Vr & Is

[Ingo]

I'm getting a 70-200 F2.8 VR in a couple of days and I'm wondering if I should use the Vibration Reduction in the lens when doing photos of the moon & M42.

[Astroman]

If your holding the lens by hand, it would help, but if your on a tripod or eq-mount I cannot see any benefit in using the vibration reduction. With the lower light levels it may confuse the lens/camera and actually make things worse.

[ving]

so now thats answered...

if you find you dont like the lens feel free to give it to me :D

[Ingo]

What about mirror slap? Wouldn't it reduce it? I don't know if VR or IS is that accurate.

[Dennis]

I recall reading somewhere (?) that for tripod mounted photo’s of stationary objects, it is best to switch off any IS or VR capability, otherwise it can lead to unwanted image artefacts such as CA.

Cheers

Dennis

[acropolite]

Ditto what Dennis said, it's recommended practice to turn off any IS when using a tripod.

[Astroman]

I cannot see VR or IS being that sensitive to mirror slap. But if you have mirror flip up then use it for astrophotography. If you don't then you will have to make do. CA? maybe, I was thinking more image shift during the exposures creating a somewhat blurry image or making it look as though a double exposure had been taken. If would only be slight but the image would look soft and you would think the optics were rubbish in an otherwise expensive lens.

[citivolus]

A quick note, on a Canon lens of the same basic design, if I (handheld) point it at the zenith with image stabilisation enabled, it sometimes goes nuts. The motion sensors do not handle that one particular orientation well. YMMV.

That said, a full aperture solar filter on the lens & it works very, very well handheld.

[leon]

Ingo, Andrew is spot on, for astronomy, and tripod, or mounted lenses it serves no purpose to have the VR, or for that matter IS in Canon lenses turned on.

I have a Canon 300mm F/2.8 and it dosen't have IS at all, and it is just brilliant that way.;)

Leon :thumbsup:

[Benny L]

it takes up batttery power for nothing so i would switch it off...