The small chip of the Coolpix 8800 produces visible grain at ISO 200 and real "noise" at ISO 400. Even ISO 100 isn't exactly working as good as I would like. The lens reaches a 350 mm equivalent, isn't very bright and the 8 MP show the slightest bit of camera motion during exposure. In everything else than full sunlight I would not be happy with this camera, and I prefer taking pictures when the sun is low. Thus, vibration reduction is a great help, gaining at least 2 or 3 f-stops when shooting handheld (PAVILLON).
The effect of VR is multiplied when combined with Nikons Best Shot Selector (BSS). Keeping the shutter release pressed for a few seconds, the camera takes several pictures in a row, compares the last 5 for sharpness and keeps only the best one. As the amount of camera shake varies from split-second to split-second, this improves my odds of getting a sharp picture. And I get rid of camera motion caused by pressing the shutter release. For the PAIR OF DUCKS I did 4 or 5 series of BSS-shots. Of about 20 pictures taken, BSS kept 4 or 5 and 2 of them were sharp.
At shorter focal lenghts the exposure times resulting in reasonably sharp pictures get almost absurd, when I can rest my hands on something solid (NIGHT SHOT).
VR works fine as long as your subject does not move. In the IVY picture one of the leaves was moved by the wind (the archenemy of flora photography), and I was lucky it was only one. Several times I tried to get sharp body portraits of waterfowl floating and bobbing gently on the waves. Without full sun this is a very frustrating enterprise with the Coolpix 8800 (TUFTED DUCK). Only a faster lens (can't change that) or higher ISO settings (too grainy) would help. So I am thinking about buying a DSLR.
Sometimes, the effect of motion is adding to the picture, for example when it snows (WINDOW and MALLARD).
Another reviewer said, VR (and its siblings) is less helpful than a £20 tripod. He's right, but I am happy to carry the Nikon 8800 in my city backpack without adding an unwieldy implement. And many opportunities do not wait for me to finish assembling and adjusting three legs, a ball head and a camera. What I have not tried yet is a monopod.
What the mentioned reviewer forgot to say is, that VR can help in situations when a tripod would be useless. TRACKS was made at 1/3s standing on the sidewalk attached to a highway bridge, vibrating under the relentless evening traffic.
--tinu--