BackdoorArts
Senior Member
Saw this linked on NikonRumors and thought I'd share because it's something I never knew.
https://nikoneurope-en.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/25406
For non-clickers, if your camera is equipped with an AF-ON button on the back then Nikon has designed it to only engage AF and metering systems, but it does not engage VR on your lens. I find this sort of intriguing, and reading through the lines I suspect it's an effort to preserve battery life since the short article refers to sports photographers peering through their lens for long periods before actually firing.
The implication is that if you have a camera with this feature (generally just the pro bodies) and you utilize the AF-ON button for focusing then you need to allow time for VR to engage and stabilize via the shutter button before firing or the effects of VR can actually destabilize your shot more than stabilize since the initial application of the VR motor can cause more movement than it prevents.
This is not the case when the AE-L/AF-L button is reassigned as an AF-ON button as this function simply reassigns all the non-shutter release functionality of the shutter button to the rear button. The article doesn't state this, I do based on my observation of 5 other bodies (D7000/7100/600/610/750).
I don't know that I truly noticed this when I was using my D800 with the 150-500mm for birding, but it would certainly explain some of the missed shots. It's currently packed up and for sale, so I don't really feel like taking it out just to test it, so I'll go with their say-so and just ponder how it is that I never managed to notice.
https://nikoneurope-en.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/25406
For non-clickers, if your camera is equipped with an AF-ON button on the back then Nikon has designed it to only engage AF and metering systems, but it does not engage VR on your lens. I find this sort of intriguing, and reading through the lines I suspect it's an effort to preserve battery life since the short article refers to sports photographers peering through their lens for long periods before actually firing.
The implication is that if you have a camera with this feature (generally just the pro bodies) and you utilize the AF-ON button for focusing then you need to allow time for VR to engage and stabilize via the shutter button before firing or the effects of VR can actually destabilize your shot more than stabilize since the initial application of the VR motor can cause more movement than it prevents.
This is not the case when the AE-L/AF-L button is reassigned as an AF-ON button as this function simply reassigns all the non-shutter release functionality of the shutter button to the rear button. The article doesn't state this, I do based on my observation of 5 other bodies (D7000/7100/600/610/750).
I don't know that I truly noticed this when I was using my D800 with the 150-500mm for birding, but it would certainly explain some of the missed shots. It's currently packed up and for sale, so I don't really feel like taking it out just to test it, so I'll go with their say-so and just ponder how it is that I never managed to notice.