Advice for equipment.

Hi All,

I am new to the forum so it is probably better to introduce myself before i ask for advices.

I am Michele an italian guy and i am 30 years old. That's all from me...

I am very interested in motorsport photography and considering that i should sell my own business in the next few months i had the brilliant idea of trying to get into sport photography and try to make it as a career... I am currently doing a studio photography course but to be complitely honest is not exactly what i would like to do as a job.

Anyway ...

Lets start with the equipment, i curently have a canon 40D and i was looking into upgrade it. Any suggestion on what it would be the best choice ? I have been offered a canon 1ds mk2 would it be the best option for me ? For best option i mean quality / price or should i opt for a 1d mk3 o mk4 ? what would you guys suggest ?

Getting started i understand that the last camera on the market would be the "best" option but i am not into the position where i can spend 5k on camera and 3 months later realize that it is not my career ... so lets be realistic ... I just want to give it a shot and see what an hobby can be in the real world.

I understand that lens are also another main point from the equipment point of view... so if you want to give a go with few lens that i should get under the bag would be very appreciated.

I will ask later to the more expert how to get started and other question.

Thanks for all your replies and apologies if i posted on the wrong side of the forum ...

PS ... sorry about my english as well ...

I'd probably spend a couple of years gaining some sports photography experience by shooting lower levels of motorsport and whatever other sport(s) you are wanting to shoot and learn the craft of sports photography before selling an existing business to embark on such a massive change to your life.

Equipment can't replace experience.

Also, for starters, if you need to ask what camera and lenses etc you need for sports photography, you are nowhere near ready.

I would use the 40D for a while and get a nice telephoto to start off. See how you enjoy it and go on from there.

What lenses do you currently have? The 40D is more than capable for motorsports. I'm guessing you're going to need more, or better lenses before you need a body upgrade.

Hi all again.

Phil i do understand your councern and if i look at your signature i can clearly understand that you do it as a profession. Clearly between me and you there is a massive gap. however when i keep reading a bad day on a race track is better then day in the office. That is my all point. I have done a year doing photography. I am currently still doing it into a studio environment. The reason for asking about equipment is not because i do not know what to buy. The reason for asking is because sometimes you can get someone like you that its in the job and has already done what i want to do. Instead of spending thousands of pounds in equipment i can get something that for my need and experiece will do the job without going to the top end of the market. it is more of an advice based on experience then on magazine or specs of a cameras.

I took some good picture ( or at least the car is fully on focus and has a decent composition )of formula 1 cars at SPA (belgium) with a Canon d40 and a sigma 70-300 lens (99 pounds the cost of it) i am sure that a better camera and a better glass would have done the job better. And that was before my course where i have improved quite a lot.

I have broke the external hdd but i will look for some pic and maybe post them to get a very hard critic from you.. hahah... which it will be very appreciated.

In regards of equipment at the moment i have bought a sigma 135-400 mm lens which it was bought with the hope to go to other events but i never had the time to do so ...

That's all from me. I am also interested in find out how is the real job, because as every job it looks nice and good but when you are doing it things change a lot. Advice on how to get to the track ... Because again i believe that the position whitin the track can help take a better picture... I was always with a croud of people around me so it was a bit hard to get decent shots..

Thanks all again for your comments and help.

Hey Bernardo,
No worries.
look forward to seeing some of your pics.

In the meantime, have a read of this thread.
It might give you a bit more of an insight.

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=837431

and my post

https://photography-on-the.net …hp?p=9750967&po​stcount=16

Thanks for the link Phil .

It took me 3 days to get to read them but it was a good inside out of different point of view and way of getting uo at the top of the game. I must admit reading again my first post it may looks a it arrogant again with people that do it as a JOB ... I got the bit that it is work and not fun... hahah...

So i do apologise for it. I also understood that doing it as a profession it may takes at the very minimun 2 or 3 years being lucky and good at it to make a living out of it... Which again it was a very good piece of information which it will help me out to budget the all new project. Yep i didn't give up on it...

That said, i will go back to the initial post saying that the camera probaly is not the most important piece of equipment i need... So i will pass on the by the top of the range camera attitude and if i can ask for advice of a decent piece of glass that can be used in the future as well would be great... I am also going to ask to a friend of mine if i can follow him around to gain a bit of experience taking pic of him doing his race on a formula ford car... that can help to get started on the sport and help me understand few things from a professional point of view...

Thanks for your advice ... that is what i was after... It would be nice if you can help me deciding the type of lenses that i should go for...

PS... Well done for the rally career ... that's life... even tho i am a f1 supporter... Ferrari ...

You want to go for the best quality lenses you can, over bodies really, if you have to make that choice. Really you need a few as well, as if you do start shooting for a living you will find that there is a lot more than just pictures of cars on track! A 70-200 2.8 is a good start, and something longer. 300 2.8, 400 2.8, 500 4 are all good choices but expensive. What's your budget.

I've gone from hobbyist to pro over the last few years, so any questions, just ask!

hi mike,

I am sure there is more then cars at the race track... GIRLS ... hahahah...

At the moment as a budget that i can spend on lens i have 1500 UK pounds. I think i am able to get just one of the one you have mentioned. I currently have a Sigma 135-400 APO 4.6 ...
I should be in brands hatch tomorrow because one of my friend is a driver so he got me an ticket for it... Don't know from where i can take pic cause he sent me a text ... Si can see how it works.. I bought it for it but never had a chance to use it.

Ideally i would like to buy something that when i will upgrade my camera can still be used... I would like a 300 2.8 or a 400 2.8 but they are well above my budget. So i may go for a nice 70-200 2.8L...

Hi Bernardo,,

The girls can be great but they're on race days rather than practice / qualifying days so you need to pick which one to go on... Race = busier, more expensive but you get the "live action." Practice days = cheaper and room to move around but no racing as such for the main events unless there's support series on as well.

For your budget, the 70-200 is a great lens and it is long enough for you the get some practice at panning if you can get close enough - you've got the equivalent of 112-320mm on the 40D body. Longer lenses are great for getting closer to the action obviously but require a bit more technique to master them.

If you're wanting lenses that won't become obsolete if you upgrade the body eventually, keep away from EF-S lenses as they're only for 1.6x crop bodies (APS-C) and won't work on full frame and 1.3x (APS-H) bodies, i.e. 5D Mk I & II and 1-series bodies.

Just my thoughts, I'll let the pros chip in with theirs

Andy

I would sell your Sigma to be honest. I had one for a bit, hated it.

Those are the pic taken yesterday...

Not really happy with it, but any comments would be very appreciated. they were taking on manual mode and the auto focus. However they look a bit too soft for me... Not very sharp at all...

I think it is about the autofocus not being fast enought. It was also a cloudy day so not really possible to step down more the 5 on the aperture... no post production straight from the camenra...

anyway comments from you will be very appreciated...

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They look OK at that size. Are these with the Sigma? I never found mine very sharp, regardless of what I did. That could be an issue, as well as the weather - and practice!

Thanks Mike...

Those were taken with the sigma ... and i think that its one of the issue... I do understand that better camera or lenses dont take better picture but at least they help you in the process... Weather it is also another main problem but it can be overcome with some good equipment... if the lense wont go lower the 4 on aperture there is not much to do (yeah we can play with the shutter but ...)
If goes on 2.8 it can definetely help... Practice... well that is the only one that despite the lenses i can get ... hahahah... And i will ... I actually enjoyed the day out ... I do understand that when the weather is not nice is not great but i can cope with it...

What will you suggest as a first decent lense ... for my budget the options are ...

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM for 950 pounds

Canon EF 70-200mm f/ 4.0L USM for 550 pounds not really what i would like, i think the first one is better for the aperture...

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM for 1330 pounds but i need to justify the 400 pounds for the Image stabiliser... Will i really need it ? is it a part that i will use it or it is something that after a while you will just switch off and forget about it.

Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM for 999 pounds

Those are the cheapest price i have found in uk but if you know something better i am more then happy to save some pounds... Second hand is a good option from your point f view ? Getting them from US ?

The 70-200 f4 is a good lens, but you may find yourself wishing you'd got the 2.8. We have an f4 that we use occasionally if one the 2.8s is being repaired () and it does the job just fine.

The 300 f4 is also good - but for now maybe a bit limiting! I'd get a 70-200 for now, and a 1.4x teleconverter, for the brighter days.

IS, I don't think is essential. I only use it when shooting low light portraits with my 300 2.8. My 70-200 doesn't have it, and I don't miss it.

Have you considered looking at some used examples?