I don't have a 300/2.8 IS but would like to point out that you must consider
your subject when choosing the shutter speed, rather than your ability to
hold the lens. That is, you might be able to hand hold such a lens as low
1/60th but your subject (fast moving horses) require a minimum of 1/250th to
be rendered sharply. This is a bit of a trap with IS, yes you can use low
shutter speeds but your subject may not allow it. On the other hand you can
also achieve fantastic pans with such a slow shutter speed, allowing some
blur in the subject and background, to show drama, but hopefully a sharp
enough subject (see any good car magazine to see what I'm talking about).
JJ

Cameras are not designed to carry heavy lenses. But heavy lenses are
designed to carry cameras. So fit the lens rather than the camera
to the tripod.

Do NOT use IS on a tripod, unlkess the tripod moves all the time.
IS is NOT designed for use on tripods.

Since you want action pics, stay at 1/250 or faster. Or if on a
10D or 300D, remember the 1.6 factor, and try to stay at 1/500s.

That's not surprising. Such can be a weighty combination.

After a day spent at Donington Park carrying a pair of D1Hs around with a
Nikon 300mm F2.8 AFSII and a 70-200 F2.8 VR lens, my arms generally know
it. It's something you do get used to though, with practise.

Mind you, modern lens design and materials make the current breed of 300mm
lenses and upwards actually lighter than their predecessors. The Nikon
AFSII lens that I have is constructed with Magnesium alloys to make it
lighter than the older 300mm lenses.

Next, you want to try holding a body with a 600mm F4 fitted to it....

So...

are we going to see the results Sorby?

Peter

--

<snip stuff about hiring a 300mm lens for a show jumping event>

Thought I'd share my self-debrief with you after shooting the show jumping
event :

Who was it that said the 300mm lens would be too long?

I turned up at the equestrian centre on time, found the organiser,
introduced myself politely and asked if she had any rules about where I
could or couldn't shoot from. I asked for an entry list and copy of the
programme so I could see how the day was going to pan out.  The first
problem was that, despite being told the event was to be held outdoors the
organiser insisted it was being held indoors. It seemed criminal on such a
lovely sunny day. I wasn't *too* worried as I knew I could go to 1600 (and
even 3200) with my 10D.  But when I got inside the arena I my heart sank -
it was dismally dark with the odd sliver of extreme sun-light puncturing the
gloom.  Not only that but 3 of the 4 arena boundaries were high walls with
no access - so I was limited to shooting from one end of the arena.  My
concerns were compounded after I set my kit up when I realised the 300mm
lens (480mm with the 1.6 focal magnification) meant I couldn't get even the
furthest fence into the frame.

Out came my consumer lenses whose woeful maximum aperture meant that I
couldn't use a fast enough shutter speed to freeze the action - even at ISO
1600! At 3200 the grain was evident even in the tiny 1.8" LCD screen so I
knew that was a non-starter.

I realised it was a waste of time and resolved to pack up after a
polystyrene cuppa.

I was surprised that my sister-in-law hadn't arrived with her horse-box so I
phoned her, partly out of concern and partly to break the news that I
wouldn't be shooting anything else today.

"Where are you?" I asked.
"We're here! At the event. Where are you?" she replied.
"I'm here too - but I can't see your wagon anywhere!" I exclaim.
"Oh well. I'm sure we'll bump into you soon enough.  Taken lots of good
photos?"
"No - you told me the event was outdoors but, as you now know, it's indoors,
so it's too dark too shoot."
"INDOORS? Nooo! It's outdoors - there isn't an indoor arena here!"
"But... I'm in the arena now!"
"Where are you Rob?!"
"I'm at <riding school X>"
"WHAT?!! You're supposed to be at <riding school Y> !!"

So - yes, my 300mm lens was too long - but also too short - by about 25
miles. :o)

I raced over to the proper venue to find the event well under way, outdoors,
bathing in glorious sunlight.
Unfortunately news of my ineptitude travelled faster than my car and even
the gigglinh staff on the car-park gate had heard about me and ushered me to
a space with an urgency and efficiency more deserving of an ambulance or
fire-engine!

The rest of the day passed fairly uneventfully.  I discovered it's very
difficult to concentrate on the job in hand when grown men with lens-envy
keep coming up to you and asking questions and wanting a look through the
viewfinder!

Since uploading the photos late this afternoon I've had several decent
orders and offers of other events to shoot.

Thanks to you lot for your supportive & sagely advice.

p.s. I mentioned in another post that I wasn't overly happy with the
resulting photos. Basically I found that once I'd transferred the images to
my home PC many weren't quite as sharp as the camera's LCD display would
suggest.  I put this down to subconciously sacrificing shutter speed for
focal depth.   The IS on the hired 300mm lens is a dream - but perhaps it
lulled me into a false sense of security ?
I also learnt that both the tripod & monopod were useless and spent most of
the day hand-holding.  This wasn't quite as bad as I'd been lead to believe
and I didn't feel particularly uncomfortable.