Turning off camera before removing VR lens

[faral]

does anyone know what happens if i don't turn off the camera before removing a VR lens? I've read that i'm not suppose to, but I can't find what the consequences are and what the fix is.

Thanks

 

[kanzlr]

i know what happens if you remove a lens from the camera while its turned on...you collect a lot of dust on your sensor, as it has a high static load while its on...

--
http://kanzlr.zenfolio.com

 

[Kaj E]

i know what happens if you remove a lens from the camera while its
turned on...you collect a lot of dust on your sensor, as it has a
high static load while its on...

And, you may cause errors in the electronic systems.
--
Kind regards
Kaj
http://www.pbase.com/kaj_e
WSSA member

 

[hanham reds]

I don't believe VR is active unless you press the shutter button so you should be ok, but as been previously said you should turn off the camera before you remove a lens because of the dust issue.
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D80
DX 18- 135mm f/3.5 - 5.6
50mm F/1.8 AF
MB-D80
70-300VR
SB600 on wish list

 

[Atticus Gifford]

When you half-press the shutter to engage VR, it releases the floating elements. After you take your finger off, you hear a click that is the sound of the VR locking back up again. If you disconnect the lens while the VR elements are unlocked, they will remain that way and could get damaged. That's the main reason for all the warnings. If the lens is mounted, but you aren't holding down the shutter button to engage VR, this isn't a concern. You should still turn off your camera every time you mount/unmount a lens though. You can cause electrical problems that are costly to repair (even though they are probably kind of unlikely).

If your question is whether you have to manually turn the VR switch to "OFF", you don't. The instructions are sometimes vague about that. Just make sure you give the VR a few seconds after taking a picture until you hear it click off before unmounting the lens.

 

[Ben Yeh]

Shouldn't you turn off the camera regardless of the VR? Something about how the CCD/CMOS is charged when the power is on thus collecting dust when the lens is removed?

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Nikon D50
Sigma 18-200 DC
Nikon 50 mm 1.8
Nikon 50 mm 1.4
Nikon 80-200 AF-D f2.8
Tamron 28-75 f2.8
Sigma 10-20 HSM
Lensbaby three G
SB-600 flash

Lens Lust is Bad!!!

 

[raymondox]

Removing any lens while the camera is still switched on results in the following.

1. Dust is attracted to the ccd filter and results in dust spots. This is because the ccd has a positive electic charge when switched on.

2. The electronic contacts of the lens short across the contacts on the camera. This may result in permanent damge but unlikely and I haven't suffered from it.

3. On attaching the new lens it is very likely that the lens will not operate correctly without switching the camera off, detaching the lens, reattaching the lens and swithcing the camera back on. This works for me anyway when I forget to turn the camera off and I get a problem (quite a few times).

So in a nutshell always switch off the camera before changing lens.

As far as VR is concerned. Switching off the VR function on the lens is more important as this makes sure the VR mechanism is put into neutral and locked in place. Whether the shorting of the contacts as you rotate the lens with the camera on and VR on does any damage I dont know as luckily I haven't accidentally done that yet.

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Bluenose

 

[Suntan]

The main issue is if you remove the lens/turn off the camera before VR stops running (you hear the lens click as the VR elements stop moving and bed down). If you turn it off before this, the VR elements will not come to a rest and bed down so they willrattle around.

The solution is to re-mount the lens, activate VR (press the shutter) and then let VR come to a stop/bed down before taking the lens back off.

The best practice is probably to just wait the moment or two after you last pressed the shutter for VR to stop whirring then shut the camera off, then switch lenses that is what I do.

-Suntan

 

[Suntan]

Not really, just taking the lens off isn't going to cause outside air to come into contact with the sensor as the shutter blades are still down.

Further, the reality is that the conditions of the air you are in when you change the lens is still going to be in the mirror box the next time trip the shutter open, whether you have a lens on or not. If you change lenses in dusty air, you have a higher chance of dust spots.

That said, I routinely swap lenses in dusty environments and rarely need to swab the sensor.

-Suntan

 

[PBAll]

Yes, dust on the sensor is one reason. Secondly, the Vr will disengage from the body of the lens, unfortunately I have learned this from experience! The back lens that the Vr connects onto will comepletely disengage and wobble around inside the lens body, making the lens unable to function at all. I have never had this happen with any of my other VR lenses before. Mistakes do happen when you are moving fast in an active fast pace shoot sometimes, make sure you turn the camera off before changing lenses. I just sent my new 70-200 2.8 E FL ED VR off to repair for this very thing. I don't think I will make this mistake again!

 

[mrdale]

I got in the habit of turning VR off then the camera off before changing a lens. Only takes a couple of seconds. In some venues I can't hear the lens anyway. Why take a chance ?

 

[Hasa]

When you half-press the shutter to engage VR, it releases the floating elements. After you take your finger off, you hear a click that is the sound of the VR locking back up again. If you disconnect the lens while the VR elements are unlocked, they will remain that way and could get damaged. That's the main reason for all the warnings. If the lens is mounted, but you aren't holding down the shutter button to engage VR, this isn't a concern. You should still turn off your camera every time you mount/unmount a lens though. You can cause electrical problems that are costly to repair (even though they are probably kind of unlikely).

If your question is whether you have to manually turn the VR switch to "OFF", you don't. The instructions are sometimes vague about that. Just make sure you give the VR a few seconds after taking a picture until you hear it click off before unmounting the lens.

Recently Roger of Lens Rentals warned that for a Canon 70-200mm the VR needs to be turned off on the lens before removing it from the body to put the movable glass in its proper resting place.

This is possibly or not true for other VR lenses from other manufacturers

 

[hikerdoc]

In the event you are expecting a response, just be aware that you are responding to an eleven year old post by someone who has not had any activity here in ten years.