Airshow Advice

[Dave61]

Hi folks just some more advice from you all again, in a couple of months I am off to Eastbourne Airshow, we always sit on the beach near the bandstand. Last year I used the 55-250mm IS lens and was happy with some shots, but now I have the 70-200mm f4 IS would that be a better choice to use on the 70D. Forgot to say, I do crop too.

[2Beers]

Re: Airshow Advice

You probably want a bit more reach than the 200mm try using a 1.4 extender if you can

[Stan]

Re: Airshow Advice

200would probably be ok for fly pasts in front of you but is going to be a bit short for most. When we go to the Bournemouth show, als shooting from the beach, I go with my 70-200 and 1.4x and that seems to cover the majority of situations.

Re settings, for prop aircraft you need a slow shutter to ensure some prop blur so shoot tv mode and start off at 1/320 but be prepared to go slower. Jets need a fast shutter so either set TVs at min of 1/1000 or shoot AV as against the sky you should get a fast shutter anyway.

The other thing to remember is that when you shoot against the sky you are likely to need to dial in some positive exposure compensation to get a good exposure on the aircraft

Stan

[Dave61]

Re: Airshow Advice

200would probably be ok for fly pasts in front of you but is going to be a bit short for most. When we go to the Bournemouth show, als shooting from the beach, I go with my 70-200 and 1.4x and that seems to cover the majority of situations.

Re settings, for prop aircraft you need a slow shutter to ensure some prop blur so shoot tv mode and start off at 1/320 but be prepared to go slower. Jets need a fast shutter so either set TVs at min of 1/1000 or shoot AV as against the sky you should get a fast shutter anyway.

The other thing to remember is that when you shoot against the sky you are likely to need to dial in some positive exposure compensation to get a good exposure on the aircraft

Stan

Thank you both very much, just a shame I don`t have an extender. Just wish my 75-300mm worked fine on the 70D, as it plays up.

[Iron Man]

Re: Airshow Advice

How about hiring a canon 100-400 for a couple of day's (about £55 plus postage both way's (3 day's))

[Dave61]

Re: Airshow Advice

How about hiring a canon 100-400 for a couple of day's (about £55 plus postage both way's (3 day's))

Thanks for that, but don`t fancy a big lens on. Thinking I will have the 70-200mm on the 70D and the 75-300mm on the 1100D

[djguk47]

Re: Airshow Advice

Dave,
Why not hire an extender from Lens 4 Hire?

[Parsen66]

Re: Airshow Advice

Take plenty of well charged batteries too!! You'll need them as it takes a while to learn the panning/shutter speed combo

[Dave61]

Re: Airshow Advice

Thank you both, thinking of getting a battery grip off Ebay, think it is the Meike one. Plus is spot metering best ?

[TonyT]

Re: Airshow Advice

Spot or center weighted is what I use, problems you might encounter this year is the display line will have moved further back post Shoreham.

[Dave61]

Re: Airshow Advice

Spot or center weighted is what I use, problems you might encounter this year is the display line will have moved further back post Shoreham.

Thank you Tony, Shoreham is a day we will never forget, I still look at photos I took of the crash.

[Stan]

Re: Airshow Advice

I very rarely use anything apart from evaluative and rely on experience to adjust the exposure compensation. If you used spot metering, unless the aircraft conforms to a "mid tone", I think you would still be needing compensation to ensure a correct exposure

Stan

[Dave61]

Re: Airshow Advice

Thanks Stan, will remember that for the show

[TonyT]

Re: Airshow Advice

Never had any problems Stan and I take thousands of aircraft photos, it's my main interest.. :)

I know what you mean Dave, I've seen the odd crash and have come close to being in the odd one myself, 40 years in the aviation industry, both military and civilian, you lose a few friends on the way and I have recovered and rebuilt a myriad of crashed aircraft. It goes with the territory I suppose.