VR or F2.8


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Fotophilic

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Jun 18, 2006
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Hi, recently was thinking about whether VR or F2.8 lenses are better. I am talking in terms of their ability for the user to do handheld shooting under the usual indoor lighting condition.

I know that F2.8 generally allows the user to shoot at a faster shutter speed due to larger aperature and leading to better bokeh effects and sharpness in the process. VR basically just helps to stabilise the image (i think canon have something similar too), otherwise the sharpness and bokeh are generally the same as the normal lenses.

Recently started to play around the long telephoto range so this thing came to my mind.

Anyone had experiences? Care to share with newbie like me? :embrass:
 

I got for F2.8 as I think shutter speed more important.
 

F2.8 allows a lot of light coming to the sensor, hence you can freeze actions more readily. While the VR itself will allow the mitigation of user introduced vibrations. They are essentially mutually exclusive to each other. Look at this with the following example.

Type : Portrait shot (subject is still)
Condition : Bright daylight with no ND filter
Objective : Soften the subject and defocus the background

You will not be able to do that with a say 18-200VRII with F3.5-5.6 that effectively as compared to say the 17-55 F2.8 constant. But lets take a look at another situation

Type : Action shot (moving subject, too far for flash to reach)
Condition : Stadium / Court lighting
Objective : Freeze action without use of flash

You will see that the VRII is essentially useless in this situation, you wil need the F2.8 or maybe even the F2 to F1.8 prime lenses if you are that serious. We can see from this 2 examples that VRII and big aperture is mutually exclusive is the extreme situation. For me, I do not do much action shots in poorly lit situation, I go for the VRII.
 

2.8 is very useful to have..but i feel that esp. at the tele ends....having it coupled with VR will be a plus...
 

you essentially have the arguements all there... now, only question you have to ask youself is would you be walking around with a tripod or have time to steady yourself for a shot? at the long end (200mm), you would need time to steady yourself to aviod "camera shake", imho, VR becomes very useful esp when the shot you're looking for vanish in a blink of an eye (you get what i mean).
 

from what i see above the point is what the user will wanna shoot.

if it's the matter of the "freezing the subject" at a certain shutter speed or to acheive certain bokeh (or sharpness), then wide aperture is the way.

if it's the matter of just take out the camera and shoot, then probably the VR will be more useful (assuming the shaky hand will be a problem here).

ok great, this thread served it's purpose. thanks for the input. :D
 

for some lenses, it's not one or the other... you can have both!!! :bsmilie:
 

for some lenses, it's not one or the other... you can have both!!! :bsmilie:

not can... U NEED BOTH!

70-200f2.8 VR haha...

seriously thou... doesn't mean f1.4 no need VR, the f1.4 is good for you to focus faster since it is brighter. But if you need f8 or f16, for a certain scene, then it will be 1/4 or 1/20, then how? VR come into place...
 

yar, how we wish a Nikon F2.8 18-200mm VR. :bsmilie:

Most prob I will sell away all my lenses to get it!

Anyway thanks for the input.
 

yar, how we wish a Nikon F2.8 18-200mm VR. :bsmilie:

Most prob I will sell away all my lenses to get it!

Anyway thanks for the input.

I bet you probably won't do that. Its going to be a huge lens, if they can produce it. Imagine twice the size of a 70-200 f2.8 handheld. :sweat: :sweat: :sweat:
 

I bet you probably won't do that. Its going to be a huge lens, if they can produce it. Imagine twice the size of a 70-200 f2.8 handheld. :sweat: :sweat: :sweat:

well... u nv know.... I believe Nikon won't be so unmarketing to produce a monster at this range, knowing that likely people using this range won't like so titanic lenses. As tech improves, maybe till then.... :bsmilie:
 

well... u nv know.... I believe Nikon won't be so unmarketing to produce a monster at this range, knowing that likely people using this range won't like so titanic lenses. As tech improves, maybe till then.... :bsmilie:

Precisely that's why they never even think of coming up with a 18-200 f2.8 lens.

It might happens but probably not in our generation. The 80-200 f2.8 has been around for more than a decade ago and the 70-200 doesnt seems to be any smaller.
 

Mmm. A question of physics perhaps? I don't think it can be realistically be made any smaller. Unless sensors become even smaller than they already are.
 

Mmm. A question of physics perhaps? I don't think it can be realistically be made any smaller. Unless sensors become even smaller than they already are.

I think it's more a question of business sense.

Anything is possible as long as there's money to be made

nowadays the market is determined by demand and supply.

So we won't be seeing any of this lenses unless there's enough people willing to fork out that kind of money
 

not can... U NEED BOTH!

70-200f2.8 VR haha...

seriously thou... doesn't mean f1.4 no need VR, the f1.4 is good for you to focus faster since it is brighter. But if you need f8 or f16, for a certain scene, then it will be 1/4 or 1/20, then how? VR come into place...

yeah you're right, some scences which require f8 or f16 VR would be good but in those cases i'd would be using tripod.

I have a VR lens too and it helps alot especially when i zoom 300mm.

but it's not fair to compare wide aperture and VR function as they are 2 different things altogether.

one complements the other but cannot replace the other

If only f1.4 lens and VR... beautiful bokeh plus sharpness... droolz
 

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