zoom lenses

[crspaffo]

Just over 12months ago now i bought a Nikon F65 with a 300mm lense and have been taking photos at motor racing since. As you have all probably experienced my results have been pretty hit and miss.

I've experimented with shutter speeds to get some effects, which occasionally work.

Can anyone recommend shutter speeds for various effects i should be using?

Also can anyone recommed bigger lense i should try and buy which is fairly cheap?

[thebear]

You need to be a little more specific:

1. Are you using the 70-300 zoom?

2. Are your pictures overall blurry or overall out of focus (there is a difference)?

3. Are the cars still too small in the pictures?

4. Are you using a tripod, monopod or resting the camera on nothing and just hand holding it?

5. Do you pan (follow the car's movement with the camera)?

6. Do you take pictures from the `easy' zone (3/4 front view) or do you wait to get a side view?

7. Are you using the camera's `sport' setting which sets a fast shutter speed as priority?

8. Is the lighting condusive to short exposures (bright sunlight)?

9. Are you using ISO 800 or higher film to aid in capturing short exposure times?



Before looking for additional lenses and equipment please try and opimize what you have now. I have an N-65 (US version of your camera) & an N-75 with an assortment of lenses which until this week stopped at 70-300mm. I have just treated myself to a 400mm Sigma f1:5.6. I also have teleconverters of 1.4, 1.7 and 2x magnifications but reserve them for the absolute brightest lighting conditions.

[crspaffo]

thanks for your response, if answer to your queries;

1) yes using the 70 - 300mm zoom.
2) normally blurry
3) cars aren't as big in picture as i'd like
4) using a monopod when using a lower shutter speed
5) yep
6) try from every angle
7) have used the sport mode, but i normal use shutter speed mode
8) use 400 speed film.

to be more specifc i'm getting really good results when using a fast shutter speed. Would like to have more a more powerful lense to get cars bigger in picture!

I've also taken some good pictures with slow shutter speeds, with the lanscape in focus whilst blurring the cars.

Its when i try and pan with the car to get the car in focus but blur the background i don't get very good results. Normally use a speed of about 60.

how much does the sigma set you back, would i notice a big difference?

[thebear]

Originally Posted by crspaffo

thanks for your response, if answer to your queries;

1) yes using the 70 - 300mm zoom.
2) normally blurry

Camera shake/movement

Originally Posted by crspaffo

3) cars aren't as big in picture as i'd like

How deep is your wallet? A longer lens looks like the answer but a FAST long lens is going to be expensive. The 70-300 has a max aperture of ƒ1:4 but that is at 70mm. At 300mm ƒ1:5.6 is the max. Should you employ a 2x teleconverter you will loose two more ƒ stops and have an ƒ1:11 lens. Not very condusive to less than ideal lighting.

Originally Posted by crspaffo

4) using a monopod when using a lower shutter speed

It is possible that you are moving the whole lot unless you can lean the monopod against a fence or other sturdy object. A tripod would be best and should be used almost all the time.

Originally Posted by crspaffo

5) yep
6) try from every angle

Shutter speed is too slow

Originally Posted by crspaffo

7) have used the sport mode, but i normal use shutter speed mode
8) use 400 speed film.

to be more specifc i'm getting really good results when using a fast shutter speed. Would like to have more a more powerful lense to get cars bigger in picture!

I've also taken some good pictures with slow shutter speeds, with the lanscape in focus whilst blurring the cars.

Its when i try and pan with the car to get the car in focus but blur the background i don't get very good results. Normally use a speed of about 60.

how much does the sigma set you back, would i notice a big difference?

You are trying `too hard'. Let the camera's "Predictive Focus" feature work for you - see the instruction book. Don't worry about blurring the background when panning as it will be blurred anyway. Keep the shutter speed short - let the camera do the work (in the short term). Observe the automated information in the finder a few times before actually taking the picture. You will see the shutter speed & ƒ stop indications change as the lighting changes as well as when the contrast of the image changes. If you do not see an indicated 1/250th of a second shutter speed, save your film. Definitely an ISO 800 is recommended.

The Sigma was ~£100 (used on e-Bay) but I will not have it for a few more days.

Take your camera into a camera store and try the different lenses. Pick out a far away spot, remember what the edges of the image look like and then try a different lens to see if it makes a suitable diffference.The 400 mm will produce about a 1/3 larger image.

Happy snapping and hopefully you won't have to wait for "Father Christmas"!

[philneast]

I usually try to find a slower part of the track as it is easier to pan or a straight shot. As you build your skill and experience then try faster sections.

One advantage of slow section is that usualy the run off areas do not have to be as big and gets you closer to the action so reducing the need for the longer lens. This does limit the range of shots available but thi smay be a good thing while you are on the steep part of the learning curve.

http://phil-northeast.fotopic.net

All the touring car photos were taken with an 80-210 zoom and 800 iso film.

On the kart shots a 18-125 zoom was used on a Pentax *istds with a1.5 factor giving a comparable zoom of just under 200.

[Peter Mallett]

I've just picked up a Sigma 135-400 lens from e bay. I've never needed a monopod or anything so I got this one relatively cheaply because it doesn't have the tripon mount.

I also use film (this is for a EOS3000) so I'm looking forward to trying it out. I bought it because I'm not goiong to lug my old AE1s and the doozen lens' to Turkey for the GP.

[thebear]

My Sigma 400 has arrived. I am really surprised at the light weight. It is too awkward to handhold unless you can rest it on something. I had fears of needing a caisson style wheeled carriage and the necessety of towing it behind my car. One thing that will take a lot of getting used to: it is a fixed focal length with a very narrow angle of view so it is necessary to pick your location carefully. You do not have the a zoom's luxury in composing your picture.

[MikeHoyer]

Personally I didn't like the Sigma 135-400, felt cheap, awkward to use, flimsy, and wasn't very good at the long end...

[Peter Mallett]

We'll see.

[Peter Mallett]

We were talking about lens’ and I mentioned that I’d bought a Sigma 135-400 zoom on E bay. Mike H mentioned that it was possibly not a good choice but anyway I’ve got it to go with a EOS3000 film SLR which I’ve had for a while and so to try it out before I go to the Turkish GP I took it to the MG Car Club’s Festival at Silverstone two weeks ago. Anybody there for the weekend knows that the Sunday weather was appalling, however Saturday was good and we sat in the BRDC stand to take pics as the cars come down from Priory to Brooklands.



Granted these are going slower than a F1 car but it’s the first time I’ve used a fully auto focus system. The camera was hand held and the auto setting for sports went from 1000 f8 to 500 f11, as you can tell it was a bright day.



Anyway;

This one is Barry Williams in MGB BMO 512B and ex Le Mans car

This is a couple of B’s dicing into Brooklands

This is a long shot to Priory

This one is Adrian Beer into Brooklands

This one is Ray Mallock in the Marsh Plant DB4 GT

This one is a bunch of cars rounding Brooklands (demonstrates the focal length quite well)

This one ditto

This one is the same.



These are pics that were provided on a CD by the developer and have not been touched up or edited. Seems to me that this is a good lens for longer shots but I suspect you need the light.

[Peter Mallett]

Hmm,

Seems I've got one or two links mixed up there but you get the picture

[thebear]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Hmm,

Seems I've got one or two links mixed up there but you get the picture

Sir, that was a terrible PUN!

[Peter Mallett]

Agreed but it was accidental this time. Apologies.

[Peter Mallett]

Now, THIS is that long shot to Priory.

BTW. I think this dispels the definition at max length argument.