Do you use VR or IS underwater?

Curious about this.  I have read differing opinions on the value or potential downsides to using VR underwater.  Opinions range from "it can compromise image quality, like on a tripod" to "why not?" to  "absolutely."  Others have said only on stationary or slow moving objects, or with only certain lenses.

Curious as to what you folks think about this.   As for me, so far I have always left it on.  So far.

I keep mine on at all times - both lens and IBIS.  I can shoot well slower than I should be able to and end up with sharp images.  This is a 1/16th which isn't that slow for 14mm but still pretty amazingly slow.  

And this one is 1/12th of a sec at 20mm.  You can see how slow it is by the bubble stream but the ice is sharp - even though the diver shows a little movement. Not the best composition, but shows how nice IS can be.

I think that turning off IS would remove photographic opportunities, especially in low light so I keep it on.  I've never seen a degradation by leaving it on (that I have noticed).

Always on for me, I can't see any downside.  I've heard various arguments but I've neevr had an issue land or water I could put down to the IS.

I think the myth that you should turn off IS on a tripod is something that goes back to the early times of IS. These days, the systems are much more sophisticated. Underwater, there is always movement, so it's hardly like a tripod anyway.

As the others, I always let IS on (I do not know what is VR?). IS is very helpful in low light (e.g. grottos), here an example at 0,5s; f 6.3; ISO1600 (Oly EM1II with Canon 8-15mm fisheye @8mm; NA 140 domeport; handheld):

Wolfgang

1 hour ago, Architeuthis said:

(I do not know what is VR?)

It's the Nikon version of IS: "Vibration Reduction".

1 hour ago, Architeuthis said:

As the others, I always let IS on (I do not know what is VR?).

 

 

Wolfgang

VR is vibration reduction in Nikon terms.  Basically the same function as IS in Canon terms

Not an overwhelming number of responses but it appears unanimous.

I must admit I never use VR underwater. I couldn’t tell you why. Maybe I just figure in tropical waters, with strobes camera shake is not an issue.  

2 hours ago, TimG said:

I must admit I never use VR underwater. I couldn’t tell you why. Maybe I just figure in tropical waters, with strobes camera shake is not an issue.  

Ah, at last....a radical!

39 minutes ago, Draq said:

Ah, at last....a radical!

A free radical?

Yeah, never saw the need. Although topside I use VR all the time.

It just never really occurred to me to turn it off.  

After posting this topic, my curiosity drove me to a little internet "research."  There were a couple threads on the topic here on Wetpixel many years ago, but there does not seem to be a hard consensus on IS or VR underwater.  

I found this long article interesting:  https://www.dslrbodies.com/lenses/lens-articles/lens-technique/all-about-nikon-vr.html

VR does reduce battery life, so there is that.

This is from Nikon: 

Underwater is certainly closer to a Monopod than a tripod so I believe it’s clear that on is better than off. 

1 hour ago, hyp said:

Underwater is certainly closer to a Monopod than a tripod so I believe it’s clear that on is better than off. 

Or maybe underwater is like a non-o-pod?  ;-)

I don't. Shipwrecks don't move much, and I don't either. Water makes a tremendous damper I think.

I don't use it on my macro lenses either... Stuff just doesn't move erratically, and I don't either.