lense advice

[billythesquid]

right the time has come.
im really into the f1 this year and im going to book tickets to silverstone this week.
and it`s about time i got a proper camera the fuji has done me very proud but my interest in photography is growing and the camera is holding me back.

i think im going to go for the canon d400 but what i want to know is what lense would you recomend for an event like the grand prix?

budget is important but it has to be what it has to be.
so what do you recon

tony

[Voyager]

Hi Tony,

what lens ???? mmmm
well as with all these things you only get what you pay for, a good prime 400mm with USM will set you back upwards of 2k. it all depends where you are going to be sitting at the GP if your at Stowe then a 75-250mm should work ok. a zoom will give you a few differing shots so that you dont come home with 200 photos all looking the same. if you can afford it try and get a pass that allows you into different areas of the track. and turn up early so that you can wander around and get a feel for where the best corners and approaches are. the support races will give you a dry run but remember the F1 cars approach much faster than the porche's. work on your panning technique as this is the secret to good F1 shots with a sense of movement.
as for the lens, buy the best lens your budget allows for a good lens will allow more light to the CCD and therefore less grain as you dont have to up the ISO to get good shots. Ebay is your friend and lots of lens available there.
i also use a cannon but the mkII and i will also be at silverstone on the day.

Dave

[SCOOB]

great advice above from voyager. do you use POTN by any chance? that place is crammed with sports photogs and some of the shots shown off are insane.

[Reef bloke]

The Canon 70-300 is usm supposed to be a cracking lens for the dosh and should serve you well for motor sports on a brightly lit day.The quality of the pics come very close to some of the Canon L lenses apparantly.If your into L glass then a 70-200L or a 100-400L might be the way to go.
Example:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-CANON-EF-70-300MM-IS-USM-f-4-5-6-AF-LENS-70-300-MM_W0QQitemZ170207167053QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item17 0207167053

[Flibidib02]

I have the 70-200mm f4 L USM and for the price and age it's a cracking lense! Well worth a look IMO! If you could stretch to the IS version you'd be laughing, more so again if you could afford the f2.8.

Try the-digital-picture.com, brilliant website and sample images aswell!

Good Luck
:thumbsup:

[fras]

as mentioned it depends where you are sitting but I don't think 200mm is long enough personally, I have a 70-200 F4 too and even with a 1.4 converter to make it 320mm I struggle at tracks like Donnington park.

As Reef bloke said something like the 100-400 would be better, but it all depends on budget. Maybe it would be best if you gave a max price.

[Reef bloke]

As fras i think youll struggle with the 200 thinking about it.I have the 70-200 is f4 and i find it short sometimes even with the crop factor.

[billythesquid]

thank you all this gives me a nice insight. and some stats to look for when poking about.
i can`t post a max budget as i don`t know yet i have`nt even got the camera yet, it was somthing i thought about when deciding to go to the f1 would be a shame to go there spend all that money just to get in then not have the ability to take a nice shot or 2.

i know there are some fantastic photographers on ur and seemed like a good idea to ask so that if i see somthing for a killa price between now and then i could snap it up;)

appreciate your thought and comments

tony

[billythesquid]

would i get away with a 75 - 300 usm,
reading franticly.

anyone have a good link to a writup for general knowledge

tony
if not put the kettle on reefbloke hahaha

[SCOOB]

have a look at POTN (Photography-on-the-net the canon users forum) it answers quite literally everything.

One thing that would be useful if you can stretch, like the lense tony mentioned, is one with IS (Image stabiliser) as well as USM (Ultrasdonic movement) to get the best of both worlds. stupidly fast focussing with pin sharp stability.

I did some reading in the past on motorsport shots. the trickiest situation seems to be exposure lock. start to focus on a car in the shade, then before you press the shutter release its in bright daylight and you over expose the image. I'd be inclined to practise on a motorway bridge or something first. And study the circuit to find out where ie perhaps the easiest place to shoot from.

Panning aint easy without practise unless you plan to do all your practise with the GT cup cars first, which would work, but make sure you have a LOT of battery power with you :laugh:

[Peculiar_Clown]

Tony,

You can always have a play with my 350 kit, but I don't have a 75-300, just a 75-200.

Trev

[billythesquid]

thanks guys
been looking into this this morning and have thought long and hard and realised that i am going to be taking these kind of shots very rarly so finacialy it would be pointless to shell out kk`s

i think im going to go for
canon 400d
75-300 is usm f4 5.6

maybe not the best in the world but i have found a really cheap one.
and doing this i could possible save some money to get some nice macro lenses.

Trev i really appreciate the offer, i may take you up on that mate but i think i`d be scared i`d break it.

thanks again guys

tony

[jimblonduk]

Tony, another good forum link with motorsport section is talkphotography.co.uk

Well worth a look ;)

[billythesquid]

thanks mate it may all be down the swannie now anyway i was going to book my race day tickets this morning but i have been really busy and thought i`d leave it till tonight and now it appears they are only selling 3 day passes.
which i could not use having small kids and im not paying 700 quid to whatch the race i could blooming go abroad for that.

appreciate your help i will proberly end up getting the kit anyway just less urgent if im not going to silverstone

tony

[SCOOB]

the 3 day pass is amazing value. works out to be only a couple of rounds of drinks more than the race day pass, but you get to party for a weekend. go with some mates, pitch a tent, take a few cases of beer and it's worth every penny.

[Voyager]

if you dont go you will only regret it afterward,
here's a plan, instead of forking out a few hundred quid for a lens you will only use once or twice. hire an EF 500mm F/4 USM IS prime lens normal price £5000:eek: for £40/day and the money you save spend on a 3 day pass. try here

http://www.hireacamera.com/cameras/lenses/canon/c500d.asp

i use them quite frequently for unusal kit that i might not use that often. and with that lens on your body and an orange bib the girls will just swoon at your feet :D

[SCOOB]

i was gonna ask about hiring, seems big in the states, nice link :thumbsup:

[billythesquid]

hahahaha that is such a good idea,

there is one problem though.-
the reason i can`t do the weekend which i would if i could would be the 2 trogs would be impossible to get someone to have them for 2 nights being that impossible nearly 2 and nearly 3 ages, if some one would like to baby sit for me then a weekend pass it is.

amazing link i originaly thought of this and i can see some more questions to follow on the best lense to hire.

i was up late last night and found that they are still selling race day tickets on the silverstone website but not the f1 site so there is still hope.

i normally find away

thanks guys

out of interest how many ur`ers are going on the 6th?
could meet up for a beer and a pic comparison

tony

[billythesquid]

just had a flick through that site they want 2 grand as a deposit on that lense.
i understand that its worth 5 but jewizz thats alot of wedge>

[Voyager]

they will auth 2k on your card but not take it.... if you know what i mean, then cancel the auth as soon as the lens is returned, i find then always helpful and useful, if you wanna take some great macro shots they do some nice wide angle macro lens with ring flash that you can hire for a weekend with a huge saving on the cost of a good macro and ring flash in fact you could probably hire 6 or seven times over a year and save on the depreciation of buying new and selling on for something else a year later.
they saved my bacon when my Mk2 body was stolen along with a cpl of lens. they replaced all of my kit by courier within 5 hrs.
as for f1 tickets there will be a whole bunch on ebay and other ticket sites before the GP. lots were pre booked in the hope that lewis would be a contender this year, but as that seems not to be the case unless McLaren sneak in some ferrari tech on their cars under the watchfull eye of the FIA. with lewis down the table most of the pre-bookers will try and get out of their tickets soon. if lewis does poorly over the next few there will be lots of cheap tickets. i have an AAA pass for the weekend but thats another story.

Dave

[SCOOB]

access all areas?!?

need a caddy?

let me guess, you wont be able to post your pictures on a public website either due to contract?

[billythesquid]

i can see where you are coming from.
although i can`t see lewis out of contension(and im not a fan)
i love the sport and have always had other arangments that time of year with my own shows.

ill see what unfolds and take it from there.
you venturing scott?

tony

[billythesquid]

scoob thanks for potn gave me a great lerning idea.
whilst looking through the panning pictures i saw a load of rc cars what a great idea to practice panning and it gives me an excuse to get all the old toys out the garage:D

tony

[Voyager]

let me guess, you wont be able to post your pictures on a public website either due to contract?

luckily we supply services to the digital printing sector, one of our customers does all the digital print for benatton and another does all of the trackside stuff, so i squeezed them for a AAA pass, perk of the job :thumbsup:

photography is just another expensive hobby along with reef keeping and land speed racing :rolleyes:

[DavidJ]

Just thought I'd browse this section as I have never checked here before, some of the images are absolutely outstanding and could easily have been shot by pro's. Big respect.
I am actually a sports photographer by trade, I have'nt followed the full thread so may have missed something. I have only shot F1 a few times, but for what its worth, get the fastest lens you can afford, or possibly rent. It should be a sunny day and your going to need to shoot at least at a 1000th sec, Ideal lens is a 400mm 2.8 but its impratical given cost (£6K+) and also too big a beast to get used to in one race.
Biggest problem is how far away your going to be from the track and I don't know the track well enough to detail where to go, however from the little I do know there are spectator positions where you can get away with a 135mm or less. The best thing is to get there very early....
Apologies if I covered whats already obvious or earlier in the thread.
Cheers

[Frogfone]

i can personally recommend the canon 70-300mm IS USM. it's sharp, has no cromatic abrasion that i can see and even does reasonable macro. it's a lens you will get a lot of use out of whether you go to silverstone or not.

i got mine from emily and lily on ebay for £300.

have you considered the barcelona GP. it's cheap to get to and you can leave the Mrs in barcelona with the kids while you go to the race. I'm sure she won't object as long as you give her some shopping money. :laugh:


roddy

[DavidJ]

I have actually done Barcelona, and can second that recommendation as I know you can get relatively near the cars, and as Roddy says it VERY wife friendly, a wonderful city.

[billythesquid]

loving your reply`s
BUT
the wife not conventional if i left her at the shops and went to the race she`d kill me.at least twice,lol.

i`ve said before she the best in world and knowone can argue

the 8 foot upgrade HER IDEA
turbo the car HER IDEA
sump room HER IDEA
go to F1 HER IDEA
ect ect ect

ask any reefer who has visited
i allow kids toys other than that its a btchalor pad
tank and toys everywhere


but on a serious note i will look into barcalona

thanks
tony

[SCOOB]

she got a sister?

(hotness optional)

[billythesquid]

unfortunatly not my friend.

[DavidJ]

You better start looking quick it starts next week!!:D