Blurring props (Duxford)

Just posted my first efforts with my new 400 /5.6 L here -
https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=346521
I found it very frustrating trying to get a shutter speed low enough to freeze the planes but still blur the props. I presume that just comes with (panning) practise?

i was shooting 1/100 for the day on ISO100, smooth panning is the key..

altho' with the distance some of those aircraft got @ 400mm on my 1.6 crop 20D all i got was a face full of aircraft frame and not alot else.. although got a happy number of keepers

Panning practice, & a liberal use of the Delete key, in my case!

Bobster wrote in post #3517544
i was shooting 1/100

Wow! I've got to get a steadier hand
I have binned 4 out of 5 at 1/ 200 ~1/400, and that's on a FF (5D)
Plan B- stick to jets (or gliders)

Fine shots there Chris. I mainly used 1/250 (even on the F15 at one point. Oops) and am happy enough with the amount of blur. Going lower would have decimated my keeper rate.
Paul

if i had an IS lens, prolly would have shot much lower than 1/100

Bobster wrote in post #3518217
if i had an IS lens, prolly would have shot much lower than 1/100

Guess I need to practise, I've got an IS lens.
Trouble is airshows are an expensive day out and I didn't want to come home with nothing, so its tempting to leave the shutter speed a bit higher.

Paul

Nice pictures.
For those who have the 400 /5.6 L I am just curious why you would choose that lens over a Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM ?
Wouldn't you want the flexibility of the zoom? Trying to decide which one to buy.Thanks

paul_g wrote in post #3518244
Guess I need to practise, I've got an IS lens.
Trouble is airshows are an expensive day out and I didn't want to come home with nothing, so its tempting to leave the shutter speed a bit higher.

Paul

i haven't been to an airshow in 4 years! (shooting helo's around salisbury plain helps keep up the practice tho' )

kona77 wrote in post #3518389
Nice pictures.
For those who have the 400 /5.6 L I am just curious why you would choose that lens over a Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM ?
Wouldn't you want the flexibility of the zoom? Trying to decide which one to buy.Thanks

primes are sharper, also the 5.6 is cheaper than the 100-400IS

i think its mainly practice, its only this year my prop aircraft stuff has started coming on, with my 400d and 500mm sigma obviously with no IS, it was just a case of finding the lenses sweet spot and practicing with panning, from legends ive got quite a few succesfull 1/100's, which i was pretty chuffed with...

nice shots though bud

kona77 wrote in post #3518389
Nice pictures.
For those who have the 400 /5.6 L I am just curious why you would choose that lens over a Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM ?
Wouldn't you want the flexibility of the zoom? Trying to decide which one to buy.Thanks

Ahh, the trusty ancient dust-sucker! I'll get one when it's eventually updated to a two-touch.
Panning is difficult enough on it's own, let alone when trying to play the trombone at the same time

Go out & play in traffic the week before?

PhotosGuy wrote in post #3518619
Go out & play in traffic the week before?

something i find quite handy, and practiced before legends...

i have a small local airfield, few flying schools based there, grass strip ect...
i go up there and practice on the cessna's ect, i pretty much found out how low i could go in terms of shutter speeds before i lost quality...
handy tip if you have a similar airfield local to you!

Yeap, just practice,practice,prac​tice

Thats why in my free time I am always at the airport

Thanks for the response everyone. I think I will borrow the 400mm to shoot a boat race from a helo this weekend. I will also have my 50mm and Canon 75-300 4-5.6 IS.
I will post them on Monday.
Thanks