My take on the Best of British Rallycross Meeting

I also attended the Best of British Rallycross meeting at Croft Circuit in the UK on the 6th July. As usual, the rallycross boys put on a fantastic show despite some dreadful weather.

#1 First practice (you can tell because the car is clean!), and Dave Binks splashes through the puddles in his Division 1 Mitsibushi Evo

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They are all crap :P

No, honestly, a great set and looks like you have made good use of the 500mm. Something Geoff and I talked about when we did the RSOC day. I must start getting closer to the subject and as I can't can your side of the fend it means using the 2x converter, so that my next objective.

Out of interest how does the 500 compare to the 120-300 with the 2x on it?

Wowsa! Lovely shots again simon, i now see what you meant when you said that the 500mm was good for 3/4 shots, i thought that you meant that you would "cut off" the rear of the car i.e 3/4 view!!! LOL what a numpty newbie i am.

Cant wait to try out my set up at croft.

Regards
Rick

Absoloutely fantastic Simon. I'm really pleased your lens is another good one

petrolhead wrote in post #5873052
Out of interest how does the 500 compare to the 120-300 with the 2x on it?

Peter there's no comparison. The 500 is in a different class. Simon's shots in this thread are a fine example of its sharpness and the way it makes your subject jump out from the background is amazing.

Nice set of pics

Are thet straight off the camera or have you done some PP ?

GSH wrote in post #5873256
Peter there's no comparison. The 500 is in a different class. Simon's shots in this thread are a fine example of its sharpness and the way it makes your subject jump out from the background is amazing.

Not sure I would go as far as that as this photo shows

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rich_cooper wrote in post #5873594
Nice set of pics

Are thet straight off the camera or have you done some PP ?

Thanks Rich.

I always shoot in raw, so they have been converted to jpegs. However, the only PP done on them is a slight (and I mean slight) exposure tweak, and then a small amount of sharpening after they were re-sized for the web. I do absolutely everything I can to get things right in camera. That includes shooting on a custom WB to get the colours just right.

Cheers,

Simon.

petrolhead wrote in post #5873658
Not sure I would go as far as that as this photo shows

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I would suggest, based on what Simon said, the keeper rate with the 500 is just streets ahead

Peter, I'm afraid that Geoff has it right, and this picture is really an example of the exception proving the rule. The 500 absolutely destroys the 120-300 and 2XTC. The 120-300 and TC can produce some shots like that one above, but it doesn't happen very often and I had to do more PP on the picture to get it to look like that. Let's put it this way, until that meeting, I hadn't used my 2XTC for very nearly 12 months - that has to tell you something.

That said, you're not comparing apples to apples here. The canon 300 f2.8 prime is well known for its ability to take TCs very well. I don't own the lens so really can't comment. That said, my money would go on the sigma 500 prime beating the the canon 300 + 2XTC on any day. However, the 300 + 2XTC makes a much better 600mm then the sigma 500 ever will.

Cheers,

Simon.

ukjesters wrote in post #5873128
Wowsa! Lovely shots again simon, i now see what you meant when you said that the 500mm was good for 3/4 shots, i thought that you meant that you would "cut off" the rear of the car i.e 3/4 view!!! LOL what a numpty newbie i am.

Cant wait to try out my set up at croft.

Regards
Rick

Thanks Rick, I appreciate your comments.

The next meeting at Croft is on the 19 / 20 July and I'm sure that there'll be a good contingent of POTN'ers going. Let us know if you're going to head along.

Cheers,

Simon.

GSH wrote in post #5873256
Absoloutely fantastic Simon. I'm really pleased your lens is another good one

Thanks Geoff!

The lens is definately a keeper. Roll on the next event at Croft!

Simon.

petrolhead wrote in post #5873658
Not sure I would go as far as that as this photo shows

I would suggest, based on what Simon said, the keeper rate with the 500 is just streets ahead

Peter me old fruitbat. I reckon you've forgotten that i shot most weekends with the 120-300 and 2x for 2 years before i got the 500...

Now, if we're showing examples of what the zoom can do, then i present you one of the first shots i took with the 2x...

http://gsh-motorsports.fotopic.ne​t/p29274101.html

I have said many times on here that with the 2x fitted i had to do extra PP. With the 500 i've actually had to re-assess my sharpening and reduce it, even over the bare 120-300.

From discussions with Simon, i suspect that for some reason my 2x TC may be slightly better than his although we've never done a side-by-side test...
Now, after having the 500 for a month i can confidently say it's on a different planet. I no longer have to pre-focus, i can count on the fingers of 1 hand the amount of times it has mis-focussed (1 occasion that i can recall) and the quality at full size is streets ahead.

It is so much better that i'd rather shoot slightly looser at 500mm than put the TC on for 600.

OK guys. I'm convinced

petrolhead wrote in post #5873793
OK guys. I'm convinced

Good.

Now, go and buy one

Simon,
Even in crap light it does well.
The Metro shot is amazing for colours in that light.
Like you I dread to think how good it will be in good light.
Great shots in appalling conditions.Love the wet minis.
regards,
Pons

Nice set Simon.