D500 VR Lens compatibility, Fog per Manual

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Too many users trend to forget that VR can only impact the quality adversely when shutter speeds get fast enough.

My advice is think of VR as one *ought* to consider AF: namely, engage the feature when it is positively required, switch off all the time  otherwise.

[BW]

I agree, but still I keep forgetting to turn it off after using it. Probably progressing dementia

[Øivind Tøien]

Not only that, the stabilization of the viewfinder image can be very helpful when placing focus points on a critical small spot. However I tend to then keep the VR on the 300 PF in sports mode unless I have to use long hand held shutter speeds on stationary objects - that is a bit more forgiving with respect to adverse background effects and problems with framing jumping and messing up composition just before the exposure. It is pretty forgiving up to 1/1000 sec, above that I try to turn it off.

[charlie]

The "fog", as they put it, is shown in the picture attached which is a 150 second exposure using the 70-200mm VR-I lens mounted on the D700 with the lens cap on (to clearly show the problem). ISO was set to 6400, f/2.8, and VR turned on. This problem found me during a long exposure several years ago. It is not specific to the D5/D500 as far as long exposures go though with newer cameras high ISO sensitivity what it is these days, it is no wonder why they warn against using these lenses.

I never knew why this happened but Thom Hogans explanation makes sense.   

I'd suggest some other folks here run the same test on some of the other lenses listed at various exposure lengths and ISO settings to find out when exactly the problem arises on their cameras.

[David H. Hartman]

Was "Long exposure NR" set On or Off? Does long exposure noise reduction make a difference?

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Øivind,

VR On-Off-Auto? Might be a useful feature to add to VR lenses?

Dave

Lower half edited for clarification.

[charlie]

VR on, there is no 'Auto' on the 70-200mm VR-I.  Just On/Off and Normal/Active.

I recall figuring out a way to make the red mark not appear but don't remember which combination of settings did it, this was 8 or 9 years ago I did the testing.

[Akira]

If I remember correctly, the long exposure noise will commonly appear at the top or the bottom of the image frame.  So, the red "fog" in the middle area of the frame would not be caused by the sensor heating.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Light leakage through the viewfinder comes to mind.

[David H. Hartman]

My thinking was quite flawed. If the red mark were from VR, long exposure noise reduction would not help as the shutter would be closed during the blank exposure so no light would reach the shutter from VR in the lens.

Dave

[charlie]

If I remember correctly, the long exposure noise will commonly appear at the top or the bottom of the image frame.  So, the red "fog" in the middle area of the frame would not be caused by the sensor heating.

Yes, the long exposure/sensor heat noise was pink and in the corners on the CCD cameras I owned (D70/D200).

Light leakage through the viewfinder comes to mind.

New test image from today uploaded, this time with the D800. Lens cap on & viewfinder shutter closed.
70-200mm VR-I,  291 seconds, ISO 6400, F/2.8, VR on, AF on.
 
Identical pattern, more or less. Same test with the 24-70mm results in a black image.
The source of the red fog is the 70-200mm lens itself, not a light leak or sensor heating noise.
Seems pretty evident this is why Nikon warns against using the lens for long exposures & high ISO.

I contacted Nikon about the issue back in 2008 or so and sent them my test image so they could see the issue clearly.
They basically told me to stop taking pictures with my lens cap on. 

[David H. Hartman]

They basically told me to stop taking pictures with my lens cap on.

Good point! 

Now I'm going to try a few long, high ISO exposures with the lens cap on.

Dave

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Tested strong light into the lens distance window, no flare.

[Ilkka Nissilä]

If you turn VR OFF, does the effect disappear? Thanks.

[charlie]

If you turn VR OFF, does the effect disappear? Thanks.

Tried that and no, the effect was there with VR On as well as Off.

[Nick Scavone]

Charlie,

"They basically told me to stop taking pictures with my lens cap on." Very very funny.

So how high an ISO can be used without this effect, if in fact this is what Nikon is referring to?

Nick