VR setting question
Apr 18, 2019 09:03:25 #
I am using a 150 - 600mm lens. On a tripod I know the VR should be off. But if I am using a monopod, should it be off or on?
Apr 18, 2019 09:04:51 #
Apr 18, 2019 09:06:38 #
OviedoPhotos wrote:
On a monopod I leave it on.
Thank you...
I tried taking some shots just holding the lens...wow...that was an exercise in futility!
Michael
Apr 18, 2019 09:23:48 #
Madchemist wrote:
I am using a 150 - 600mm lens. On a tripod I know the VR should be off. But if I am using a monopod, should it be off or on?
Monopod ON.
Apr 18, 2019 09:48:04 #
Madchemist your lens and camera vendor should have this well documented...
UHH is a very poor substitute for authoritative answers...
However as a commercial photographer I've learned to "trust but verify"
Experience is a brutal teacher...
Every photographic scenario is unique... in time (if you stay in this field) you will discover there are virtually no "standard" settings that work universally...
Learn you kit through practice... best advice I have ever received...
Case in point: I shoot league soccer with long heavy glass on a monopod...
I have tested and confirmed that having VR or OS on slows frame rate...
I'm shooting in daylight ambient at 1/2000 or greater (typically 1/4000)
Frame rate trumps everything in this scenario... thus following "vendor" advice is counter productive...
a.k.a. On a monopod I've experience virtually no "camera" shake at 1/4000
Hope this is food for thought Madchemist
UHH is a very poor substitute for authoritative answers...
However as a commercial photographer I've learned to "trust but verify"
Experience is a brutal teacher...
Every photographic scenario is unique... in time (if you stay in this field) you will discover there are virtually no "standard" settings that work universally...
Learn you kit through practice... best advice I have ever received...
Case in point: I shoot league soccer with long heavy glass on a monopod...
I have tested and confirmed that having VR or OS on slows frame rate...
I'm shooting in daylight ambient at 1/2000 or greater (typically 1/4000)
Frame rate trumps everything in this scenario... thus following "vendor" advice is counter productive...
a.k.a. On a monopod I've experience virtually no "camera" shake at 1/4000
Hope this is food for thought Madchemist
Apr 18, 2019 11:47:11 #
Thomas902 wrote:
Madchemist your lens and camera vendor should have... (show quote)
Yes...your advice is something for me to think about. I will be shooting this weekend and the weather says lots of sun! So it should be good for keeping the shutter speed up. Thank you for your input.
Apr 19, 2019 07:35:32 #
"I am using a 150 - 600mm lens. On a tripod I know the VR should be off. But if I am using a monopod, should it be off or on?"
Interesting to me is the fact that I have at times forgotten to set VR off in my cameras while on a tripod and I have not noticed any ill effect.
Interesting to me is the fact that I have at times forgotten to set VR off in my cameras while on a tripod and I have not noticed any ill effect.
Apr 19, 2019 07:47:38 #
DoyleY
Loc: Worland, Wyoming
Faster shutter speeds and higher or auto iso should make a big difference. The image probably won't be very steady in the viewfinder so you have to trust the camera.
Apr 19, 2019 08:47:46 #
NCMtnMan
Loc: N. Fork New River, Ashe Co., NC
camerapapi wrote:
"I am using a 150 - 600mm lens. On a tripod I know the VR should be off. But if I am using a monopod, should it be off or on?"
Interesting to me is the fact that I have at times forgotten to set VR off in my cameras while on a tripod and I have not noticed any ill effect.
Interesting to me is the fact that I have at times forgotten to set VR off in my cameras while on a tripod and I have not noticed any ill effect.
Many cameras "sense" when they are on a tripod and turn VR off on their own.
Apr 19, 2019 12:18:09 #
amfoto1
Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA
I rather doubt your 150-600mm has "VR"
If it is a Tamron, it has "VC".
If it's a Sigma, it has "OS".
Nikon's in-lens, optical stabilization is called "VR". Canon's is called "IS" and Sony's is "OSS".
To my knowledge, only Sigma and Tamron make 150-600mm lenses.... Nikon doesn't.
These in-lens, optical image stabilization systems all serve the same purpose... BUT are all different. Each of them is patented by their respective manufacturer, so they cannot be identical. You should expect each design might perform its functions slightly differently and should not assume the answer for one is the same for all the different systems. You need to be specific as to what lens and system you're asking about and should take with a grain of salt responses that aren't from users of the same brand of lens, utilizing the same stabilization system.
For example, Thomas902 mentions noticing some slowing of frame rate with Nikon VR and Sigma OS. I've often heard that Nikon VR slows autofocus slightly (which might in turn effect frame rate) and some people turn it off when it's not needed, for that reason. There seems to be some evidence to support that. In contrast, I've been using a variety of Canon IS lenses for almost twenty years and think that it might actually help AF performance. I have not used or know enough about Sigma OS lenses or Tamron VC lenses enough to say one way or the other. I do know that Sigma OS has similar effectiveness to Canon IS (up to 3 or 4 stops assistance, with the most current versions).
I also don't know about Nikon VR, Sony OSS, Sigma OS or Tamron VC.... But I do know that some Canon IS lenses "sense tripod use" and turn IS off automatically. Actually, that's a bit misleading. What they actually do is turn IS off when there is no movement to correct.... which might be when the lens is fully locked down on a tripod, but also can be in other situations. Out of the 30 or 40 Canon IS lenses produced over the years, there are five specific Canon lenses that don't do this... lenses that MUST have their IS manually turned off at the switch when fully locked down on a tripod or used in any situation where there is absolutely no movement for the IS to correct. If it's not turned off, these particular lenses' IS system will go into sort of a feedback loop where it shakes the image and causes blurred shots. I've used multiple copies of two of those lenses and never had a problem because... 1. You can see it start to occur in your viewfinder and turn off IS, no harm done... 2. The particular Canon IS lenses involved (only one of them is still in production) lend themselves more to hand held use, than to work with a tripod.... 3. The problem doesn't occur when using a "loose" tripod (such as a gimbal), on a monopod or any time the lens isn't completely immobilized. Any slight movement keeps the IS happy and working correctly.
Some years ago there was a lot of confusion about this, so I discussed it all with Canon USA's tech guru Chuck Westfall. He told me that the user manuals for all the Canon IS lenses suggest turning it off "when on a tripod", but the actual reason they do so in most cases is simply to save some battery power. I often shoot with two cameras, sometimes with an IS lens on one and a non-IS lens on the other... and have seen virtually no difference in how many shots I get per camera. So the amount of power that the IS draws must not be very much. Also, the lenses that turn off IS when there's no movement will accomplish the same power savings when they do so. Chuck also noted that Canon IS can be effective counter-acting things like mirror slap and shutter shake... internal camera vibrations that can effect image sharpness, especially when using long telephoto lenses.
As a result of all this.... I honestly can't recall the last time I turned off the IS on any of my Canon lenses that have it. I even have the switch taped over on some lenses, to prevent accidentally turning it off.
BUT... This only applies to Canon IS. The correct answer for Nikon VR or Sigma OS or Tamron VC or Sony OSS could very well be different from IS... and different from each other.
If it is a Tamron, it has "VC".
If it's a Sigma, it has "OS".
Nikon's in-lens, optical stabilization is called "VR". Canon's is called "IS" and Sony's is "OSS".
To my knowledge, only Sigma and Tamron make 150-600mm lenses.... Nikon doesn't.
These in-lens, optical image stabilization systems all serve the same purpose... BUT are all different. Each of them is patented by their respective manufacturer, so they cannot be identical. You should expect each design might perform its functions slightly differently and should not assume the answer for one is the same for all the different systems. You need to be specific as to what lens and system you're asking about and should take with a grain of salt responses that aren't from users of the same brand of lens, utilizing the same stabilization system.
For example, Thomas902 mentions noticing some slowing of frame rate with Nikon VR and Sigma OS. I've often heard that Nikon VR slows autofocus slightly (which might in turn effect frame rate) and some people turn it off when it's not needed, for that reason. There seems to be some evidence to support that. In contrast, I've been using a variety of Canon IS lenses for almost twenty years and think that it might actually help AF performance. I have not used or know enough about Sigma OS lenses or Tamron VC lenses enough to say one way or the other. I do know that Sigma OS has similar effectiveness to Canon IS (up to 3 or 4 stops assistance, with the most current versions).
I also don't know about Nikon VR, Sony OSS, Sigma OS or Tamron VC.... But I do know that some Canon IS lenses "sense tripod use" and turn IS off automatically. Actually, that's a bit misleading. What they actually do is turn IS off when there is no movement to correct.... which might be when the lens is fully locked down on a tripod, but also can be in other situations. Out of the 30 or 40 Canon IS lenses produced over the years, there are five specific Canon lenses that don't do this... lenses that MUST have their IS manually turned off at the switch when fully locked down on a tripod or used in any situation where there is absolutely no movement for the IS to correct. If it's not turned off, these particular lenses' IS system will go into sort of a feedback loop where it shakes the image and causes blurred shots. I've used multiple copies of two of those lenses and never had a problem because... 1. You can see it start to occur in your viewfinder and turn off IS, no harm done... 2. The particular Canon IS lenses involved (only one of them is still in production) lend themselves more to hand held use, than to work with a tripod.... 3. The problem doesn't occur when using a "loose" tripod (such as a gimbal), on a monopod or any time the lens isn't completely immobilized. Any slight movement keeps the IS happy and working correctly.
Some years ago there was a lot of confusion about this, so I discussed it all with Canon USA's tech guru Chuck Westfall. He told me that the user manuals for all the Canon IS lenses suggest turning it off "when on a tripod", but the actual reason they do so in most cases is simply to save some battery power. I often shoot with two cameras, sometimes with an IS lens on one and a non-IS lens on the other... and have seen virtually no difference in how many shots I get per camera. So the amount of power that the IS draws must not be very much. Also, the lenses that turn off IS when there's no movement will accomplish the same power savings when they do so. Chuck also noted that Canon IS can be effective counter-acting things like mirror slap and shutter shake... internal camera vibrations that can effect image sharpness, especially when using long telephoto lenses.
As a result of all this.... I honestly can't recall the last time I turned off the IS on any of my Canon lenses that have it. I even have the switch taped over on some lenses, to prevent accidentally turning it off.
BUT... This only applies to Canon IS. The correct answer for Nikon VR or Sigma OS or Tamron VC or Sony OSS could very well be different from IS... and different from each other.
Apr 19, 2019 12:20:55 #
Madchemist wrote:
I am using a 150 - 600mm lens. On a tripod I know the VR should be off. But if I am using a monopod, should it be off or on?
Anytime I rest my camera on something (tripod, monopod, post, wall, anything), I turn IS/VR off!
Apr 19, 2019 12:31:08 #
RWR
Loc: La Mesa, CA
Madchemist wrote:
I am using a 150 - 600mm lens. On a tripod I know the VR should be off. But if I am using a monopod, should it be off or on?
What does the user’s manual recommend?
Apr 20, 2019 00:44:27 #
Apr 20, 2019 04:00:46 #
Pablo8
Loc: Nottingham UK.
RWR wrote:
What does the user’s manual recommend?
That's not fair...You are using logic. Lol.
Apr 20, 2019 08:05:47 #
RWR
Loc: La Mesa, CA
Pablo8 wrote:
That's not fair...You are using logic. Lol.
Oh when will I ever learn??!!
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