Singapore GP - What should I take?

[sharky]

I know it's months away, but have just found a great deal on flights and accommodation for the Singapore GP. For those of you who have been to the event, would it be worthwhile taking a 300mm f4? Given how tight everything is there I was thinking of just taking my 135mm f2 and using the shallow DOF and panning to blur out as much of the fence as possible. The 300 is great for Australia where the cars are often a fair way off and you can focus out the fence, but I suspect Singapore will be much closer.

[DC Fan]

300mm should be just right.

http://www.kevinlillard.com/online/imsf12007a0254.jpg

http://www.kevinlillard.com/online/imsf12007a0248.jpg

http://www.kevinlillard.com/online/imsf12007b0398.jpg

http://www.kevinlillard.com/online/imsf12007b0383.jpg

All of these images were from a lens at 300mm.

[sharky]

Thanks DCFan. Were these at Singapore? It doesn't look built up enough.

[DC Fan]

Thanks DCFan. Were these at Singapore? It doesn't look built up enough.

From the last USGP in 2007.

Whether or not a circuit is "built up" or not, it's always best to have a 300-400mm lens for racing. That improves your chance of getting a useful image if the view of the track over or around a fence is limited. And a longer lens has a better chance of getting an image through a fence, which is the case with some of the sample images above.

[sharky]

I know what you mean. This was with the 300 through the fence at last year's Melbourne race:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3601/3397531113_a33e1c7a4a_o.jpg

[MMX]

It depends, you should have written where is your seat located and which parts of track are visible from that spot. I was in Monaco in 2008 and I used 28-135 as well as 120-400 (with APS-C body) and sometimes even the 400 was too short.
So if you have a 300mm lens, definitely take it, it can help you a lot especially if there will be a crash and you will want to capture some interesting details.

[chris78cpr]

Your lens can never be too long at a GP race!

I went to the singapore grand prix last september and thought it was a fantastic event. The main purpose of my trip wasn't photography so i only took my camera on the practice and qualifying days. I mainly used my 5D2 with the 70-200FF2.8. The 135 even at F2 won't be enough to blur out the fences i fear. The fecnes caused me a big problem there and tbh it's not the best track to shoot at.

We were seated in the marina bay grandstand and there was a good spot at the rear right corner of this to shoot them from aboove coming into the complex. Below the grandstand you could also shoot compressed shots of them hitting the apex into that corner too.

Ill boot up my external drive in a bit o try and find some photos.

Where are you staying in Singapore for the GP? I'm after booking accomodation this year as my friends are leaving singapore in July! :(

[iDrew]

These are shots from last years Singapore GP

All were shot with a 40D with a 70-200 f2.8. Some of them I used a 1.4x extender.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=757905

[Roger-Walker]

Hi Guys,
I went to the opening race there ( 2008 ) and on the inside of turn 16 was using the 50mm F1.8! As the 70-200 was too long (on a 40D).

Had a lot of problems with the catch fences, so didn't take that many pictures, and would probably opt for a grandstand if I went again.

Note: The tickets stated a 300mm limit unless you've got press pass. They did bag checks every day, and on one day did actually check the lens.

Roger.

Here is the uncropped field of view with the 50mm on a 40D.
http://www.fareham.me.uk/p/2008/spf1/img_2615.jpg