Nikon AF P 70-300mm 4.5-5.6 VR...Urban Legend?

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Flyboy

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I figured if anyone knows the answer, they would be here!
I have read opinions by a few users of vibration controlled lenses that at higher shutter speeds, there is something that will cause less-sharp images. I have heard mention of 1/400 sec. and above. o_O

I have also read the user "manual" of my Nikon AF P f/ 4.5-5.6 70-300 mm lens: no useful information. I attempted some quick field tests, but can see no difference.
Is this an urban legend, or is there really something in the Nikon system or others that will degrade images at higher shutter speeds?

I use higher shutter speeds where they will do the most good...at air shows, for BIF...and...for doggies and supersonic great-grandkids. 😊

Can someone clarify?
Thanks.
 
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There are some nice articles written by Thom Hogan that were very useful for me and i have pasted the links below. In general, for higher shutter speeds like >1/ lens focal length rule, it is better to turn off VR. In my experience with Nikon lenses, Sport VR is more forgiving than Normal...i have had problems in getting tack sharp images when shooting at higher shutter speeds with VR ON. There's a slight blur compared to shooting with VR turned off.

All About Nikon VR | DSLRBodies | Thom Hogan

All About Nikon VR (vibration reduction) systems
www.dslrbodies.com www.dslrbodies.com

More About VR and IS Systems | DSLRBodies | Thom Hogan

Do you have to turn VR off before removing a lens from the camera?
www.dslrbodies.com www.dslrbodies.com
 
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I have a vague recollection of reading one of Thom Hogan's articles many years ago that suggested there is a point where the shutter speed and VR are the same and that this can cause problems. From memory though, this was with older VR and VR2 AF-S lenses but I've not seen anything like that regarding the AF-P models.

TBH, I've never noticed it with any of my VR/VR2 lenses.
 
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Thank you for your answers and clarification. I have since read through Thom Hogan's excellent article about VR and its possible effects.
For 10 years or more, I never turned the VR switch on my AF-S 70-300 lens OFF when I removed or mounted the lens on my camera, and it suffered no apparent ill effects.
Perhaps the newer P series lenses are more fragile or finicky than the older lenses?
As for shutter speeds, I will make it a rule not to exceed 1/500 sec. with the VR on. Except for air shows and Birds in Flight, the majority of my shooting is accomplished with shutter speeds lower than 1/500, so, I'm good there.
I have always made it a rule to switch off my camera whenever I change lenses, but I'm not sure if the warning in my new lens' instruction sheet...that both the camera and lens' VR must be OFF when changing lenses is an absolute, but I presume many people know more than I do, and will try to remember to turn it off.
Of course, I then have to remember to turn it back ON. o_O At 80, I need all the help I can get in the steadiness area!🤞
 
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I can see with VR turned ON that the lens stabilization must conclude before the autofocus operation begins. This results in a considerable lag and many missed shots in my own experience. Nikon states that VR should be off with shutter speeds of 1/500s and this makes sense as there is negligible lens movement during a 1/500s shot. On the other hand, the longer the lens the greater the image magnification and the more apparent any camera motion blur will in the resulting images.

When I first got the D800e I had more problem images as I needed to refine my technique and be more deliberate in my shooting with the much higher resolution of the images from this camera. I doubt that I am alone in this regard.
 
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The lens is powered by the camera. Surely with the camera off, the lens (the VR) is inactive and shut down. Without power from the camera how can it be any other case? Seems ridiculous to have to switch the VR off on the lens before dismounting from powered off camera. In my case, my 70-300 is the “kit” version and does not have a switch. This means I would have to turn VR on and off via the camera menus.
 
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If the camera has a battery in it, it's not really off in the traditional sense, more like a standby ultra low power mode. I know that the VR element in the 105mm F2.8G VR rattles if you don't turn the VR switch to the off position, mounted on the camera or not.
 
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Flyboy said:
As for shutter speeds, I will make it a rule not to exceed 1/500 sec. with the VR on. Except for air shows and Birds in Flight, the majority of my shooting is accomplished with shutter speeds lower than 1/500, so, I'm good there.
Click to expand...

Not to branch off here, but I'm using the 70-300 AF-P on a Z6. So, how does the above 1/500 rule come into play when IBIS is in the scenario? From what I understand, the VR in the lens and IBIS work together. And then, what about IBIS use when lenses don't have VR (like my Z 24-70 S for example).
 
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ccirelli; Good question! but, seeing as how I don't know what an IBIS is, except for the bird, I can't answer it. I'm sure somebody with more experience than I will jump in and answer it for you.
 
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Flyboy said:
ccirelli; Good question! but, seeing as how I don't know what an IBIS is, except for the bird, I can't answer it. I'm sure somebody with more experience than I will jump in and answer it for you.
Click to expand...
I didn't know there was an IBIS bird, so I guess we both learned something here :LOL: IBIS is Nikon's "In-Body Image Stabilization" found in the Z5/6/7 (but not the Z50).
 
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ccirelli said:
Not to branch off here, but I'm using the 70-300 AF-P on a Z6. So, how does the above 1/500 rule come into play when IBIS is in the scenario? From what I understand, the VR in the lens and IBIS work together. And then, what about IBIS use when lenses don't have VR (like my Z 24-70 S for example).
Click to expand...
I can't speak for the impact of IBIS when combined with VR in the lens but really the 1/focal length rule more or less goes out the window when any form of image stabilization is active and also changes quite a bit as sensor resolution increases.

Bottom line, you really have to do some personal experimentation to figure out your own handholding rules once you introduce image stabilization on the cameras you'll use. The 1/focal length rule is a holdover from the days of film when there was no image stabilization (well there were gyroscope stabilizers :) ) and even then some photographers found the rule of thumb useful while others could handhold at much slower or need to use much faster shutter speeds for good results so you really need to take test shots and figure it out for yourself.

FWIW, here's a White Faced Ibis :)
850_1313-Edit.jpg
You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.
 
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Flyboy said:
I figured if anyone knows the answer, they would be here!
I have read opinions by a few users of vibration controlled lenses that at higher shutter speeds, there is something that will cause less-sharp images. I have heard mention of 1/400 sec. and above. o_O

I have also read the user "manual" of my Nikon AF P f/ 4.5-5.6 70-300 mm lens: no useful information. I attempted some quick field tests, but can see no difference.
Is this an urban legend, or is there really something in the Nikon system or others that will degrade images at higher shutter speeds?

I use higher shutter speeds where they will do the most good...at air shows, for BIF...and...for doggies and supersonic great-grandkids. 😊

Can someone clarify?
Thanks.
Click to expand...

I experimented with this a while back. VR on, VR off. I could never tell the difference so now I leave it on all the time unless on a tripod. Today in good light I was shooting at 1/4000 of a second with VR on. No problems with sharpness.
 
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