Long lens on tripod and VR/IS

I'm wondering if you guys have the VR/IS on when using long lenses on tripod. And if you have it on, do you still use the "drape your elbow atop the lens" or the technique shown on page 465 of Artie's The Art of Bird Photography's II to stabilize the lens?

I tried the way as described on that page 465, but I got worse results than when I am simply letting VR do the work (without stabilizing the lens with hands atop the lens or any other way). It could be my bad techniques though.

By the way, could anyone tell this Nikon user what IS mode 1 and IS mode 2 in Canon mean ?

Desmond with the Canon you want to use the Mode 2 all the time (with the first generation there was a difference)

I do use a similar technique for holding the lens steady on the tripod. Index and thumb are on the lens pushing up and other three fingers on the lens foot. With my right hand I push up the camera and in with my cheek against the back of the body. This is to take out play in the lens.

This will work as good as your mentioned method and Artie came up with it also !!! Every time out photographing I make a few images at a low shutter speed as a test.

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Originally Posted by Desmond Chan

I'm wondering if you guys have the VR/IS on when using long lenses on tripod. And if you have it on, do you still use the "drape your elbow atop the lens" or the technique shown on page 465 of Artie's The Art of Bird Photography's II to stabilize the lens?

I tried the way as described on that page 465, but I got worse results than when I am simply letting VR do the work (without stabilizing the lens with hands atop the lens or any other way). It could be my bad techniques though.

By the way, could anyone tell this Nikon user what IS mode 1 and IS mode 2 in Canon mean ?

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Careful Desmond this can get tricky.

This subject is a little complicated and has been discussed here in the past a few times but here is a brief answer.
Nikon
Normal: normal photography and 2 axis correction. This is also the mode to use on a tripod. Nikon says to use is with the tripod head loose. also this mode automatically detects panning.
Active: this mode is for big movement, boat, car etc.
Tripod mode (new lenses): Locked down tripod. No panning.

Canon
Mode 1: Normal photography. No tripod, no panning.
Mode 2: panning.
Super telephoto lenses can be use on a tripod in Mode 2. Otherwise no IS when used on a tripod.

In both systems the proper technique is to engage VR/IS before you take the image. Press the shutter/meter button halfway to start VR/IS.
Tip: I use the back AF button with both systems and the AF button will not start VR/IS so you have to press the shutter button before you want to record an image.
You should be able to make sharp images handheld with a Telephoto with VR/IS down to 1/125 or lower and down to 1/10 on a tripod or beanbag up to a 600 with a 2X.

Robert

Robert wrote: "You should be able to make sharp images handheld with a Telephoto with VR/IS down to 1/125 or lower and down to 1/10 on a tripod or beanbag up to a 600 with a 2X."

While Robert may be able to create a sharp image at 1200mm at 1/10 sec that will be far beyond what most normal humans can expect. I can make most of them sharp at effecitve 1560mm down to 1/60 sec or down to 1/30 sec with the 500 or 600 alone. Are there any other immortals out there besides Robert???

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Originally Posted by Arthur Morris

Robert wrote: "You should be able to make sharp images handheld with a Telephoto with VR/IS down to 1/125 or lower and down to 1/10 on a tripod or beanbag up to a 600 with a 2X."

While Robert may be able to create a sharp image at 1200mm at 1/10 sec that will be far beyond what most normal humans can expect. I can make most of them sharp at effecitve 1560mm down to 1/60 sec or down to 1/30 sec with the 500 or 600 alone. Are there any other immortals out there besides Robert???

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Thanks for catching this Artie! Now that I think about it I should add some notes. I really left out some vital info.

The example numbers are really not something I would recommend or something that the average user could expect or even something that I use as part of my everyday techniques. They are really extreme worst case numbers I have somehow gotten away with in the past.

Do not expect to make consistently sharp images with a 500/4 handheld at 1/125th of a second, try 1/1250th at least! The same goes for a 600 or even a 500 with a 2X.

Robert