VR

[Pehpsi]

hey,

i'd just would like to know where/what for people use their VR lenses for?

do you use the VR much?

can it be used when panning?

thanks...

[bwhinnen]

If the lens has Mode 2 VR it can be used for either horizontal or vertical panning is my understanding. Mode 1 is used for stationary objects.

[Kyle]

I have a 24-120vr and pretty much only not use it when it's on the tripod...

Though it does not have an active or passive mode.

I use it for panning a lot, and cannot find a difference with it on or off...

[daniel_r]

i'd just would like to know where/what for people use their VR lenses for?

I only have one VR lens, the 80-400. I've used it for motorsports, landscapes and right through to wedding portraiture. I use it when I need the reach

do you use the VR much?

Yes. If I'm using the lens hand held or on a monopod in some conditions, I have the VR on. It's particularly useful once you go above 135mm. A definite asset at 200mm +

can it be used when panning?

Most definitely. The electronics inside via the gyros detect the constant movement in a horizontal or vertical plane, and determine that the lens is being panned. The VR mechanism corrects only movement in the other plane while panning is happening. You generally don't have to do anything, it figures it out on its own.

A thread I posted a few weeks ago that you might find relevant with some examples of VR and panning in action HERE

VR is good
(but I'll take better quality optics over VR thrown in for the hell of it anyday!)

[losfp]

VR is great! I can handhold my 70-200VR at 1/30 pretty consistently with sharp images (and with luck, the odd 1/10 shot too!!)

Some of them have active and normal modes - normal works with panning, while active is useful when you are on a moving vehicle etc.

[Pehpsi]

sounds great... great pics too, daniel.

my 70-200 will be here in a few days, i just hope i can learn how to use it properly for a dragrace meeting in a few weeks.

can/would you use VR during the day when you can get decent shutter speeds like 1/500+ ? or is it only for when you dont have enough light to work with?

[daniel_r]

Thanks!

As you're probably aware, it's good idea to keep the shutter speed at somewhere around or above 1 / focallength when shooting without VR/IS.

So, with the 80-400 that's usually about 1/500 with a bit of a fudge factor. I normally have the VR still on, and usually use mode 2 (where the VR is on at half button press and previewed in the viewfinder).

With your 70-200 and maybe a 1.4 or 1.7 TC, that's 1/280 or 1/340 at full reach that you'd be looking at unassisted by VR.
In that case at 1/500s, its probably still worthwhile having VR on.

I've only ever turned the the VR off handheld when I'm looking at 1/1000 or faster, primarily only to save battery life. But I find the VR when you've got it in mode 2 (active), the VR assisted viewfinder helps you line up and steady yourself for the shot anyway when working with longer focal lengths.

Some suggest that the VR can reduce the AF performance. I'm not so sure about this idea, I don't think it makes that much difference... if any.

What I have found with VR/IS, is that my keeper rate is better if I allow the VR to settle before taking the shot where possible.

You'll notice if you're shooting with the VR enabled at half button press (mode 2), that when you first line up the shot and the VR switches on, theres a bit of a noticeable shake going on. Approximately a second later, everything settles down and appears stabilised. Firing off a shot in that period where the VR is still settling can have occasionally unpredictable results.

[Pehpsi]

i see, some great advice there...

just got my 70-200VR about an hour ago , but my first real test will be on saturday when we test the new TF dragster at WSID. it will be during the day and i'll be getting the car leaving the line and also panning shots down the track. hope i can get some good snaps with this new beast of a lens...

[Kyle]

i see, some great advice there...

just got my 70-200VR about an hour ago , but my first real test will be on saturday when we test the new TF dragster at WSID. it will be during the day and i'll be getting the car leaving the line and also panning shots down the track. hope i can get some good snaps with this new beast of a lens...

James.

Which team do you support?

afaik JRR got a new car, and wesco is a complete new team. Is it one of these teams?

Can I come to the testing day?

[Pehpsi]

hey, kyle.

me and my old man crew for bob shepherd, and their going to be testing the new car on saturday before the summer nationals on the 16/17th.

it's a bit late to get you a ticket, but if it's open to the public, you should get in.

i'll find out for you if it is or not

cheers.