Car shots - drifting blurry front or back

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Yella Fella

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Guys,

I'm having some issues (I've noticed as of late) when capturing car stuff, I have a lot to learn with panning etc, but I've noticed when capturing cars facing around 30/45 degrees to me i.e. drifting sessions. Shooting using Tv mode at 1/125 speeds, so apertures are usually around f11 onwards on a bright noon day.

It seems that my camera only captures around 2/3 in focus, its either the front part that's in focus, or the rear part that's in focus; bringing the other end out of focus/blurred.

Have I got my settings wrong as such? Or just not shooting correctly?
 
Why don't you try pre focussing at the point you wish to take the photo and wait for the subject to come to that point?
 
That sounds hard for drifting cars? Means I have like only a split second to capture that point constantly?

I shoot with a 70-200mm f2.8 L IS lens and was told to use centre point with AI Servo
 
It's because the rear of the car is moving a different direction to the front which you are tracking, nothing you're doing wrong. Try a faster shutter or more shallow angle for the pan.
 
1/125 is, in my opinion a touch slow for anything less than a very experienced hand.

Try shooting at faster speeds until you can reliably get the images you want, and begin to reduce.

After all, a bit of snazzy motion blur can always be popped in during processing, but you can't do anything if your sharpness isn't there due to shake or subject movement!

All my opinion of course!
 
I've always been told panning is best at around 1/125 and slower for more experienced panners? Plus if your using faster shutter speed, it freezes too much and looks like the action is still or somewhat.

Now that I think about it, drifting is more faster back end hence why possible blur, but saying that, it's the same when I did some captures at F1.

Let me slap up some pics to show you what I mean, it could be the focus plane as mentioned...
 
The plane of focus was suggested to be my problem rather than panning technique, shutter speed, car vertical/horizontal movement problems etc although no doubt all those were present also, having said that a faster shutter speed helped mask it but frezzes the action. Having tried to read up on it and looked at examples I think it is indeed what caused my problem. Im only a beginner though, so just a suggestion :)
 
DeanPhoto said:
It's because the rear of the car is moving a different direction to the front which you are tracking, nothing you're doing wrong. Try a faster shutter or more shallow angle for the pan.
Click to expand...

This. Someone should just make a "what Dean said" smiley for this section :)

Also discussed in this thread from about post 6 or 7 onwards.

Another thing to consider is the guideline to use a shutter speed higher than the focal length of your lens. IE when zoomed to 200mm you should use a shutter speed of 1/250. Now that's not going to work and allow you to capture motion blur but it does highlight the need for good panning technique as the slightest off-axis movement can ruin your image's sharpness.

FWIW I spent Saturday at the Brighton Speed Trials where poor weather/ light necessitated either high ISO or slow shutter. I targetted keeping the ISO as low as poss and as the day progressed I was getting about 80% hit rate at 1/30 - 1/60 sec using the short and long end of my 70-200mm respectively.
 
It's experience that you need. Shoot at 1/250th and then slowly drop the shutter speeds down.

I've seen some drift shots at around 1/6th so it's all down to practice.

The thing you have to do is pick ONE point on the car and pan with that one point. The centre at the front is usually a good spot.

This was shot through a fence at 1/60th and you can see the rear of the car is in focus and the front isn't. It's just practice.
4944625453_25505e3d03_b.jpg


I know this shot isn't drifting but it's the same technique. You can see the focus point is the front centre of the car :thumbs:

This is at 1/30th

3939021792_bac8ae0dc3_o.jpg


Both photo's are mine, just changed logo's :thumbs:
 
Yella Fella,

I went to another drift practice day on sunday and took this. As you can see the back is in focus and the front isn't as it's moving at a different speed. If this is what your getting then your doing it just right.

DSC_0104.jpg
 
Dal said:
Yella Fella,

I went to another drift practice day on sunday and took this. As you can see the back is in focus and the front isn't as it's moving at a different speed. If this is what your getting then your doing it just right.

DSC_0104.jpg
Click to expand...

Haha, that's Clive. If you want to drift you've got to travel so they sure get around.
 
AndWhyNot said:
Haha, that's Clive. If you want to drift you've got to travel so they sure get around.
Click to expand...

ah, so you know Clive?

I've chatted to him for ages on the SX owners club and finally got to meet him on saturday, really nice guy. He took me out for a session and kept it sideways for pretty much the entire session. Very impressive drifting :)
 
Dal said:
ah, so you know Clive?

I've chatted to him for ages on the SX owners club and finally got to meet him on saturday, really nice guy. He took me out for a session and kept it sideways for pretty much the entire session. Very impressive drifting :)
Click to expand...

Met him at the Modified Madness weekend in July, yeah he seemed pretty handy. I'm shooting the skids at Matchams tomorrow night and think he'll be there.

I should get on SXOC the number of S13/ 14/ a/ 15 owners I meet.
 
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