VR makes my pictures worse

[bozmillar]

I have a Nikkor 55-200mm 1:4-5.6G VR lens on my D50. I think the lens is great except for that fact that my pictures come out much more blurry when I turn VR on. It's as if the camera jerks more when the mirror flips when VR is on than it does when it's off.

but when VR is on and I hold the button half way down, it's obvious that the image is much more stable looking through the lens, so I'm assuming that the VR is working, it just seems to stop working the second I take the picture. Here's a couple pictures I just took. The first one is VR off, the second is VR on. Shutter speed is 1/30. I just figured that VR was a gimmiky thing they used to sell lenses but didn't actually work, but I hear people talk about how awesome it is, and I'm just not seeing it. Is there something I'm doing wrong?

http://bozrecords.com/mp3s/pics/DSC_3996.JPG

[URL]http://bozrecords.com/mp3s/pics/DSC_3998.JPG[/URL]

 

[Derrel]

Are you using VR with the camera on a tripod?

 

[bozmillar]

No, this is hand held.

 

[Derrel]

Well, you know, you need to allow a small amount of time for VR to "kick in"...not sure why you're having trouble if the VR system is working properly. I've been able to get some pretty stable shots as slow as 1/3 second using VR and very careful technique. Typically, slowish speeds like 1/60 second at 400mm are possible with the 80-400 VR lens,and at shorter focal lengths, slow speeds like 1/8 and 1/10 second are normally quite,quite easy to shoot at with a good, steady resulting image on at least 75% of frame shot.

 

[bozmillar]

Right, that's what I keep hearing people say, but I'm getting the opposite results from my lens. Once in a while my VR will give me a clear image, but most of the time it just messes it up more than not, no matter what the shutter speed. I always try to give it a second to kick in so that I'm not taking the shot when it gives it's first jolt, but it feels to me like it gives another jolt as soon as I take the picture.

Is there some sort of technique to getting VR to work right?

 

[ghache]

Right, that's what I keep hearing people say, but I'm getting the opposite results from my lens. Once in a while my VR will give me a clear image, but most of the time it just messes it up more than not, no matter what the shutter speed. I always try to give it a second to kick in so that I'm not taking the shot when it gives it's first jolt, but it feels to me like it gives another jolt as soon as I take the picture.

Is there some sort of technique to getting VR to work right?

If your shooting at 1/500 and more, turn it off.
if YOU are the one with the shakes, turn it on
if you are riding a horse, turn active on.

1. compose and focus
2. shoot.

 

[480sparky]

Click here.

 

[bozmillar]

Click here.

OK, so my best guess based on what I can tell is that the "re-centering" when I take the picture. But what's the point of VR if my mirror is flipped before the VR re-centers? Is the a flaw in the camera body? A flaw in the lens? A flaw in my settings? Do other cameras wait for the VR to stabilize before it opens up the mirror? I'm on a D50.