Focusing question

[Catcha]

I want an idea of how people are taking there shots with there camera.

eg, motorsports

With the old SLR's to get a good clear shot you would need to pick a spot ideally eg: a straight road , pick a spot where the car is going to past from Point A to B from where you going to start panning and manually focus before hand so then they come the around again you know that it's going to turn out sharp, then you would pan from A-B then take the shot.

Now with digital SLR and the type of lenses avalible, is it now possible to just pan and shoot letting the lense do the work ?

I have been reading up on the AF-S. Is it fast enough to focus automatically or manually is faster like the old way without the technology.

What sort of lens is good as i have no idea, i'm pretty overwhelmed with trying to soak up the info.

[kipper]

High, funny you're talking about this subject because I've just come back from the F1GP today where I experimented with my 70-200VR.

Settings used, AF Mode - AF-C, Continuous Servo, Shutter speed 1000-1500, Aperture around F5-F8.

Tried a variety of techniques. One focusing at a setpoint on the tarmac and switching to Manual and when a car came to view I just panned with it and took the shot where I'd preset my focus. Worked quite well.

Other techniques I tried were the above but not panning and just trying to take the shot when the cars were in frame. Failed miserably at that, either no car or either extremes of the frame.

Othertimes I tried putting the camera into autofocus and just panning as they came around the corner and taking the shot in the optimal spot. Worked quite well, a few duds but you have to live with that with motorsports I guess. I'm still learning and I found metering a big learning curve. I was trying to do as somebody suggested (was it gary?) about metering off a concrete barrier. But be buggered if I could find one that was in a similar sort of light to where the cars were.

This is one of my shots taken on the first format of a CF card. Took about 5 CF cards worth today. As the day progressed I think I got better at taking shots.

<img src="http://www.morganpost.com/F1GP/Webber.jpg">

Not much I could do about being overcast and the position of the lighting.
Oh and have I thanked Birddog and Poon today for getting me this lens for this event?
Thanks guys!

[Catcha]

Wow that's a nice shot and thats the stuff i wanna be taking...were you seat far from the track ???? to take that shot ?

[kipper]

Brabham stand, Section A, Row N. I had to drop back to very last row just near the corporate area to get the right elevation down onto the track. I think that shot there might of been taken from my seat I can't remember but I've got a shitload more taken from the back that had better clearance down onto the track that allowed me to pan easier. It's a pretty good spot where we are but next year I want to try the other side in the Jones stand. Both the same price but I think the other side you might be able to get a better view of the cars. Not sure, might see if I can sneak in like I did last year.

[Catcha]

Damn that pretty pricy for a lens but i guess the good old saying you get what you pay for.........same cost as a new D70 hehehe. I was thinking about going to the F1..and started to search for info on it in January....my biggest problem was trying to find accomodation as it was virtually all booked out even in Jan for the march event....The seating also confused me as you have general admission which was about $100 sat and sunday can't remember...but that does not give you a seat on those stands does it? you have to reserve it as well ????? ...........i'm planning on doing a trip to melbourne this year in november cause i have never been don't know what to expect...heheehe vist crown and convention centre heheehhe

[kipper]

General Admission (no seat) for 1 day costs about $100 (4day $175).
Seats in Jones/Brabham cost $600 for 4 days.
Seats in Moss cost about $400 for 4 days.

Yes, the lense is very expensive but as you put it. You get what you pay for. This lense is...the bees knees. When viewing through the viewfinder, you see the VR technology at work. I've played around with 70-300s cheapos before and when aiming at a subject at full focal length, it's always a pain trying to line up the shot. Well with this, you can see the VR compensating your every move and making sure that the subject stays as close as possible to where you're trying to aim. It's really amazing. Once you've had VR, you won't want to ever look back.

You know who really made me want to go VR, I think it was Nicole. Pretty sure it was her when she got her 80-400VR I think it was and posted the VR off and VR on shots of the box. Once I saw what it did to the quality of the text I was like....I have to have one! If you really want to get into motosports, then I feel the VRs or some of the decent long focal length primes are the go. However the 70-200VR is great because most sporting events limit 200mm max focal length. So unless you have a media access pass, I wouldn't go with anything more.....unless it's rally car, don't think they care then.

ps. did I say I'd like the 200-400VR and the 300-800 sigma?
I can imagine checking in to go overseas.....20kg suitcase....40kg of photo gear

[Catcha]

Damn that's cool, $150 a Day for the Jones/Brabham cool, the ticket people are useless in explaning stuff like this .

OIC cool I have a better understanding of the lenses now basically the VR are the top of the range hmm thanks

So what kind of lenses do you have besides the 70-300VR

[kipper]

It's hard to say because I haven't had the experience with a fast long focal length prime (eg. 300, 600 etc) so I can't say wether the 70-200VR or the 200-400VR is better than a 300 or 600 wide aperture lens. If I had a play with all of those lenses I might be able to comment, but what I've experience so far with my lens is very nice. The techology combined with a prime lense such as the 300VR and you have a wonderful peice of glass.

Ergh....not sure if any of that mumbo jumbo made any sense, it's 2am and I need to get to sleep as I need to be up at 6am.

[birddog114]

Kipper,
OK, you have pointed out all pros and cons of the legend,
What's your opinion if you happen having the Bigma (Sig. 50-500) or the Sig. 70-200? Do you think or are you able to handholding to get a bunch of keeper like yesterday?

The Bigma is heavy more than the Nik 70-200VR same as the Sig 70-200?
And if you have or allow to use a monopod with them, do you think they are flexible in panning and moving around?

[the foto fanatic]

<img src="http://www.morganpost.com/F1GP/Webber.jpg">

Darn that lens is good - clarity, colour, contrast.
And the photographer has done well too!