Large Aircraft Shots - Lens Test (Tamron 400mm)

[Wazza]

Today, finally a pretty fine day, when I was available to test this ancient lens I've come to have. (Well it's still my grandads, but he's letting me have it).

First thing, it is 400mm, great length, and the images are fairly sharp. Maybe the same as say my 70-300 Sigma, at about 200mm. (300mm really is bad, but this 400mm Sigma isn't that bad).

After playing around with the lens, it's really made me want a lens of this focal length. Maybe a 100-400L.. As I've always wanted, or even a 400 5.6 prime, (as I've heard they are really sharp).

Well this lens, is many many years old.. (30 years possible?)
And it doens't have Autofocus. Manual, and because of how it was mounted, the focus ranges all changed, so the lens elements had to be moved, but it's still not quite enough. Focusing to infinity is really only focusing to about 200metres away. It needs just a tad more.

So the lens itself, looks like this:

http://wazz*****scity.com/20d/400_3.jpg

--
And the images.

This first one, is actually a shot I got accepted to airliners.net 2 days ago. It's in fact from my 70-300 Sigma, 1/200th, f8, iso 100, EC +0.3

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/847006/L/

It actually featured on airliners.net front page, as the most hits in 24 hours! (The greatest feeling I've ever had.. Received an email from admin, saying my shot was #1. :eek:).

Let's just say that was pure luck.

Back to the Tamron 400mm
Again, the focus is a bit off, and I had to use FULL MANUAL, and guess the exposures... If it didn't look good, I would dial the shutter speed around a bit.

Here's a 100% crop from the lens

http://wazz*****scity.com/20d/nui_a340-100.jpg

And here are the shots approx 50% size.
The small usual photoshopping adjustments made, just to be uploaded to airliners.net (but not quite this large)
USM, levels. And that's about it.

http://wazz*****scity.com/20d/nui_a340.jpg
Coming into land on 23L - Air Tahiti Nui

http://wazz*****scity.com/20d/a6-emm_50.jpg
Emirates 777 - A6-EMM - Same as Airliners.net Landing Gear shot.

http://wazz*****scity.com/20d/zk-oje_ww_nzaa.jpg
A go-around, as there was a Air NZ 767 still sitting on the runway.
A great angle, and really testing the lens, against a bright background. Somehow, I seemed to expose the scene pretty good. Nice guesswork, :lol:

http://wazz*****scity.com/20d/f_ojtn_ww_nzaa2.jpg
A340 Air Tahiti - A really bad landing.
Flaring at this point, but there was so much wind, the plane literally went back up 100 feet in the air, and touched down almost half way down the runway! (And on one wheel only.)

http://wazz*****scity.com/20d/9m-mrl_ww_nzaa2.jpg
Applying full thrust down 23L. Just under 50% size.

http://wazz*****scity.com/20d/9m-mrl2.jpg
Such a clean plane, you can actually see the zebra crossing reflected on back of aircraft.


Well that's the end of my testing.
Managed about 15 different aircraft with this lens, which I'll put on airliners.net

I think this lens can last a while, as I save my money for a 100-400L or a 400L 5.6

-- Would really like the 100 range, as my 70-300 isn't up to it. Need a decent lens across the range, and I've heard the replacement is due out pretty soon.

[Wazza]

And just so you can have a reference of where I'm shooting from.

http://wazz*****scity.com/20d/merged_nzaa_small.jpg
Stitched image from a few months ago.

The start of runway is a couple of hundred metres behind the red/white hut (right/centre).

[RockOne]

Nice shots Wazza. Love the Emirates. I occasionally have a look at your work on airliners.net. You've got some great stuff there. I have a small collection on there, but nowhere near as good as yours !.
BTW I have a lens here that looks very similar to that (It's a 400mm haminex with screw mount (pentax). I've been thinking I may get an adapter. Looks like it might work OK, but I'll really miss the AF :-) .

[Wazza]

Thanks Steve. Good to know I have a few regulars checking my pics. :)

[joeseph]

Checking - and liking! nice go-around cap, you don't see many of those really (must say I've been in a 747 that did one in Dubai but thats another story)
keep up the good work!

[Muzz]

Nice shots Wazza :)

Cant wait to hit my local airport with my 500mm :)

[Wazza]

Thanks joeseph and Muzz.

500mm, should get some great reach. :)

Hope security isn't too bad. They're generally not a problem here.

[Mthorpe_Davies]

Wazza, after taking shots on the same day at the same time as you I think I'm really going to have to get something with more reach or get closer and start dodging security.

[Wazza]

Hey, is this Rob?

400mm certainly helped here. :)

[Ballen Photo]

Today, finally a pretty fine day, when I was available to test this ancient lens I've come to have. (Well it's still my grandads, but he's letting me have it).

That's COOL that you're getting your Grand Dad's old lens. How ancient is it? I mean, is it a threaded mount?
It seems to be capable of getting the shots. Nice ones, BTW. :D
-Bruce

[RbnDave]

Wow, what a relic.

[Wazza]

That's COOL that you're getting your Grand Dad's old lens. How ancient is it? I mean, is it a threaded mount?
It seems to be capable of getting the shots. Nice ones, BTW. :D
-Bruce

I forget what the original mount is. But I've got a T-Mount screwed onto at the moment, which I posted some info on

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=72911

The T-Mount was originally to be used for astrophotography on the Meade telescope... But trying this 400mm seems to have been positive, apart from not having enough infinite focus.


And thanks also RbnDave. A true relic. :)