VR advice please
- Thread starter bechdan
- Start date
Scott Murray
Senior Member
What were the settings? Were you resting it on anything? Please provide photos with EXIF data.
Horoscope Fish
Senior Member
VR is not the one-button miracle solution Nikon would have you believe it to be.
Unless you have some specific reason to turn on the VR function, I suggest you leave it off. I very, VERY rarely turn on VR.
Unless you have some specific reason to turn on the VR function, I suggest you leave it off. I very, VERY rarely turn on VR.
Your observations are correct, or at least I have had the same experience. I only use it when I am at 300mm and hand held... sometimes. If I have great shooting conditions then my pictures are sharper with it off. Most of the time I have it off. Like Fish said, it's not a miracle and you just have to learn the conditions when it will help.
Such an experiment as the one you've done in your kitchen is really not the kind of experiment you need to do in order to determine whether or not the VR is working. It's way too subjective and so many things can occur that would lead you to the wrong conclusion. For instance, VR is meant to reduce camera shake, right? However, VR lenses also have to work when a photographer is trying to shoot a panned image. So the VR must instantly differentiate between up and down motion vs. sideways motion.
Try doing this experiment when the camera is in manual and all the settings remain the same between VR on and VR off. Also, be sure the shutter speed is at or below 1/200 sec, an area that VR was meant for. Then take a minimum of 3 photos with and without VR. If after this the average remains in favor of the VR off, then maybe you have a problem. However, I'm thinking under controlled conditions you'll find the VR is actually helping.
Try doing this experiment when the camera is in manual and all the settings remain the same between VR on and VR off. Also, be sure the shutter speed is at or below 1/200 sec, an area that VR was meant for. Then take a minimum of 3 photos with and without VR. If after this the average remains in favor of the VR off, then maybe you have a problem. However, I'm thinking under controlled conditions you'll find the VR is actually helping.
Hooray, I knew you Nikonites wouldnt let me down. I tried two shots outside at 200mm 1/20 shutter and F16 - I got a good image with VR on, but I could not keep it still enough to get a pic with VR off. So my question has been answered. Thanks everyone!
The last VR lens I had was the 18-105 and I always had VR on (unless mounted) but I never knew why. Ive learnt a bit more about VR.
The last VR lens I had was the 18-105 and I always had VR on (unless mounted) but I never knew why. Ive learnt a bit more about VR.