Z6ii-VR always on?

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Nature Files

Nature Files

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Hello folks, first post here! I have a Z6ii and was trying out by beloved 500mm pf lens this weekend. I noticed that when I turn the camera on, the VR is always working, as opposed to my D500, where the VR is only engaged when I press the the shutter release, or in my case, the AF-On (I use back button focus).

Is there anyway to engage the VR in this manner while using the Z6ii? I'm afraid it can't be good for the lens to always have the VR motor running, not to mention the increased battery usage.

Any help would be appreciated!

-Jason
 
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Nature Files said:
Hello folks, first post here! I have a Z6ii and was trying out by beloved 500mm pf lens this weekend. I noticed that when I turn the camera on, the VR is always working, as opposed to my D500, where the VR is only engaged when I press the the shutter release, or in my case, the AF-On (I use back button focus).

Is there anyway to engage the VR in this manner while using the Z6ii? I'm afraid it can't be good for the lens to always have the VR motor running, not to mention the increased battery usage.

Any help would be appreciated!

-Jason
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In Nikon DSLRs the VR is only active when the exposure meter is active which times out after a menu adjustable time. But in the Z series cameras the VR is active as long as the EVF or rear panel display is active which means as long as the camera is awake unless you actually turn off the VR using the switch on the lens for lenses that have a VR switch or in the menus for lenses that don't have a VR switch.
 
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DRwyoming said:
In Nikon DSLRs the VR is only active when the exposure meter is active which times out after a menu adjustable time. But in the Z series cameras the VR is active as long as the EVF or rear panel display is active which means as long as the camera is awake unless you actually turn off the VR using the switch on the lens for lenses that have a VR switch or in the menus for lenses that don't have a VR switch.
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I was afraid of that. Thanks for taking the time to respond. This is unfortunate, and I hope there could possibly be a firmware update to fix this issue.
 
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Nature Files said:
I was afraid of that. Thanks for taking the time to respond. This is unfortunate, and I hope there could possibly be a firmware update to fix this issue.
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Yeah, it was an unusual design decision from a battery life standpoint even if the VR motor is up to the task of being on so much.

I guess the good news is that the Z II cameras wake up really fast, much faster than the original Z cameras so you can set a short time out timer and let the camera sleep between shooting opportunities. This turns off the displays as well as everything else so it's not great if you need to monitor through the viewfinder (like I did recently waiting for an owl chick to wake up and move) but it does turn off everything including VR, extending battery life without a big wake up lag.
 
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DRwyoming said:
Yeah, it was an unusual design decision from a battery life standpoint even if the VR motor is up to the task of being on so much.

I guess the good news is that the Z II cameras wake up really fast, much faster than the original Z cameras so you can set a short time out timer and let the camera sleep between shooting opportunities. This turns off the displays as well as everything else so it's not great if you need to monitor through the viewfinder (like I did recently waiting for an owl chick to wake up and move) but it does turn off everything including VR, extending battery life without a big wake up lag.
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Yes that would be about the only work-around at the moment, although I'm like you and often monitor the action through the viewfinder (as you would expect using a long lens for wildlife)! Nikon dropped the ball on this one, IMO. I hope they can figure out how to only activate the VR function when the focus motor is engaged, which would only be when the AF-On button is pressed, (if using back button focus while in AF-C mode).
 
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Nature Files said:
IMO. I hope they can figure out how to only activate the VR function when the focus motor is engaged, which would only be when the AF-On button is pressed, (if using back button focus while in AF-C mode).
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I'd personally want the VR engaged even when the focus motor isn't engaged if I'm doing focus/recompose shooting or using manual focus. But maybe a VR timeout associated with any shooting control activation (shutter half press, AF-ON button, PV button, etc.) would allow the VR motor to time out but still be activated for an adjustable time period when needed.
 
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The VR being on all the time not only exposes the VR system to undue wear but also has an effect on battery life. These were among my concerns with the original Nikon Z’s and nothing changed with the series II’s.
 
DRwyoming said:
Yeah, it was an unusual design decision from a battery life standpoint even if the VR motor is up to the task of being on so much.

I guess the good news is that the Z II cameras wake up really fast, much faster than the original Z cameras so you can set a short time out timer and let the camera sleep between shooting opportunities. This turns off the displays as well as everything else so it's not great if you need to monitor through the viewfinder (like I did recently waiting for an owl chick to wake up and move) but it does turn off everything including VR, extending battery life without a big wake up lag.
Click to expand...
Doesn't that camera have IBIS? In that case leave it off on the lens unless special situations arise?
 
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bleirer said:
Doesn't that camera have IBIS? In that case leave it off on the lens unless special situations arise?
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Nikon's Z cameras don't let you control the lens VR vs the camera's IBIS independently. If your lens has a VR switch then that controls both the lens VR system and the camera's IBIS system and the menu settings are ignored. If the lens lacks a VR switch then stabilization is controlled via the menu but when you're using a lens with a VR switch the menu setting for activating IBIS is grayed out and you control stabilization through the lens switch.
 
DRwyoming said:
Nikon's Z cameras don't let you control the lens VR vs the camera's IBIS independently. If your lens has a VR switch then that controls both the lens VR system and the camera's IBIS system and the menu settings are ignored. If the lens lacks a VR switch then stabilization is controlled via the menu but when you're using a lens with a VR switch the menu setting for activating IBIS is grayed out and you control stabilization through the lens switch.
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That is awkward. Do Sony lenses have the same issue of always running the VR?
 
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bleirer said:
That is awkward. Do Sony lenses have the same issue of always running the VR?
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I don't know, my only Sony at the moment is an A6300 and I only shoot that with a wide angle zoom that lacks a VR function on the lens. Maybe @Steve or someone else shooting a high end Sony can comment on how they manage control of lens vs IBIS stabilization functions.
 
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bleirer said:
That is awkward. Do Sony lenses have the same issue of always running the VR?
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They seem too, but I don't see how they'd do it otherwise. Nikon's VR is only off when the camera is on standby - as is Sonys. The difference is, when mirrorless cameras go on standby, the viewfinder black out - something we didn't have with an optical viewfinder. That said, I think the worry about VR running all the time and draining batteries is overblown - it doesn't seem to really affect them that much in my experience.
 
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Steve said:
They seem too, but I don't see how they'd do it otherwise. Nikon's VR is only off when the camera is on standby - as is Sonys. The difference is, when mirrorless cameras go on standby, the viewfinder black out - something we didn't have with an optical viewfinder. That said, I think the worry about VR running all the time and draining batteries is overblown - it doesn't seem to really affect them that much in my experience.
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My worry is that the VR motors/mechanism will wear out prematurely. I'm interested to hear your thoughts on this, Steve.
 
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Steve said:
Honestly, I'm not sure - I've not seen any data on it. I would imagine it's just fine - very seldom do you hear about worn out VR (VR does fail from time to time, but not enough o worry about IMO).
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I don't have any data either, but I agree it's likely not a big problem. The VR assembly is basically a set of speaker coils that move an optical group in different directions. Speakers really don't fail from just using them though like anything they can fail for various reasons like mechanical shock or an open connection.
 
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My Fuji XT-4 has 3 options for IBIS - off, continuous or when shooting. Although the battery is bigger/lasts longer than previous XT models it is still nowhere near my Nikon so it is more important for longer battery life. If using a Fuji lens with IOS switching, turning the lens switch off also turns off the IBIS.
 
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I just noticed with Z7-2 and Sigma C 150-600 the VR remains greyed out in camera wether the Lens VR is on or Off, is that as expected?
(First time I have tried a non Nikon lens.)
 
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Davej said:
I just noticed with Z7-2 and Sigma C 150-600 the VR remains greyed out in camera wether the Lens VR is on or Off, is that as expected?
(First time I have tried a non Nikon lens.)
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That sounds normal. If you mount a lens that has a VR switch the menu item for VR is grayed out regardless of whether you turn VR on or off via the lens switch. That's what happens with either my Nikon or Tamron VR lenses mounted on my Z6 II.

Basically if your lens has a VR switch then all VR control for both in-camera and lens VR happens via that switch. If you have a lens without a VR switch then the menu controls stabilization.
 
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