Australian F1GP 2005 and lenses

[kipper]

Well I spent my first day (friday) at the F1GP today, testing out my new 70-200VR. Had a great time with it, and hopefully by the end of this weekend I should be a beginner at shooting motorsports

What brings me to post this thread, is to inform anybody going to this event beware of the 200mm maximum focal length. I know Gary is going to try and use his 80-400VR, and I hope him all the best. However today I was at the event with my 70-200VR and I plucked up the courage to whack on my 1.7x teleconverter. I was happy shooting away and became quite nervous when there was a sudden activity of the security guards/ushers up and down the stairs. I think there was about 5-6 different security guards that came up the stairs. None of them stopped. The about 5minutes later one came upto me and goes "what's the maximum focal length of that lense", and I reply "70-200VR, it says on the plate right here". He replied "Is that inclusive of that" and points to the teleconverter. Well I was totally gobsmacked, I had no idea that any of the security guards would have a clue what they were looking for. So with out being a smartarse I looked and him and said "no it doesn't, I'm quite happy to take it off". He said to me "Ok mate, I didn't see that you had it". So for the rest of the day I shot with out the TC, most of the shots I'm fairly happy with and I managed to fill up most of the frame. What really got me though is that I saw a lot of people with 70-300mm low end lenses walking around after being told off by the security guards. Now I'm totally unsure whether to leave my TC at home or take it and try to use it just for the aerial fly overs as I find even with a TC I struggle to fill a decent amount of the frame.

[birddog114]

So it means ,you better apply for an accreditation Press pass and join the goon at the press stand, hehehehe

[xerubus]

i would take it with kipper...

[Catcha]

I think in that situation, you did get away with it by being polite "no it doesn't, I'm quite happy to take it off". Just put it back on, but if you meet the same security guard that just caught you first time round well, bad luck. If you meet another security and they pulled you up on it play dumb and polite and he'll porobably let you off like the first one.

Sure they have better things to look at like the F1 females

[gstark]

We spent the morning at the circuit, with some very atypical Melbourne weather.

Forget about that old saying that you'll get all four seasons in the one day. How about all four seasnons in the one hour?

And that's basically been the picture all day today. We awoke to a cold, wet and very windy morning. We were supposed to do a pit walk, but it really looked quite ugly. Nevertheless, we wandered down to the circuit to find that the pit walk was really a pit straight walk, and no sooner were you in there, then they wanted to clear you out to prepare for the day's events.

We have truky great seats though. We're right at the back of the stand, as the cars come into the final corner before the pit straight. We can see the start/finish line over the top of the safety fence, and likewise the penultimate corner and some of the short straight as they head towards our corner is also above the safety fence from where we are sitting.

The 80-400 is pretty well the perfect lens for this event; the reach is ideal from where we are sitting. A 200-400 would be nice, but would certainly attract the attention of the security people. We succeeded in remaining below their radar today, and I'm quite happy with the yield of today's images.

The strange thing for me is that I've found that using the lens in AF mode is quite satisfactory, and is producing far sharper images than the ones that I tried to use manual focus on.

I'll try to reduce some of the images we've taken today down to a size we can upload over dial-up, and post a few for y'all's enjoyment.

[robw25]

i'm planning to go to oran park with the 200-400 vr in august do i need permission from someone to use this lens ?? whats with the security chatting you up about the "maximum focal length of that lens" ...
cheers rob

[kipper]

Gary, yeah it's funny I tried using the lense in manual mode and tried in AF mode and I found that it was quick enough. I found I just had to make sure I was starting my shots early and panned with them with shutter release halfdown for the lense to start tracking the subject. Once I heard the lens lockon it was click away time.

I'm going to try taking the TC again today, yesterday I saw not one security guard. All too scared of the wind. Gary sounds like he has the seats I wanted for the Brabham stand. I'm in Row N which is just past half way back in the stands. I have to go up the stands and lean on the Gillete corporate box to get over the barrier. As Gary said, the 200-400VR would be perfect for this event. Without the TC at full focal length the F1 cars take up about 30-40% of the width of the frame. Where a V8 takes up about 80-90% of the frame on the turn I'm on. So something above the 200 focal length would be awesome. I wonder if you could change the plates over off the 70-200VR and put them on the 200-400VR?
The security guards might no about Teleconvertors but maybe they could be fooled about a dummy nameplate!

Rob, the conditions of entry states that a camera with a total greater focal length of 200MM cannot be used at this event.

[fozzie]

kipper/Daryl,

Gary, yeah it's funny I tried using the lense in manual mode and tried in AF mode and I found that it was quick enough. I found I just had to make sure I was starting my shots early and panned with them with shutter release halfdown for the lense to start tracking the subject. Once I heard the lens lockon it was click away time.

I'm going to try taking the TC again today, yesterday I saw not one security guard. All too scared of the wind. Gary sounds like he has the seats I wanted for the Brabham stand. I'm in Row N which is just past half way back in the stands. I have to go up the stands and lean on the Gillete corporate box to get over the barrier.

Sounds like you are having fun with your new toy + TC.

What is the weather forecast for today - race day

Goodbye for now,

[kipper]

Cloudy with a few showers, clearing later on through the day.

[robw25]

Rob, the conditions of entry states that a camera with a total greater focal length of 200MM cannot be used at this event.

thanks kipper

cheers rob

[kipper]

Just check that whatever event you're going to, that they don't have a condition of entry like that. Or just find out if they enforce it or not.

[Glen]

Gary, yeah it's funny I tried using the lense in manual mode and tried in AF mode and I found that it was quick enough. .

Kipper, we will have to set Greg (the mod who can spell) on to you if you don't heed his spelling warnings.

http://forum.d70users.com/viewtopic.php?t=3294

[birddog114]

kipper,
you're at home no F1 today?

[kipper]

Lol Glen, I've been trying so hard to spell it right since he said that. However over the past 3 days all my posts are fairly rushed seeing as I get in from the GP quite late. Friday midnight, sat 4pm but I had stuff to do in the evening....so yeah fairly rushed

Birddog, of course I went to the GP today. I was just msging before I went. Speaking of which, oh my god. I felt like a paparazzi today.
Sporting the 70-200VR with TC I headed down to where the Media Centre is. Mmmmh headlights of a different kind - BMW, Qantas and Fosters Girls. Oh and did I mention I got a shot of Nicholas Cage. Shame I didn't have the 200-400VR. Would of been a good shot

[gstark]

We arrived at the track just as the morning's qualifying session was finishing, following breakkie at a restaurant that wanted to top up the bill with a couple of items that we hadn't ordered. After politely pointing put that the bill was in error, it took them another four attempts before they got it right. I was unimpressed.

Weather today was far better than yesterday, and the sun even popped out for a little peek at the day. While there was a small sprinkle of rain in the morning, basically it remained fine but overcast throughout the day.

Racing was good, and the beauty of the celebrity race is that, even with a painfully slow lens, one can still get really good pix.

No problems with any security gorillas today either, and we noticed quite a few people in the area we were in with lenses well beyond the stated maximum.

We may try ond post some images from yesterday later tonight (after din-dins) but otherwise, tomorrow on our return to Sydeney.

Rob, for OP, you'll need to check with the event organisers. Which event (and when) is it?

[kipper]

Gary, did you try your hand at papparazi work like I did?


<img src="http://www.morganpost.com/F1GP/NicholasCage_1.jpg">


<img src="http://www.morganpost.com/F1GP/DanniMinogue_1.jpg">

[BBJ]

Great shots kipper, look out u be stalking celebs soon.LOL

[birddog114]

That's the power of 70-200VR + TC 17E-II handholding! Any competitor to this?
Good work kipper! Keep them coming.

[kipper]

That Nic Cage shot was taken from a position where he was hardly visible

You have to love the power of the 70-200VR with TC

[kipper]

Just looking at the photos. Somebody in the media pit area had a D70 out, not sure what lense but using inbuilt speedlight. How sad taking photos of Nic Cage without a decent flash

[kipper]

http://www.theage.com.au/ftimages/2005/ ... 44329.html

What a crap shot of Nic Cage, I should go work for Getty Images

[birddog114]

kipper,
You're not expecting all the PJ or Proshooters can do better than you guys out there, they're the operators.

[gstark]

Gary, did you try your hand at papparazi work like I did?

I have less than zero interest in the business and doings of so-called celebrities. At best, they bore me shitless.

Short answer = "no".

[Glen]

Come on Gary, tell us what you really think