Shut off VR when shutting off camera or changing lens?

[SquarePeg]

Do you do this? I was reading the manual for my soon to arrive D5100 and noticed this:

D Vibration Reduction
Do not turn the camera off or remove the lens while vibration reduction is in effect. If power
to the lens is cut while vibration reduction is on, the lens may rattle when shaken. This is not
a malfunction, and can be corrected by reattaching the lens and turning the camera on.
Vibration reduction is disabled while the built-in flash is charging. When vibration reduction
is active, the image in the viewfinder may be blurred after the shutter is released. This does
not indicate a malfunction; wait for the image in the viewfinder to stabilize before shooting.

I had never done this with my D60 but sure enough, when I checked the D60 manual, pretty much the same thing stated. Would removing the lens without turning off the VR mean that the VR would not be effective the next time I use that lens unless I turn it off then on again?

 

[Derrel]

I shot the 80-400 VR for three years straight, alllllllll the time. I never turn the VR off on the lens when removing the lens. I now shoot the 70-200VR and the 70-300 VR quite a bit (maybe 70% of the time). All I try and do now is to turn the camera off when I change lenses. I have owned the 80-400VR for a long,long time, and the 70-200VR since the week it came out back in 2003 I guess...so...basically a full decade...I never bother turning the VR off to do a lens swap. EVER. I seem to have full lens functionality,still.

 

[KmH]

Read between the lines.

That statement in the users manual is implying that the VR mechanism is 'parked' or 'locked' when turned off using the switch.

It doesn't say the VR will be damaged, just that the VR mechanism won't be parked/locked and will be able to move and cause a rattle noise.
I wouldn't recommend continually shaking the lens to make it rattle though.

VR will still be effective the next time you use the lens.

VR should only be turned on when it's needed - http://bythom.com/nikon-vr.htm

The first and most important rule of VR is this: never turn VR on unless it's actually needed.

 

[Kolia]

I'm reading "don't turn off the camera while the VR is running". Meaning don't depress the shutter halfway and then turn off the camera while the VR is actively trying to compensate.

 

[Overread]

Actually I don't think the line means "turn off the VR button before removing the lens" but more don't turn the camera off and remove the lens before the VR function has time to wind down and fully stop. VR (like IS and OS) has a spin up and spin down cycle where it speeds up the moving parts and slows them down to a resting position. If you are taking a shot and turn the camera off whilst the shutter is half pressed or soon after then the VR/IS/OS is still "running" and hasn't naturally stopped and returned the internal to their rest position.

 

[KmH]

Vibration Reduction from Nikon

Nikon VR lenses use two angular velocity sensors, one that detects vertical movement (pitch), the other, horizontal movement (yaw), with diagonal motion handled by both sensors working together. The sensors send angular velocity data to a microcomputer in the lens, which determines how much compensation is needed to offset the camera's shake and sends that information to a duo of voice coil motors that move selected lens elements to compensate for the detected motion.

Empower Your Hand-held Shooting | Nikon

VR mechanism | Nikon?s exclusive VR technologies | Empower Your Hand-held Shooting | Nikon