.8L AFD zoom Another skater in swirling action, also with EF 80-200mm f/2.8L AFD zoom View from an open-concept restaurant Shoppers inside a mall Another open-concept dining's interior Neon sign of a bakery All the above photos were shot with the respective lenses at their maximum apertures of f/2.8. The skating photos have vignetting in all four corners when shot wide open, a problem of the EF 80-200mm f/2.8L AFD zoom lens, as stated in its review featured in Nuts and Bolts Issue No: 20. The vignetting effects are not noticeable in the last four photos shown above where clear surroundings are not used. There is an exception for EOS users in shooting available light photography, by using certain lenses having the Image Stabilizing feature. Instead of using an EF 300mm f/2.8L USM at 1/60 sec. at f/2.8 handheld, the EF 300mm f/4.0L IS USM set at 1/30 sec. at f/4 is more likely to guarantee you a sharper image, used handheld with its IS feature switched ON. The same applies to the EF 100-400mm f/3.5-5.6L IS zoom vs. the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM lens - you are more likely to get sharper images with the former set at 1/6 sec. at f/4.5 (at 200mm) compared to the latter set at 1/30 sec. at f/2.8, also at the 200mm focal length. << Back to Main . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6 . 7 . 8 . 9 . 10 .