Canon's EF 70-300mm USM IS lens gives you the impressive telephoto power and fast autofocus you need for taking rapid-fire shots of far-off subjects. Its versatile focal range and optical performance make it a great choice for use with your Canon digital SLR camera. But its big claim to fame is its renowned Image Stabilization (IS) technology, which lets you take sharp, in-focus photographs in all sorts of lighting conditions. Here's how it works.

We've all taken a picture and had it turn out blurry because our hands moved a little while we were capturing the shot. Image Stabilization works around this problem. Built-in vibration sensors steer a special set of optical elements inside the lens, neatly compensating for camera movement and stabilizing the image. You get much sharper pictures — even in low-light conditions where hand motion can easily cause blurred images with a regular lens. IS lenses are much loved by photographers who don't like to carry along a tripod on every excursion, but who require crisp photos as a matter of course.

High-tech Image Stabilization isn't the only advantage to this lens. There's the extensive telephoto zoom range, for capturing distant subjects, or snapping precise close-ups of objects as near as five feet. And with its powerful Micro Ultrasonic Motor (USM), this lens makes autofocus very fast.

Need a case for your camera's lens? Check out Tamrac's lens compatibility chart to find a case that fits (requires Adobe® Reader®).