Thanx for showing us this Bill.
Well Thom, I almost made it to the end of your article. I don't agree with your findings even though, after reading your article I felt I ought to agree!
Let me explain why. I have been using long lenses for wildlife photography since the 1960's so, I am well used to them and their characteristics.
I have used Nikon all these years, before I went the VR (or Canon's is) route I had the Nikon non VR 500mm f4 lens, a pretty standard wildlife lens. One day out in the field I ran across another wildlife photographer who uses top end Canon gear. His pictures are also top end. We became great friends but I quickly saw that his hit rate of 'in focus' flight shots as well as shots of birds on the ground or 'on sticks' was higher than mine.
One day we spent an hour or more experimenting. We put both 500mm f4 lenses through many trials (remember mine was non VR, his was VR or, with Canon; is). We used, tripods, monopods, bean bags, hand holding, we also swopped gear, I used his gear and he used mine on all those various supports. That was the day I decided VR was a must, in fact, because the difference was so dramatic I couldn't get back to my local camera store fast enough.
In spite of whatever goes on inside a VR lens and I still have no idea, all I do know is I wouldn't be without my VR lens. My camera body is the D3 by the way.
This is good article to point out to Nikon users, tho' to be honest I don't know if hardly anyone is going to read this article and end up shooting better images because of it. Thom is usually pretty good in his technical assessments, and most of what he says about VR here certainly parallels my experiences. But I think he's a bit sloppy in his writing and it's very easy to misinterpret much of what he says in this article. I think this comes from his mixing of what he calls "facts" with a biased sampling of his own experience or those of a few pros (who may or may not know what they're doing - I know LOTS of pros who don't have a clue how VR actually works or when they should use it). For instance, he says:
I'd say that less than 10% of the shooting I do with my 400mm f/2.8 has VR turned on...
While he DOES say that it's referring to his own shooting, it's too easy for people to think that this is what THEY should do as well. And, of course, how much of the time you have VR turned on using a lens like that will vary dramatically with your shooting style and subject matter. I use MY 400mm f2.8 VR with the VR turned on a good 90% of the time, but that's because I'm often shooting images of bears from a floating zodiac (therefore hand-held) under the low-light conditions of the Great Bear Rainforest. But I would never imply this is what others should do...(unless they're with me in the Great Bear Rainforest ).
I can say that I use VR lenses ALL the time and they have saved my bacon countless times (and I've walked away with shots I could NEVER have got without the VR). Thom's experiences may differ, but that's because he doesn't shoot what I shoot...
It varies depending on the lens I'm using, the stability of the tripod I'm using, etc., so it's difficult to make hard and fast generalizations. But here's what works for me and my shooting style/subject matter:
1. When I'm hand-holding the 70-200mm f2.8 VR (version I and II) I almost always leave the VR on...the minute I put this lens on a tripod the VR goes to "Off."
2. When using the 200mm f2 VR and the 300mm f2.8 VR I virtually always turn off the VR when I'm on a reasonably stable tripod (as per the manual that comes with the lenses). Shooting hand-held - I leave the VR on (and in normal mode unless I'm in a vehicle where movement is on several planes - think Zodiac on rough water with motor on - in which case I switch to Active mode).
3. More often than not I leave the VR on the 200-400 VR on when I'm shooting from a tripod...and switched to "Normal" mode. Hand-holding this lens (or on bean-bag) and I leave the VR on and on "Normal" mode. Use Active mode as above - when in moving vehicle, etc.
4. 400mm f2.8 VR and 600mm f4 VR: I leave the VR ON when on a tripod, but virtually always have it on "Tripod" mode (as per the manual again). The exception to this "rule" is if I'm using one of these lens with a teleconverter (either the 1.4x TC-14EII or the 2x TC-20EIII) that produces a focal length of 800mm or above, in which case I leave the VR on the "normal" setting. Hand-holding these lenses (or on beanbag) and I use VR on and in normal mode.
NOTE: Unless shooting action, I rarely shoot at shutter speeds as fast as 1/500s and thus I probably use the VR more than many users (I tend to shoot slower shutter speeds than many people with comparable camera/lens combos).
Thanks for all the info in your reply. That's a big help.
I do have a couple of other questions - thanks for offering.
I am shooting with the D300s and have the 70-200 f2.8 VR II and the 1.4 and 1.7 teleconverters (will add 2.0 III later). Also have Sigma 150-500 OS but plan to replace it. The replacement would be with the 300mm f4 or (hopefully, one day) the 300mm f2.8 VR II and teleconverters. I have a Gitzo 3530lsv, Markins M-20 and a sidekick. Looking at your website's galleries and articles (thanks again for those) for a review of what you shoot, my questions are how do you use VR when:
1) panning with sidekick type equipment at and above 1/500s and do you ever pan using shutter speeds below 1/500s?
2) same question for hand holding above 1/500s?
I guess the basic question is under what situations (if any) do you use VR when shooting the photos in your galleries In Flight, Songbirds and Birds of Prey at shutter speeds at and above 1/500s when using the 70-200 VR II and 300mm f 2.8 VR II?
Thanks again and look forward to future articles at your website!
Hi Charlie
I can't think of a time I don't use VR. I shoot wildlife, mostly birds and lots of flight shots. I shoot using either a bean bag out the car window, a monopod or sometimes but not often, a tripod and when using a tripod everythings pretty slack so, VR always on.
Shutter speeds; I like to get a minimum of 1500th and f8 when I think I can but will shoot slower if forced to.
Discussion
9 repliesWell Thom, I almost made it to the end of your article. I don't agree with your findings even though, after reading your article I felt I ought to agree!
Let me explain why. I have been using long lenses for wildlife photography since the 1960's so, I am well used to them and their characteristics.
I have used Nikon all these years, before I went the VR (or Canon's is) route I had the Nikon non VR 500mm f4 lens, a pretty standard wildlife lens. One day out in the field I ran across another wildlife photographer who uses top end Canon gear. His pictures are also top end. We became great friends but I quickly saw that his hit rate of 'in focus' flight shots as well as shots of birds on the ground or 'on sticks' was higher than mine.
One day we spent an hour or more experimenting. We put both 500mm f4 lenses through many trials (remember mine was non VR, his was VR or, with Canon; is). We used, tripods, monopods, bean bags, hand holding, we also swopped gear, I used his gear and he used mine on all those various supports. That was the day I decided VR was a must, in fact, because the difference was so dramatic I couldn't get back to my local camera store fast enough.
In spite of whatever goes on inside a VR lens and I still have no idea, all I do know is I wouldn't be without my VR lens. My camera body is the D3 by the way.
This is good article to point out to Nikon users, tho' to be honest I don't know if hardly anyone is going to read this article and end up shooting better images because of it. Thom is usually pretty good in his technical assessments, and most of what he says about VR here certainly parallels my experiences. But I think he's a bit sloppy in his writing and it's very easy to misinterpret much of what he says in this article. I think this comes from his mixing of what he calls "facts" with a biased sampling of his own experience or those of a few pros (who may or may not know what they're doing - I know LOTS of pros who don't have a clue how VR actually works or when they should use it). For instance, he says:
While he DOES say that it's referring to his own shooting, it's too easy for people to think that this is what THEY should do as well. And, of course, how much of the time you have VR turned on using a lens like that will vary dramatically with your shooting style and subject matter. I use MY 400mm f2.8 VR with the VR turned on a good 90% of the time, but that's because I'm often shooting images of bears from a floating zodiac (therefore hand-held) under the low-light conditions of the Great Bear Rainforest. But I would never imply this is what others should do...(unless they're with me in the Great Bear Rainforest
I can say that I use VR lenses ALL the time and they have saved my bacon countless times (and I've walked away with shots I could NEVER have got without the VR). Thom's experiences may differ, but that's because he doesn't shoot what I shoot...
Cheers...
Brad
It would be helpful to me to know under what conditions you turn VR off.
Thanks
Charlie
It varies depending on the lens I'm using, the stability of the tripod I'm using, etc., so it's difficult to make hard and fast generalizations. But here's what works for me and my shooting style/subject matter:
1. When I'm hand-holding the 70-200mm f2.8 VR (version I and II) I almost always leave the VR on...the minute I put this lens on a tripod the VR goes to "Off."
2. When using the 200mm f2 VR and the 300mm f2.8 VR I virtually always turn off the VR when I'm on a reasonably stable tripod (as per the manual that comes with the lenses). Shooting hand-held - I leave the VR on (and in normal mode unless I'm in a vehicle where movement is on several planes - think Zodiac on rough water with motor on - in which case I switch to Active mode).
3. More often than not I leave the VR on the 200-400 VR on when I'm shooting from a tripod...and switched to "Normal" mode. Hand-holding this lens (or on bean-bag) and I leave the VR on and on "Normal" mode. Use Active mode as above - when in moving vehicle, etc.
4. 400mm f2.8 VR and 600mm f4 VR: I leave the VR ON when on a tripod, but virtually always have it on "Tripod" mode (as per the manual again). The exception to this "rule" is if I'm using one of these lens with a teleconverter (either the 1.4x TC-14EII or the 2x TC-20EIII) that produces a focal length of 800mm or above, in which case I leave the VR on the "normal" setting. Hand-holding these lenses (or on beanbag) and I use VR on and in normal mode.
NOTE: Unless shooting action, I rarely shoot at shutter speeds as fast as 1/500s and thus I probably use the VR more than many users (I tend to shoot slower shutter speeds than many people with comparable camera/lens combos).
Let me know if you have any further questions...
Brad
Thanks for all the info in your reply. That's a big help.
I do have a couple of other questions - thanks for offering.
I am shooting with the D300s and have the 70-200 f2.8 VR II and the 1.4 and 1.7 teleconverters (will add 2.0 III later). Also have Sigma 150-500 OS but plan to replace it. The replacement would be with the 300mm f4 or (hopefully, one day) the 300mm f2.8 VR II and teleconverters. I have a Gitzo 3530lsv, Markins M-20 and a sidekick. Looking at your website's galleries and articles (thanks again for those) for a review of what you shoot, my questions are how do you use VR when:
1) panning with sidekick type equipment at and above 1/500s and do you ever pan using shutter speeds below 1/500s?
2) same question for hand holding above 1/500s?
I guess the basic question is under what situations (if any) do you use VR when shooting the photos in your galleries In Flight, Songbirds and Birds of Prey at shutter speeds at and above 1/500s when using the 70-200 VR II and 300mm f 2.8 VR II?
Thanks again and look forward to future articles at your website!
Charlie
I can't think of a time I don't use VR. I shoot wildlife, mostly birds and lots of flight shots. I shoot using either a bean bag out the car window, a monopod or sometimes but not often, a tripod and when using a tripod everythings pretty slack so, VR always on.
Shutter speeds; I like to get a minimum of 1500th and f8 when I think I can but will shoot slower if forced to.
Thanks for your input. I appreciate it.
Charlie
In my experience high shutter speed is always good. A downside of worrying too much about noise is keeping the shutter below optimal.