Is the VC necessary? I've heard mixed reviews. My hands are a little shaky so I'm concerned about stability at the far range of the lens.
1165904
Everyone 's hands shake especially with telephoto lens. The beauty of modern cameras is that they shoot so quickly that its it practically eliminates the problem of hand shake. That said, when shutter speed is decreased to allow more light unto the sensor, this lens handles itself better than even the most expensive lens. This locks the image, keeping it stable, even before u take the shot. The only problem is that it really drains the battery. So use only when using slower shutter speeds like below 1/60 of a second. Even with slow speeds its always best to master good technique. Hope this helps. (Stop overthinking this, Buy this lens!!!!!)
939137
I am not sure but I think the VR does respond, from my experience using the 28-300 VR with the Kenko 1.4TC hand held I did not get a shake blur yet. On the Kenko site they are claiming that the electronics in the TC are compatible with the lenses so I can only assume that it does work. Bear in mind that once you increase the focal length a hand shake would be more noticeable so you may not get the 3-4 F stop vibration reduction. In any case in order to get good results with a TC you need a good source of light which will any way increase your shutter speed. TC's are not the perfect solution but are best for the money when you need it. I hope this was helpful, sorry I could not be more precise.
76729
Thanks. Pentax like Sony has in-cmaera stabilization. the lens is available for Pentax, so I wonder about stabilization problems.
885248
Really for macro work VR is pointless, and is only useful when using the lens for a short telephoto. At macro distances, you really need to use a tripod to avoid the blur. If you read the fine print on the Nikon macros with VR, they pretty much say that the benefit of VR degrades the closer you are to the subject.
91300
I have not had trouble with blur. You want to set it on "single spot" and make sure that you see that it is clear. There are so many settings on it that you will find the perfect one for "sport" I love this lens even though it is heavy. I does have the extra tripod piece which I actually always use as my other hand brace. I have completely switched my lens use around to the 1.8 wide angle no zoom and this 2.8 all the way through lens. I love love love it. I do honestly say though that I have not filmed gymnastics with it and that could be quite different.
1254979
N8TE - Thanks for the advice. I will look into the AF-S (especially the 70-300 VR) but it's good to know my old lens is still an option.
473926
I'm getting ready to order the 400mm. I already have the 70-200L 2.8 IS and if I wanted the extra reach with zoom, I could put my 1.4x teleconverter on it, making it a [roughly] 100-280 f4.0. I don't have the 100-400 to compare, but I'd guess the sharpness is about the same between the 100-400 and the 70-200 + 1.4x. I still wouldn't have the reach between 280-400 but I'd have the sharpness when I need it. I can always attempt to move my feet to frame a subject with a prime if I'm too close. Read the reviews and decide for yourself.
1933622
thats more an issue of focal length. At 22mm its similar to the 22mm prime, so at 44 mm you can be twice as far away, and then a little more at 55 mm. There are all kinds of considerations when it involves the dealing with how near or far the subject is. The farther away the more shaky the video is for handheld shooting even though the lens is stabilized.
507874
Hey how are you. I would recommend a wide angle lens to minimize you touching the focusing ring and making the stabilizer wobble. For the price, I can honestly say this is one of... If not the best you'll get. Comes with a nice carrying bag, weights and the stabilizer ready to go after balancing. Any other questions feel free to contact me.
1157231
Thanks, Philip. I kept mine, still really pleased. Learned that shooting in "Auto" is my best friend right now (clear crisp photos at any distance from macro to nearly all zoom), but glad to hear the "shaken when stirred" is not a sign of something wrong, or about to go wrong. Best wishes.
1461395
I'm new to photography, so I can't answer your question, but here's a link to a discussion on VR (vibration reduction) lenses: http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/41801372
1498256
There are a lot of variables, the most important being the ISO you set and the lens you use. I've gotten shots at out to about 50 feet at a high ISO and with an F2.8 lens (on the FT1). With standard optics it's probably about 40 feet. I don't think you should use flash distance as the major deciding factor, though. To me the big advantage of the V1 is the 2.7x focal multiplier. A 30-110 lens is almost 300mm in 35mm equivalent terms. To get that on a D3200 you'd need a 200mm lens, which is big and heavy. Put a 18-200 zoom on the V1 with the FT1 adapter and it zooms out to over 500mm in 35mm terms, which is more than a 300mm lens on the D3200. There are a lot of variables, the most important being the ISO you set and the lens you use. I've gotten shots at out to about 50 feet at a high ISO and with an F2.8 lens (on the FT1). With standard optics it's probably about 40 feet. I don't think you should use flash distance as the major deciding factor, though. To me the big advantage of the V1 is the 2.7x focal multiplier. A 30-110 lens is almost 300mm in 35mm equivalent terms. To get that on a D3200 you'd need a 200mm lens, which is big and heavy. Put a 18-200 zoom on the V1 with the FT1 adapter and it zooms out to over 500mm in 35mm... » Read More There are a lot of variables, the most important being the ISO you set and the lens you use. I've gotten shots at out to about 50 feet at a high ISO and with an F2.8 lens (on the FT1). With standard optics it's probably about 40 feet. I don't think you should use flash distance as the major deciding factor, though. To me the big advantage of the V1 is the 2.7x focal multiplier. A 30-110 lens is almost 300mm in 35mm equivalent terms. To get that on a D3200 you'd need a 200mm lens, which is big and heavy. Put a 18-200 zoom on the V1 with the FT1 adapter and it zooms out to over 500mm in 35mm terms, which is more than a 300mm lens on the D3200. « Show Less
1360610
No, I would highly suggest going for the VR version for a few extra bucks. This is obsolete. I also would suggest getting a new version as this lens is old and many used ones won't operate correctly.
939139
I am not sure but I think the VR does respond, from my experience using the 28-300 VR with the Kenko 1.4TC hand held I did not get a shake blur yet. On the Kenko site they are claiming that the electronics in the TC are compatible with the lenses so I can only assume that it does work. Bear in mind that once you increase the focal length a hand shake would be more noticeable so you may not get the 3-4 F stop vibration reduction. In any case in order to get good results with a TC you need a good source of light which will any way increase your shutter speed. TC's are not the perfect solution but are best for the money when you need it.I hope this was helpful, sorry I could not be more precise. I am not sure but I think the VR does respond, from my experience using the 28-300 VR with the Kenko 1.4TC hand held I did not get a shake blur yet. On the Kenko site they are claiming that the electronics in the TC are compatible with the lenses so I can only assume that it does work. Bear in mind that once you increase the focal length a hand shake would be more noticeable so you may not get the 3-4 F stop vibration reduction. In any case in order to get good results with a TC you need a good source of light which will any way increase your shutter speed. TC's are not the perfect solution... » Read More I am not sure but I think the VR does respond, from my experience using the 28-300 VR with the Kenko 1.4TC hand held I did not get a shake blur yet. On the Kenko site they are claiming that the electronics in the TC are compatible with the lenses so I can only assume that it does work. Bear in mind that once you increase the focal length a hand shake would be more noticeable so you may not get the 3-4 F stop vibration reduction. In any case in order to get good results with a TC you need a good source of light which will any way increase your shutter speed. TC's are not the perfect solution but are best for the money when you need it.I hope this was helpful, sorry I could not be more precise. « Show Less
1260706
This lens is only to be used with tripod (a very stable one) this is the only use for indoor sports I recommend to use a lens with stabilization or you will seriously struggle unless you can deal with cranking up the ISO and the shutter speed above 1/500 or even more and see how lucky you get you will seriously struggle for that kind of activity. as much as you can try to use a 70G200 or a 18 to 200 mm if you use Sony or above they will not be as cheap option as this one but to be honest this kind of lens is kind of going back to the 70`s and the definition you will get will not be as good and you will have to manually fine tune for each shot. I got it to experiment a bit though I feel like a paparazzi when I used it :-S I will only use this on daylight, outdoors, on a tripod and to a fix distance otherwise will do my head in. I hope you find it useful. P.S. This Opteka is the same cheap lens and Samyan, Rokinon, etc....so to me it is like a white label product cheaply manufactured in China with very simple design, not bat quality build but not a proper lens. Put your money on a piggy bank and get a proper lens for the desired activity. Cheers!
963337
Outperforms the 70-300 VR in that is can zoom back to 28mm. That is why it is twice the price. It does not produce better images between 70 and 300mm. I would chose the 70-300 for the longest shots, and the 28-300 for shorter. Both lenses are as professional as the person using them, do not be impressed by reviewers waving wads of bills at you, because like a Violin, a Camera/lens is only as good as the user!
1029022
Well, mine came with two non-VR lenses. I returned and re-ordered. Two more non-VR lenses. Is this acceptable to anyone?