Airshow lens

[Fedxpress]

I will be at the Legends of Air Air show later in July. I know that a 100-400 would be the lens to have but!!!! How well will a 70-200 F4 IS and a Kenko 1.4 do at the air show. Should I sell my son and just get a 100-400 I will save a lot in food.
Fedxpress

[Savas K]

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=516055&highlight=airshow

[James M]

I use my 400mm, great for single planes but not so good for formations.

[Fedxpress]

isn't that the whole reason for going to a zoom. You get your 400mm at 5.6 plus able to widen out to 100 at 4.5.
I would love to have the primes, but just doing this for fun, sounds like the 100-400 is the best option. But how will the 70-200 do with a 1.4 Pro 300. Will it get me by.
Fedxpress

[Stormin_24]

Click on the link here (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=141406) and you may get a general idea if it will work for you... Just d-click on the lens...

[RPCrowe]

It depends upon the airshow venue. I have been at an airshow at Patuxent River, Maryland in which the spectators were reasnably close to the air activity and I believe that the 70-200mm lens with a 1.4X TC would have been very adequate. However, I visited that airshow many years ago and I believe that airshows have generally moved the viewing spectators back from the aircraft manuevering area for safety reasons. Apparently there have been some accidents severals year ago.

However, in shooting the airshow at Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar, California (San Diego Area), the long end of the 70-200mm f/4L IS lens with 1.4x TC was, IMO, just minimally sufficient.

http://rpcrowe.smugmug.com/gallery/4068296_LGzDo#236927776_noCae

IMO that is a difficult airshow to shoot because of atmospheric haze and the direction of the sun at the time of the airshow activity.

[teo-bingus]

I've been trying to decide what I should get for the airshow here in Rochester in July.
I'm planning to rent a 100-400 (or possibly a bigma)
I have a sigma ex 1.4x to use with the 100-400 (don't know if it works on the bigma).
I thought maybe a 70-200 with my 1.4x would work but I always seems to be looking for more reach no matter what I and photographing, planes, rally cars, birds, deer etc.
So I'd rather be 30 too long than 200 too short.

[billppw350z]

I’d go with the versatility and reach of the 100-400.

Although I am kind of a rookie at air show photography too, here is a few I took earlier in the year with the 100-400 plus Canon 1.4 TC combination. Since you are using a 1.6 crop camera you probably won’t need the TC.

http://BillPPW350Z.smugmug.com/gallery/4480294_9wHGR/1/263906063_mtEPd (http://billppw350z.smugmug.com/gallery/4480294_9wHGR/1/263906063_mtEPd)

[Overkill]

I use the 100-400 for airshows!!!!

The Bigma is to heavy..... and has no IS... al the other options are limiting in reach!
(fixed focal length)!

You can go close up.... 400mm
http://www.kiek.info/kiek/beta/public/imageview.aspx?l2=6100
http://www.kiek.info/kiek/beta/public/imageview.aspx?l2=6126

And you can go for a formation shot .... 100mm
http://www.kiek.info/kiek/beta/public/imageview.aspx?l2=6136
http://www.kiek.info/kiek/beta/public/imageview.aspx?l2=6124

[cicopo]

A 100-400 is the right choice but you may get by using the 70-200 and TC but AF performance may become an issue. I just shot Radio Control models using a 100-400 and the AF tracked flawlessly.