Nighttime/moonlight photography

[GIC]

Good someone is paying attention. I and my counter part miss interpreted what each of us were thinking about Tripod Mode and I posted erroneously.
Best to disregard my previous post.
This TRIPOD MODE has nothing to do with vibration what so ever.

Here is the explanation of TRIPOD MODE. Scroll down webpage until you see "Nikon D300 Live View modes". There you will see the explanation.

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/D300/D300A3.HTM

Nikon D300 Live View modes

In Live View (Handheld mode) the LCD display echoes the optical viewfinder. You can move the AF point around the screen in Single point or Dynamic AF area modes, but the 51-point AF does not reveal chosen AF points.
The Nikon D300 now features Live View, or the ability to see a live image from the camera's sensor on the LCD. What makes Nikon's Live View mode unique are the two options it provides for autofocus operation. The first Live View (Handheld mode) is the one used by everyone else. Because the traditional AF sensors are blocked when you flip up the mirror for Live View mode, you have to drop the mirror to focus, then flip it back for Live View. There's significant delay in this mode, to be sure, and a blackout for as long as it takes for the D300 to focus.

In Live View (Tripod mode) you can move the AF point around the screen in small increments...

...and use the zoom buttons on the back of the camera to move in up to 10x to focus.
The Nikon D300's second mode is the real charm: Called "Live View (Tripod mode)," this mode uses contrast detect autofocus, driven from the imaging sensor. Instead of flipping mechanical switches, the Nikon D300 simply reads data off the CMOS image sensor and evaluates how abruptly light to dark (or dark to light) transitions happen on the image plane. Contrast-detect AF isn't nearly as fast as phase-detect (which is why the shutter response of most digicams is so much slower than most digital SLRs), but at least these new Nikons can focus without interrupting the Live View display.
As an added benefit, because it's working with data coming from the main image sensor, you can move the AF point anywhere you want within the frame area, right out to the extreme edges. AF operation in this mode is unfortunately quite slow, so they really mean it when they call it Tripod mode. You can use it handheld, but you won't get the best results.
The Nikon D300 also provides up to a 10x zoom in Live View mode, providing excellent focus discrimination when focusing manually. This is pretty important, as less than 10x magnification really doesn't do the trick for getting the focus set right, but at 10x we felt we could pretty well nail the focus every time.
Both the new Nikons and Canons include the ability to control the camera from a computer remotely, and that includes receiving a Live View image from the camera. You can focus, adjust settings, and fire, all from a computer. What's more, you can do it via cable or WiFi connection, with the optional WiFi adapters.
The new Nikons require optional Camera Control Pro software to enable this feature. Software for this feature is bundled with Canon cameras.

[Andy]

GIC: Thanks for the clarification. I still am wondering, though, if you have information that suggests the the 18-200VR has a "tripod detection mode"? I have been thinking "not" and have tried to remember to switch VR off when mounted. I want to make sure I am taking full advantage of the technology I have

[GIC]

Andy,
The 18-200mm VRII Lens does not have Tripod Detection Mode.
Tripod Detection Mode is found in the high-end lenses, 400, 500, 600 mm etc.
http://www.nikonusa.com/Find-Your-Nikon ... e?pid=2171

[Andy]

That was what I thought, but thanks for the confirmation.