Air shows shot with 70-200 only?

[PhotosGuy]

Originally Posted by Leftcoast_Mike

... but I spend just about a full day a week at my local airstrip practising haha.

good luck!

One of those cases where "The harder I work, the luckier I get!"

[Perfectly Frank]

Originally Posted by Dean_Fuller

Which brings up another question.

Using a 70-200 2.8 II with a 1.6 crop camera in bright daylight. What stop is best for sharpness on this lens? Shooting propeller driven aircraft...what shutter speed is recommended to capture a sharp body but a blurred prop?

I have the 7D and 70-200 2.8 II. I don't worry about a sweet spot, the lens is that good.

Shutter speed for prop blur will vary on the type of aircraft and engine speed.
Being able to capture a sharp body will also depend on your panning skill and how steady you can hold the camera. Everyone is different. For myself, at shutter speeds less than 1/200s, my keeper rate goes way down.

View the exif data on the photos posted here (Jay's especially) to get an idea of what shutter speeds to use.

[Dean_Fuller]

How does one check the exif of embedded pics? I can't figure it out.

[PhotosGuy]

Originally Posted by Dean_Fuller

How does one check the exif of embedded pics? I can't figure it out.

Post #3: Using a Watermark / Copyright

[Perfectly Frank]

Originally Posted by Dean_Fuller

How does one check the exif of embedded pics? I can't figure it out.

Download Opanda exif viewer, it's free. It's what I use. Then right click over an image posted here, then click exif viewer in the resulting drop-down menu. Here's the link...

http://www.opanda.com/en/iexif/index.html

They also have a version for firefox browser.

Some members don't enable exif data. In that case you can try going to their hosting site (like flickr or smugmug) and get the exif data there.

[Dean_Fuller]

many thanks Frank

[jj_glos]

Originally Posted by Dean_Fuller

Which brings up another question.

Using a 70-200 2.8 II with a 1.6 crop camera in bright daylight. What stop is best for sharpness on this lens? Shooting propeller driven aircraft...what shutter speed is recommended to capture a sharp body but a blurred prop?

Shooting a slow shutter speed can be a painful experience. Last year I was shooting 1/125-1/250 and things weren't too bad (using a 7D and 150-500), for the airshow last weekend I tried 1/60-1/125 and it was pretty nasty! Obviously you get much more prop blur, but the number of keepers plummets drastically. It doesn't help that I was using a 1Ds2 with the 70-200 mkII and a 2.0x TC, so the reach and "cropability" I now have is far reduced from last year.

One problem you run into with trying the low shutter speeds on a sunny day, is that you are going to be stopping the lens down a lot. This causes diffraction and you'll end up with a softer image. For example I was shooting 1/60, ISO 50, f20 at some points! Using a ND filter could help with this, or I guess a CP filter as well? It's all good fun though

I'm thinking of perhaps picking up a 50D as a second body, just to get that 1.6x crop factor back. I would like a 7D again but I can't justify the expense at the moment. I've also been looking at the 60D, but need to look into that one more.

[FlyingPhotog]

ND can certainly help but a CPL is a nightmare because as you pan, the polarization qualities will change...

I have a .6 ND drop in that I use with my 500 and 300 just to try and not end up at redonkulously small apertures. Usually though, heat haze and camera shake will kill an image much faster than diffraction.

As for shutter speeds, it's better to get a sharp aircraft with "acceptable" blur than an overall mess with a perfect prop arc. Get the shot before you go for THE shot!

[jj_glos]

Oh yes indeed, I got plenty of nice prop blurred shots on Sunday. It was just a shame that was because the whole shot was blurred!

[Leftcoast_Mike]

Originally Posted by FlyingPhotog

Usually though, heat haze and camera shake will kill an image much faster than diffraction.

I hate hate hate hate heat haze! ruins every shot on take-off

Originally Posted by FlyingPhotog

As for shutter speeds, it's better to get a sharp aircraft with "acceptable" blur than an overall mess with a perfect prop arc. Get the shot before you go for THE shot!

QFT!

[watt100]

Originally Posted by StanNJ1

I shoot mainly with the 70-200 2.8 and rarely have any complaints about the reach. I also had the 100-400L but sold it as I just didn't enjoy shooting with it. Here are some photos I just shot at Sun-n-Fun last month. Some cropping may have been done on some of them. More images can be found on my website.

nice pic,

I shot shot a very similar plane (maybe the exact plane?) two years ago with the Canon 55-250IS and XSi

55-250IS
XSi /450D
250mm
(cropped)

[Perfectly Frank]

^^Watt100's shot is an example that you don't need super-expensive equipment to get good results. Panning technique, composition, knowing your equipment are much more important.

[FlyingPhotog]

Originally Posted by Perfectly Frank

^^Watt100's shot is an example that you don't need super-expensive equipment to get good results. Panning technique, composition, knowing your equipment are much more important.

Having perfect light doesn't suck either...

[Perfectly Frank]

Originally Posted by FlyingPhotog

Having perfect light doesn't suck either...

True, but where I live - SoCal - having clear skys is more important. Fall and winter is nice, but spring and summer bring haze/smog and crappy atmosphere. How I envy those who live in Nevada and Arizona!

[FlyingPhotog]

Originally Posted by Perfectly Frank

True, but where I live - SoCal - having clear skys is more important. Fall and winter is nice, but spring and summer bring haze/smog and crappy atmosphere. How I envy those who live in Nevada and Arizona!

Not in late May through late September you don't...