I'm giong to get the 55-200 vr

[scupking]

After looking around and doing research for a couple of months I decided that I'm going to get the 55-200 VR. I'm mostly going to use this lens for arishows and outdoor use. I will use my 18-55 (I wish it was the VR version) for indoor use.

[rawpaw18]

From the shots K1W1 and others have posted, you should enjoy your new lens.

[Visual Reality]

It is a great lens. If you can afford the jump to the 70-300 VR you do get what you pay for though.

[K1W1]

The 55-200 is a bit short for Airshows IMO but unless you want some real looonnng Pro type lenses it will be a good thing to start with.

This is one of about 5 photos I have ever tried of planes with the 55-200

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2173/1564606201_5211db7eec_o.jpg

[btuner]

I love my 55-200VR use it all the time! takes great photos and plenty of zoom. highly recommended in my book!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3261/2388647834_00ff4ee6c6_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3031/2306302116_0e8dd4ab8e_o.jpg

[scupking]

Ok picked up the lens today and have some questions. Is it normal to hear the IS activate and deactivate? Also when I hold the shutter button halfway down to activate the IS and then move the camera around to simulate large motion the IS seems to lag behind. When I stop moving I can see it try to catch up. Is that normal? The camera I had before my D40 was the Canon S2 IS so I don’t know how these lenses with IS are suppose to act. Few test of the IS a few minutes ago.

Without IS, 200mm, F/5.6, 1/6 sec. and ISO-1600
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d154/scupking/NoIS.jpg

With IS, 200mm, F/5.6, 1/6 sec. and ISO-1600
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d154/scupking/WithIS.jpg

Without IS, 55mm, F/4, 1/4 sec. and ISO-400
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d154/scupking/WithoutIS2nd.jpg

With IS, 55mm, F/4, 1/4 sec. and ISO-400
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d154/scupking/WithIS2nd.jpg


Why do the shots with IS come out blurry at 55mm, F/4, 1/4 sec. and ISO-400?

[K1W1]

Why do the shots with IS come out blurry at 55mm, F/4, 1/4 sec. and ISO-400?

Probably because the camera looks like it was moving way more than the VR (IS) is designed to compensate for.
VR will not fix extreme shake, it will help by one or maybe two stops that's all.
Yes it is normal to hear to VR mechanism working on the 55-200VR lens.
Shaking the camera wildly does not really prove anything other than you can shake the camera wildly. VR compensates for small movements not large swings.

[T06]

At first I thought you were being a tad harsh kiwi, on the hind I'd say get a tripod.

[scupking]

Probably because the camera looks like it was moving way more than the VR (IS) is designed to compensate for.
VR will not fix extreme shake, it will help by one or maybe two stops that's all.
Yes it is normal to hear to VR mechanism working on the 55-200VR lens.
Shaking the camera wildly does not really prove anything other than you can shake the camera wildly. VR compensates for small movements not large swings.

But what I want to know is why the pictures at 1/4 sec came out better without IS no matter how many times I tried. I heard that if you shoot at to slow of a speed IS actualy will cause this, is that true?

[btuner]

ive never used IS, theres no need to, it just makes your pictures look crappy

[WestCoast]

If you can afford the jump to the 70-300 VR you do get what you pay for though.

I second this. It costs twice as much, but it's probably the best bang for the buck of any prosumer zoom telephoto out there.

[scupking]

ive never used IS, theres no need to, it just makes your pictures look crappy

VR is suppose to help your pictures not hinder them. I'm still trying to figure out why some of my pics are coming out with more blur with the VR on. Also when the VR activates, the image thru the View finder shifts to the left.

[erichlund]

At 1/4, you are actually very near the 4 stops from 1/55 * 1.5 = 1/82.5. So, you can't really expect perfectly sharp here, as you are testing the limit of the system when you don't even know if you've maximized your hand holding technique.

There is also a technique to using a VR lens. When you half depress the shutter, you have to wait for the image in your viewfinder to stabilize. You can both see it and hear it. You will hear the VR adjusting the lens, seeking the right amount of correction. During this period, the viewfinder may appear to bounce even more than it did before you did anything. Then, it will go quiet and the view in the finder will appear to stabilize (moving more slowly than it did). At this point, gently squeeze the shutter release to actually take the shot. This will be more visible at the long end than the short end, and you should practice it there so you can get a feel for it.

If the above technique doesn't work, and I recommend you practice at about 1/75 while the lens is set to 200mm (about 2 stops advantage), then you may have a defective lens.

The purpose of VR is to allow you to handhold at speeds that would not normally be effective due to biological shaking of the camera (breathing, hands not steady, etc). It does not replace using the best possible hand holding technique. In fact, if anything, you have to be at your best to get the most out of VR.

[scupking]

At 1/4, you are actually very near the 4 stops from 1/55 * 1.5 = 1/82.5. So, you can't really expect perfectly sharp here, as you are testing the limit of the system when you don't even know if you've maximized your hand holding technique.

There is also a technique to using a VR lens. When you half depress the shutter, you have to wait for the image in your viewfinder to stabilize. You can both see it and hear it. You will hear the VR adjusting the lens, seeking the right amount of correction. During this period, the viewfinder may appear to bounce even more than it did before you did anything. Then, it will go quiet and the view in the finder will appear to stabilize (moving more slowly than it did). At this point, gently squeeze the shutter release to actually take the shot. This will be more visible at the long end than the short end, and you should practice it there so you can get a feel for it.

If the above technique doesn't work, and I recommend you practice at about 1/75 while the lens is set to 200mm (about 2 stops advantage), then you may have a defective lens.

The purpose of VR is to allow you to handhold at speeds that would not normally be effective due to biological shaking of the camera (breathing, hands not steady, etc). It does not replace using the best possible hand holding technique. In fact, if anything, you have to be at your best to get the most out of VR.

I understand what you’re saying. In my preview pictures the 1/4 second shot came out shaper without using VR no matter how many times I tried. I could see the image become stable but the picture it took would be blurry. Again this only happened at 1/4 sec at 55mm. I will try a few more tests tonight. At 200mm 1/6 seconds VR did help and was very noticeable (as you can see by my test pics).

[JJayzX]

I have this lens and it is great. The VR is to help with handshake at zoom so you get a better shot, but of course there is limits and if it goes beyond the VR you should use a tripod and disable the VR.

[XaiLo]

scupking, return the lens and get another one.

[scupking]

Did some more testing, I took about 110 pictures last night. This lens is very sharp at and above F8 and the VR seems to be working as advertised. I will post some pictures when I get home from work.

[btuner]

VR is suppose to help your pictures not hinder them. I'm still trying to figure out why some of my pics are coming out with more blur with the VR on. Also when the VR activates, the image thru the View finder shifts to the left.

oh i didnt know you were talking about the VR system i always have that on otherwise whats the point of having the VR version lol. Ive never had any problems with my VR system, i never turn it on and off either just always leave it on. never heard it activating or working.

[scupking]

scupking, return the lens and get another one.

I will see what happens. Last night it seemed to be ok but I will continue testing. I know if the shutter speed is to low it will blur the pictures and that’s why they say to turn VR off when using a tripod.

[fionndruinne]

Sounds like you were overestimating VR. 1/4 sec. is just not feasible handheld, VR or no.

[K1W1]

You can fluke the odd one but you have far more misses than hits. Here is the very first shot I took with my 55-200VR. 1 second exposure handheld!
Obviously VR would have had no affect anyway at that exposure but I guess it shows that when the technique works it works well. :)

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1194/647096349_bf67875eb9_b.jpg

Camera: Nikon D50
Exposure: 1 sec (1)
Aperture: f/4.5
Focal Length: 80 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0/6 EV

[T06]

And yet another world cup poster.;)

[K1W1]

And yet another world cup poster.;)

We can all live in hope.
You didn't notice my D50 owners manual in the foreground.

[T06]

:D:D:D I thought you'd bought a D3:eek:

[Visual Reality]

Sounds like you were overestimating VR. 1/4 sec. is just not feasible handheld, VR or no.
I wouldn't say that...I pulled off a 1/4 at around 35mm with VR in my apt here...I was surprised it was actually steady. The shot above is even more impressive at 80mm for 1 whole second.

[K1W1]

The shot above is even more impressive at 80mm for 1 whole second.

VR will have no effect at one second. It only works for relatively short durations which is one of the reasons it's recommended that you turn it off on a tripod.
What I was really trying to demonstrate is that if you happen to fluke perfect technique then VR is not required so if you improve your technique AND have VR you should get great shots.

[erichlund]

VR will have no effect at one second. It only works for relatively short durations which is one of the reasons it's recommended that you turn it off on a tripod.
What I was really trying to demonstrate is that if you happen to fluke perfect technique then VR is not required so if you improve your technique AND have VR you should get great shots.

Actually, the reason it is recommended, on certain lenses, that you turn it off on a tripod is that it is in effect the entire time. When you half depress the shutter release, the VR mechanism vibrates the lens element in an attempt to find a resonance frequency. When the sound stops (and the image appears to stabilize), the lens is still being vibrated, but at a much lower rate that it has determined to be the resonance frequency. Older lenses could not detect when they were on a tripod (an amplitude of vibrations are far to small for VR to compensate for), so they would apply their minimum amount of affect, in effect, actually making the image worse.

In hand holding, the reason longer shutter durations are not as effective is that the resonance frequency is an estimate, not a perfectly accurate measurement. The longer the exposure, the more duration of error creeps into the equation. VR is still doing it's job, it's just that way too much is being asked of it.

You must understand that VR is only capable of producing a single rate and amplitude of movement per activation. On the other hand, the human body is complex, and will have various vibrations all occurring at once. This is why the resonance frequency can only be an estimate of the human created vibration.

One thing that should be noted, and that some lab tests do on their stabilization tests, is that VR becomes less effective the longer shutter duration within the claimed number of stops. VR will work better if it only has to compensate for one stop more than normal handholding than it will if it has to compensate for three stops. This is nothing more than the innaccuracy of the estimated resonance frequency showing up over time.

So, VR doesn't stop working because an exposure is for one second or more, it just cannot compensate that long without error creeping in. Shooting 20mm -> hand holding is 1/30. Three stops is 1/3.75 (1/4) of a second. One second is two additional stops beyond that, and 5 stops is beyond even the best VR will guarantee. It can work, but you would have to have superb technique. If fact, at some point, technique becomes so good, that it goes below the threshold VR can compensate for, at which point, you are a tripod, and you should turn VR off so it doesn't ruin your image (this does not apply to newer lenses that detect lack of movement and deactivate VR).

[scupking]

I do like this lens a lot and it will be my primary lens seeing as I do most my shooting out doors. As I said I like how sharp it is at F8-F-11.

[K1W1]

So, VR doesn't stop working because an exposure is for one second or more,

I never said it would stop working I said it would have no effect. There is a difference seeing as you appear to be so pedantic.

[erichlund]

But, the VR is having an affect. Either, the technique is so good that the VR is making the shot worse, or the VR is making the shot better than it would have been without the VR. Otherwise, the VR is either turned off, or the camera is so stable that on some lenses it is deactivated.

The fact is, with something to brace against (ie. semi-hand-held shot), there's no reason that VR could not give you the requisite 5 stops. I suppose I'm going to have to prove that, but unlike some of you, I'm pretty busy during the week, once I leave work. So, it may have to wait for this weekend.