Motorsport Photography Settings (350D) Help

[Rich]

70-200 with a 1.4 is still to short for most UK circuits on the public side of the fences anyway, except for anything other than the pans like you have done on the Goodwood pics.

Head on or 3/4's you still dont want to be using anymore than 1/320 or 1/400 either.

 

[TheCake]

Rich what shutter speeds did you run at Silverstone mate?

 

[Rich]

I posted on the other thread, not sure if you saw.

Nothing more than 1/320 when in TV mode. Mostly 1/320 for the head on and 3/4s and some 1/200 and 1/100 pans.

I did do some in Sports mode as I didnt want to go home with out any shots from the whole day on track just in case. But looking back at the pics I did use sports mode I hate the static look. My prefered shots from the day where all done at 1/320 looking back though the EXIF data.

 

[TheCake]

The ones I did last week at Laon were in Shutter Priority mode.... highly recommend you go out and have a play. Stand by the side of the road and snap away - all practice mate I can't stand sports mode anymore.

Anyway I'm at Silverstone in September for testing and have Britcar on Friday at Brands so I'll send you some pictures of how I get in.

2 weeks until DTM so hoping to put the big boy through its paces

 

[SimonD]

70-200 with a 1.4 is still to short for most UK circuits on the public side of the fences anyway, except for anything other than the pans like you have done on the Goodwood pics.

Head on or 3/4's you still dont want to be using anymore than 1/320 or 1/400 either.

I know that 200 will probably be too short even with the tc, but until I can aford a decent 300mm it will have to do! I was lucky at goodwood as I managed to get near to the track with a decent view.

Fair point about head ons, though it depends to a certain extent how fast the cars are moving on the bit of the track you are photographing....

 

[Leeds_VTO]

needs cropping

 

[TheCake]

Photoshop ^

 

[Rich]

Looking forward to the pics Si. Shutter Priority is def the one to use, nice to have the control it gives over the way the shots look.

Even with the extender on at Silverstone it still came up a bit short.

 

[Rich]

I know that 200 will probably be too short even with the tc, but until I can aford a decent 300mm it will have to do! I was lucky at goodwood as I managed to get near to the track with a decent view.

Fair point about head ons, though it depends to a certain extent how fast the cars are moving on the bit of the track you are photographing....

That was my thoughts, but just made me more frustrated when it still was not long enough with the 1.4 on. Wishing I had gone straght for something longer then the 70-200 now lol. Is a great lens for pans though.

This is true, so far I have found little difference the look of the head on and 3/4s I have done, apart from 1/320 seems to look best. I guess they all must be going quiker enough. The lower the shutter speed you can get with the pans though is a whole different ball game.

 

[Rich]

Photoshop ^

The blur round the car looks so wrong.

 

[Leeds_VTO]

The blur round the car looks so wrong.

yeah i know took about 5 mins to do

i cant seem find a shutter speed thats right to blur the suroundings but not the car any presets that u use

this is how most of them turned out in camera

 

[unofficialPete]

Right, save me starting a new topic cos I got no clue:

Camera 350D - currently 18-55m kit lense.

Can't decide if I want macro or zoom, leaning towards zoom but thinking of:

EF 75-300mm f4/5.6 USM MK3
or
EF 55-200mm F4.5/5.6 MK2 USM


Difference over kit lense noticable?
is this an old old lense, notice its not EF-S? Both under £200 So I guess so..

Anyone own one of these?!

 

[Rich]

EF-S limits you to only be able to use it on the 350D, 20D etc not later if you upgrade to full frame camera. I am trying to avoid them myself future proofing my lenses.

Not sure on either lens, but worth going for the 300mm for extra reach.
I use this site for reviews.

http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/index.php?cat=45

 

[Rich]

yeah i know took about 5 mins to do

i cant seem find a shutter speed thats right to blur the suroundings but not the car any presets that u use

this is how most of them turned out in camera

Anything less than 1/320 second will work, side on though 1/200 - 1/80 second will provide much more blur, just harder to pull off.

 

[SimonD]

^^^

I've not used any of the lenses you mention, so can't comment on absolute quality, but I do know people with the 75-300 who are more than happy with it. If you want to shot in low light you could run into a problem as 5.6, even at a high ISO, won't give you that high shutter speeds. Then again, at the Grand Prix this weekend you would have been fine as it was so bright! The main lenses I use are:

Sigma 70-200 f2.8 (took all the pictures I posted here with this)
Canon 28-145 IS f3.5/5.6 (bought for a song from the Canon outlet on ebay)
Canon 50mm f1.4 (been a complete life saver shooting some very dark concerts!)
Sigma 18-55 f4/5.6 (bloody bargain at £99!) Great for close ups etc...

THough I want to replace this with the Canon 16-35 f2.8L as the Sigma is a bit soft wide open.

In case you've not gussed, I'm as geeky on cameras as I am on cars!!

 

[SimonD]

EF-S limits you to only be able to use it on the 350D, 20D etc not later if you upgrade to full frame camera. I am trying to avoid them myself future proofing my lenses.

Reason I'm not going with EF-S lenses is that I'm planning on keeping my 10D until a second hand 1Dn is affordable. They can't use the EF-S lenses and I also still use my film SLR...

 

[dk]

anyone looking to create any poster size prints of these wonderful pics should head over to photobox.co.uk as they have an offer on at the moment, all the poster size prints are £5.99, so thats a 30" x 20" for £5.99 instead of around £20.

Its a bargain and I have had one done, a night shot from newyork and it has come out amazingly so i have ordered 6 more from the GP at the wekend!

I have also ordered a photobook of 50 pages containing all my best shots from the weekend, as you buy one get one free at the mo, so also worth a look. Both offers are until the end of june, maybe a good fathers day gift in you get in quick!!!!

 

[dk]

here is one i have ordered, i have made a collage of the button escape and ordered it at 30" x 20" so hopefully it will look good

 

[Leeds_VTO]

Anything less than 1/320 second will work, side on though 1/200 - 1/80 second will provide much more blur, just harder to pull off.

ill give it ago cheers

 

[al]

Looking at some of the efforts above i'm gonna have to visit the local "baypass layby" and get some practise in!!

 

[TheCake]

Al - its the easiest way to practice.

 

[Rich]

Looking at some of the efforts above i'm gonna have to visit the local "baypass layby" and get some dogging practise in!!

 

[al]

You coming along again?

I'll let you polish my bumper

 

[ukaskew]

anyone looking to create any poster size prints of these wonderful pics should head over to photobox.co.uk as they have an offer on at the moment, all the poster size prints are £5.99, so thats a 30" x 20" for £5.99 instead of around £20.

Its a bargain and I have had one done, a night shot from newyork and it has come out amazingly so i have ordered 6 more from the GP at the wekend!

I have also ordered a photobook of 50 pages containing all my best shots from the weekend, as you buy one get one free at the mo, so also worth a look. Both offers are until the end of june, maybe a good fathers day gift in you get in quick!!!!

Cheers for pointing that out, I always use Photobox, awesome prints. I did a trial a few months back for a website and ordered a poster print and a few 7x5s from every online printer I could find. Some were bloody awful, but Photobox won by a mile. So quick too, get them uploaded before midday and they always seem to arrive next day.

 

[Rich]

I will just keep abusing the works printer! lol

Nice info though Dave.

 

[al]

^^ We've a HP Designjet 500............A1 baby!!

Tried some photos last night on a 70 road (layby) got some decent shots but was getting a bit dark, was down to f5.6 @ 125th in shutter priority mode (auto apature) tried both 18-70mm and 75-300 lenses both with AS on.

I'll post pics up later on, best shots I got we're of a bike, a sierra and a sorrento lol!!

Will try again tonight if I get chance.

 

[al]

One of the good ones..........

 

[Nigel]

I'll bet they are thinking, "whys that guy taking our photo?" LOL!

 

[al]

Yep!! lol

I've got a few from the pic "session" with people staring from their car at the camera

 

[unofficialPete]

Cheers for pointing that out, I always use Photobox, awesome prints. I did a trial a few months back for a website and ordered a poster print and a few 7x5s from every online printer I could find. Some were bloody awful, but Photobox won by a mile. So quick too, get them uploaded before midday and they always seem to arrive next day.

Cheers ordered a 20x16" print yesterday, can't wait to see what the qualitys like from the kit lense blown up on paper...