500+ Long Lens Shooting?

For those of you with the Nikon 200-500 & Sigma/Tamron 150-600 lenses, what are you using for stabilization? There is hand-holding, mono pods, traditional tripods with either a ball head or gimbal.

What's your flavor, VR on/off type of shooting?

This will be another thread to watch. I have the 200-500. I have shot with it hand held and on a traditional tripod with a ball head and both with and without the 1.4TC. Most has been done hand held with the VR on. To be honest, my keeper rate is not real high, but I see some improvement. I think you just have to play to see what works best. I have thought that a mono pod might be beneficial at times. Also thought about a gimbal head. So far most of my shooting with it has been as I walk around my place with the dog and catch a BIF or just birds. I did shoot the moon with it mounted on a tripod.

I know, not much help in answering your question. That is why I will be hanging around to hear what others have to say also.

I regularly shoot the Tamron 150-600mm for the entire football game handheld. Shutter kept at 1/1000 or higher and I leave VR on. Not because it is stabilizing the image so much for the camera to prevent a blurry image, but to stabilize the image through the viewfinder when hand holding. If things are not that active then I use a mono-pod with VR on. Only time I shut the VR off is if I am tripod mounted.

I handhold 95% of the time using shutter speeds of 1/1000-1/1250th. If the subject is close and not too fast i can drop down to 1/600th. Never use VR, slows it down too much, and the noise of the VR motor annoys me.

My Nikon 200-500 works very well hand-held.

But with that said, it can get heavy after a while and I use a monopod.

A tripod is not necessary.

I am no good hand held due to a battered right hand; I shoot my Tam 150-600 on a tripod with a pan-head. I keep the column fully extended most of the time, as I am 6' 7", and shot with VR on. I have tried with it off, but all I get is a lot more bad pictures and no noticeable improvement in the keepers.

I handhold 100% of the time when shooting with my Tamron 150-600. Manual, 1/1250 sec minimum generally F8 with auto ISO to handle the exposure. I have found I am sharper with the VR turned OFF. I mainly use the lens for birds.

As important as how you shoot is how you carry,if you use some form of shoulder strap then the hand held weight is only noticeable when you actually shoot.

I usually shoot my Sigma 150-600mm C handheld if light is good enough. Otherwise I will use my monopod or tripod with ball head.

I just carry it by the tripod mount which I have extended about 1 1/2 inches with a contoured piece of oak,,its not that heavy ...I use rifle wrap around it for protection and usually ledge it on the edge of the hide. Tam 150-600

With my Nikon 200-500 I use the method that fits for the situation. I do Hand held only minimally because after a while it the keep rate fades for me. If I go to my niece's softball game I use my monopod with the lens on a ball head. Bot most of the time I use a tripod with a Gimbal head.

Hand held I use VR... rest of the time it is off.

I have the 200-500. I shoot hand held at the track (cars) with SS above 1/1000 and no VR. Most other shooting is done with a monopod or gimbal/tripod with VR on unless SS is high.

I use my 200-500 mm for BIF mostly. Hand held and VR on "sports" mode. I tried it with a mono pod, but found it very awkward and limiting.

I like to use at least a monopod if not a tripod if it permits with the lens even with VR I also use with a Kenko Pro 300 DGX 1.4 TC sometimes.

When I had my 500mm I had to use a Monopod because of the weight.....

I just got my sigma C 150-600 a couple days ago after a nice black friday deal.
I am taking a lot of hand held shots to make sure it's a good copy, but it sure does look it.
I programmed one of my switch settings to "Dynamic view mode for OS", and seems I can lower the shutter speed pretty well.
Shot in bright sunlite earlier with 1000 shutter and ISO 200-300. Guess I am still experimenting myself.

wev said:

I shoot my Tam 150-600 on a tripod with a pan-head and shot with VR on. I have tried with it off, but all I get is a lot more bad pictures and no noticeable improvement in the keepers.

Click to expand...

Yup, same here as well as a monopod. The monopod and pan/tilt head is a pretty good setup for me. If i need to react faster, then hand held, but BIF is about the only time i need to.

I have the 200-500. I use either hand holding or a monopod with a gimbal head on it. If my shutter speeds are under 1/600 sec, I use the normal VR setting. Above that I use the Sport setting. If I have over 1/2000 sec I turn it off. My keeper rate is pretty high. When I first got the lens I had it on normal all the time and I had a low keeper rate. Until I read a good article on how to use VR. And I came up with the above procedure.

Nikon VR explained

Friggs said:

I had a low keeper rate. Until I read a good article on how to use VR. And I came up with the above procedure.

Nikon VR explained

Click to expand...

This artice is nearly 7 years old, I wonder if there is a newer version covering the current VR Systems on the web somewhere?

I'm loving my Nikkor 200-500. Most of the time (and by most probably 90%+) it is hand held. Sometimes on a monopod with my Jobu mini gimbal. I've found that hand held it works so well that I only really need extra support when a) low light at end of day or b) my arms are getting too tired.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...BWG_M1_BWG_Micro_Gimbal_Ballhead_Adapter.html

Rarely gets onto a tripod. Used it for long night shots once.

Shooting in good light, hand held works good for me.