So far I have found that even with the VR (vibration reduction) on a long lens like this you really should get your shutter speed up much higher than you think you would need in order to get sharp photos. I was hovering around 1/800th most of the time, with my lowest being something like 1/250th for a couple photos. I was also using a monopod for all of these photos, which helps immensely with a big lens like that. Even for a 23 year old male like myself it gets heavy.
Kevin Fedde
Fedde Studios