Battery life with VR lenses

[aroy]

Have you ever wondered how much power the VR consumes? After using the kit lens with my D3300 for eight months, I was surprised to get extended life from the battery, when I switched to the other lenses I have.

Well here is my finding.
. Battery life with 18-55 VR-II, with 10% on-board flash between 300 and 350
. Battery life with 16-85 VR-I, with SB-800 between 450 and 550
. Battery life with 35mm F1.8, no VR and 50% shots with on-board flash 750+

Now this is what Nikon manual says
. Single frame release : 700
. Continuous release : 2500

So has any body faced low battery life when using the latest VR lenses? Feed back on actual observed battery life for various bodies are welcome.

 

[Don Kuykendall_RIP]

I turned off VR a long time ago. I also charge my batteries after every outing so I never run out.

 

[mikew_RIP]

Vr is always on with my 150-600,I never look at my images on the rear screen so its just a flash of image as its writing, i normally recharge after about 400-500 images but still have plenty of battery life left and i never use the inbuilt flash.

 

[J-see]

I have VR off 90% of the time but what drains my power most is AF during birding. If I'm not birding, the battery last a whole lot longer.

When I shot the D3300 only, I took more than 1k shots with one battery.

 

[Blacktop]

I have VR off 90% of the time but what drains my power most is AF during birding. If I'm not birding, the battery last a whole lot longer.

When I shot the D3300 only, I took more than 1k shots with one battery.

I have VR on 100% of the time. Didn't know you could turn it off.

I have done extensive testing with VR on and off in all kinds of situations. Honestly I can't see where where VR hurts anything. Even on a tripod.

 

[J-see]

I have VR on 100% of the time. Didn't know you could turn it off.

I have done extensive testing with VR on and off in all kinds of situations. Honestly I can't see where where VR hurts anything. Even on a tripod.

Shoot bursts at higher shutter speeds and then do the same without VR. I'm talking 1/500s or 1/1000s. Then check them at 100%.

I did a series like that of some 100+ shots without and with VR on and I had twice to three times as many shots that weren't in focus when VR was enabled during 1/1000s shots. It was at 600mm so the tolerance there is less. At those speeds VR can no longer help so at worst, it can only hurt. In my case it did.

It's possible that problem is big Tam specific.

If I don't shoot below 1/400s I don't need VR with that Tam. On the 70-200mm I use it more since I shoot pretty slow with that one but I don't shoot as many as with the Big Tam.

My continuous focus and if I shoot live-view are my biggest battery drain. On the D3300 and on the D750 I have the LCD off 95% of the time I'm shooting. I close to never check shots and do all changes from within the viewfinder and that makes a whole difference to battery life too.

 

[Scott Murray]

I have VR on/off etc my battery lasts for ages but it may have something to do with using D4 batteries in my D800E

 

[aroy]

I shot over 30 minutes of video with 35mm, and it did not drain the battery much. That day I shot the videos and over 500 indoor shots on one charge. May be in my case the 18-55 consumes a lot more power for its VR

 

[rocketman122]

3rd party batteries are so cheap. I have too many already. I could do 2 full weddings without ever charging.

I dont use VR at all. it just makes me nauseous and the jerking of activating it when I half press drives me crazy. havent used it in a long time.

 

[Horoscope Fish]

I turned off VR a long time ago. I also charge my batteries after every outing so I never run out.

Same here. VR is something I use very, *very* rarely and when I do it's only on as long as needed. It's not surprising to me that VR would drain the battery fairly quickly. As I understand it, VR uses what amounts to a small motor and that's going to pull hard on the battery.

Like Don, I also swap my batteries pretty much every morning or before any significant new shoot.
....

 

[Eyelight]

Nikon makes field scopes that use VR and 4 AA alkaline batteries will last 17 hours per spec. Assuming the spec is aimed at middle ground and the alkalines are 1000 mAh each, that would be 4,000/17 = 235 mA draw while active.

The above number is better than a wild guess, but does show (maybe) that the VR would have a significant impact on power consumption.

 

[Ad B]

Hi,

thanks for al this info.
I thought, my battery isn't good.
My D750 should make some 1200 with one battery, but mine is about 400-500.
Of course with VR always "On". Except on a tripod.
I always use the VR possibility on my lenses. Why shouldn't I??
I also always use my traction and climate control in my car... Or ABS...?? Why shouldn't I?
Why would you considder not using the VR on your lens?
Okay, on a tripod... my 70-200 f4 lens doesn't shut off his VR automaticly. My 24-120 f4 does.
Are there any cons with using VR during handheld shooting? Besides draining your battery...
Or are it conservative thoughts that let you decide not to use VR...

Ad B

 

[J-see]

Why would you considder not using the VR on your lens?
Okay, on a tripod... my 70-200 f4 lens doesn't shut off his VR automaticly. My 24-120 f4 does.
Are there any cons with using VR during handheld shooting? Besides draining your battery...
Or are it conservative thoughts that let you decide not to use VR...

I don't use VR when shooting fast. Nikon's VR sensors detect at a speed of 1/1000s, send that info to the units which in turn respond with corrections. If your shutter is faster than a certain speed, VR simply doesn't have the time to correct anything and at worst is contra-productive.

At slower shutters it does the job as intended.

 

[Ad B]

Hi,

I don't use VR when shooting fast. Nikon's VR sensors detect at a speed of 1/1000s, send that info to the units which in turn respond with corrections. If your shutter is faster than a certain speed, VR simply doesn't have the time to correct anything and at worst is contra-productive.

At slower shutters it does the job as intended.

That is something I did't know. Can be a point.
I don't shoot many pictures in fast mode or burst mode.
But I'll try shooting racing motor bikes or shooting jets at a airshow...
Didn't do that with the Nikon yet, but it will come.
Shooting those fast subject I'm still not using burst mode... One pic after the other (also a bit conservative...)(my sport)


Ad B

 

[Eyelight]

I don't use VR when shooting fast. Nikon's VR sensors detect at a speed of 1/1000s, send that info to the units which in turn respond with corrections. If your shutter is faster than a certain speed, VR simply doesn't have the time to correct anything and at worst is contra-productive.

At slower shutters it does the job as intended.

Not sure the VR can't adjust quick enough idea has merit. If VR adjust every 1/1000 second then it can adjust 4 times while the shutter travels, even at 1/8000 shutter speed.

 

[J-see]

Not sure the VR can't adjust quick enough idea has merit. If VR adjust every 1/1000 second then it can adjust 4 times while the shutter travels, even at 1/8000 shutter speed.

Que?

If the detection is at 1/1000s and I shoot at 1/1000s, it detects movement when my shot is finished.

 

[Eyelight]

Que?

If the detection is at 1/1000s and I shoot at 1/1000s, it detects movement when my shot is finished.

The shutter travel time is something like 1/250 so any shot over 1/250, it still takes the shutter 1/250 to travel from top to bottom. The shutter open time (shutter speed) is regulated by the time difference between the trailing edge of the first curtain and the leading edge of the second curtain.

 

[J-see]

The shutter travel time is something like 1/250 so any shot over 1/250, it still takes the shutter 1/250 to travel from top to bottom. The shutter open time (shutter speed) is regulated by the time difference between the trailing edge of the first curtain and the leading edge of the second curtain.

What happens before exposure or after exposure isn't very relevant since it is only during exposure that is relevant. The position at the moment exposure starts up to the position it ends. If it isn't correcting that, it's not correcting anything useful.

To add: the relevance of shutter travel to VR becomes evident if you think about shooting MuP. Had to correct that but the site went down.

Even that example is not a very good one but I wouldn't know how to explain why any correction before the exposure is irrelevant.

 

[J-see]

Maybe this helps:

Nikon’s VR System changes operation algorithms when the shutter release button is lightly pressed and during exposure. Therefore, when the shutter release button is lightly pressed, the VR lens gives you a smooth viewfinder image. During the exposure, however, the algorithm changes to compensate for every slight movement. What’s more, just before exposure, the VR lens will reset to central position (optical axis) from an off-centered position which is a result of VR operation during the shutter release button is lightly pressed. Since the shift amount of the VR lens is limited, this operation maximizes VR effects as well as optical performance. Only Nikon has this "Centering Before Exposure" feature.

http://www.nikon.com/about/technology/rd/core/software/vr_e/

 

[Eyelight]

What happens before exposure or after exposure isn't very relevant since it is only during exposure that is relevant. The position at the moment exposure starts up to the position it ends. If it isn't correcting that, it's not correcting anything useful.

To add: the relevance of shutter travel to VR becomes evident if you think about shooting MuP. Had to correct that but the site went down.

Even that example is not a very good one but I wouldn't know how to explain why any correction before the exposure is irrelevant.

Maybe this helps:



Nikon | Technology | VR (Vibration-Reduction)

I have no idea what you are trying to explain.