Trying To Decide

[HairyHaggis]

I cant decide which would be more beneficial to me. I want to buy a new lens and have been looking into a SIGMA 105mm lens which offers a MACRO functionality too, and at F2.8

I think there is also a Nikkor that offers the same.

But the thing that is throwing me is the VR lenses. I shoot mainly motorsports, action, wildlife etc, but also take some long exposure night stuff.

What are you opinions on this, and sorry if it appears to be a little vague in my requirements.

Steve

[Tom Nolle]

I've kind of gone around the loop on the VR question myself. The benefit of VR is obviously that the lens may give you the ability to shoot at a lower shutter speed while hand-holding. There's opinion all over the place on how much difference it makes, but what I've seen in traveling with someone who shot VR while I shot standard lenses, there is a difference of about two f-stops in "holdability"....if the conditions are right.

"Right" means that the lighting is good enough to get shutter speed to at least a 30th of a second (sometimes a 20th works), that you're not using a tripod, and that there's time for the stabilization to settle down before you have to shoot.

My own view was that you really need to be shooting from a tripod or at least a monopod for sharp shots, and that if you're using one VR doesn't help (in fact, you're not supposed to use some systems while on a tripod). The lenses are heavier, more expensive, and usually don't have the nice low f-stops of standard zooms or primes. So I've stayed with standard lenses (all Sigma, by the way). Still, I keep watching VR developments.

Tom

[HairyHaggis]

Tom,

Thank you for your response and I appreciate your feedback. I wasnt aware of the stabilisation situation with VR lenses. I have been looking into a SIGMA lens. It was a Super Macro lens 105mm F2.8

I use most a SIGMA 28 -200 IF lens as my most popular lens, and I also use a Nikkor 70 - 300mm lens mainly for my motorsports shots, as I cant always get as close as I would like.

Still, I will have to decide as I am on a tight budget over here in the UK and it aint always economical to be splashing out on luxuries like new lenses. I dont want to go down the second hand route with a lens as I would prefer a manufacturers warranty with some new glass.

Thanks again

Steve

[Tom Nolle]

Another issue for you to consider is that being able to shoot at a low shutter speed isn't necessarily great when your subject is moving. I do mostly travel/wildlife for e-books, and the problem I've seen with some of my companions' VR shots is that the subject itself moves and blurs the shot even though the background is fine. The Sigma version of VR has a mode that will allow panning, but it also will allow horizontal shake.

One of the nice things about digitals like the S2 is that you can jack up the ASA (to 400 at least, and even to 800 or 1600 if your shutter speeds are quick) to get a serviceable image when shake would be a problem for most film cameras, then switch back to a more reasonable ASA for the next shot.

Tom

[Swampy]

Tom, the Nikkor 70-200mm has a panning mode and a standard mode as well.

I agree, with motorsports, or any sport besides chess and the like, the VR isn't going to give you much since you're trying to shoot with higher shutterspeeds. I think the VR rocks in everything that I've been doing with it. But then again, I'm not doing much action with it yet. I expect that the VR will not be a big part for the action shots.

Not that I'm knocking the Sigma lenses. 24-70mm f2.8 and a 50-500mm f4~5.6 have served me extremely well so far.

[HairyHaggis]

OK guys, I think I will go over to my local Jessops store and see if I can get some tests with different lenses.

Thanks for your time.

Steve