I got this lens now and I used it for aircraft for the first time at Hato recently (for some samples see my Flickr account, link at the bottom). Several pictures came out a little soft though. Could be that I still have to get used to holding this lens (it was a little windy where I was standing) but I wonder: should I turn off the VC (vibration control) for panning shots?
the lens is known to be soft at 600. Situation improves by shooting 550 @ F/8. VC i believe its best kept on for paning but at the correct mode for paning. I have found that for paning shots some stabilization aid like monopod, vest, tripod (gimbal) makes a lot of difference.
The pictures were not taken at 600mm. I just found the following quote in a discussion at birdpix.nl:
"Thank you for choosing the Tamron 150-600 mm lens, one of the latest additions to Tamron's product line-up.
We wish to notify you that use of the VC (Vibration Cempensation) function could potentially increase the probality of image blur when shooting fast-moving subjects, such as racing cars, with panning technique. Though the Owner's Manual states that the VC can be effective for hand-held shots under conditions including "taking panning shots of a moving subject," we would like to ask you to turn the VC switch off when shooting a moving subject to avoid blurred images.
The above-stated behavior is specific to the SP 150-600 mm alone because of its unique VC design.
We appreciate your understanding and wish to apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused."
So I do think it is better to turn off VC next time I try to shoot aircraft. I will post the result here (but it might take a while before I get out to shoot aircraft again).
i had no idea about the VC specifics, thought more or less all tele stabilizations working similarly. judging from my own experience and of fellow photographers who are using exotic equipment especially canon.
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