Duxford Airshow

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mtjones

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Mike
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Hello!

Anyone off to Duxford this weekend?

I'm planning on going tomorrow - weather forecast is looking very good indeed! :clap:

Not been since I was a kid - anyone got any tips for where to set up for the display etc? Is it worth taking a camping chair or similar?

Cheers,
Mike
 
Been the last 2 years and was atthe July show, going again on Sunday as perfect weather, just me and my 4yo son. This year for this show I used a 300mm f4 prime I hired, while last year I had my old 70-200. At the moment mu longest lens is my 24-70 so will be looking to enjoy the day more than worry about photos, typical as the sky will be nice and blue!!!
 
Early start it is then... :lol:

Working in Dartford on Sunday morning so will be staying over - at least I wont have a long drive home at the end of the day!
 
I'll be going on the Sunday but will probably stand in the field opposite side of the M11.
 
Rumour has it that Saturday will kick off with the swing wing flicknives, forllowed by the airborne Toblerone.
Which is around 2pm apparently.
I'll be outside...somewhere.......But should be a great day for photography.
As for tips Mike. As has been said, get there early. Don't expect great things from the crowd line or tank bank, in terms of fling. Vulcan should be ok, as it's a big so & so. Other aircraft may not be quite so frame filling.
The other thing to be careful of is the light, which is a pig at Duxford, hence why I don't go inside any more.
 
Thanks for advice all.

Looking forward to the whole day and seeing how I get on. It's literally been 20 yrs since I was at Duxford so there will be plenty for me to explore in the morning and get some shots of the static stuff!

Will be the first outing for my 70-300 VR - not the longest I know, but on a DX shouldn't be too shabby.

Will post the results later next week! :)
 
mtjones said:
Thanks for advice all.

Looking forward to the whole day and seeing how I get on. It's literally been 20 yrs since I was at Duxford so there will be plenty for me to explore in the morning and get some shots of the static stuff!

Will be the first outing for my 70-300 VR - not the longest I know, but on a DX shouldn't be too shabby.

Will post the results later next week! :)
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You should be fine with a 70-300. Last year I used a 55-200 on a D3000 and got some reasonable shots though trying to keep up with the fast moving planes was tricky, things like the Spitfires were a nightmare for me I did ok with the bigger planes like the Lancaster and B17 flying fortress.
 
Hazza said:
Hmmm. Bound to have some long glass going spare - Oh bummer you're Nikon. Well there goes my nice gesture!
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Could gaffa tape it to the body?
 
I went yesterday - very last minute decision - and didn't get there till around 13:00. Traffic was easy at that time of day - only a few minutes of slow traffic once I left the M11. Leaving at the close was even easier. I'm not a Duxford regular, but looking at sun angles I figured the Tank Bank was my best option - still not great for much of the afternoon - but the best option on site, I think. I was very close to the press enclosure, so I guess I must have had the right idea.

Here's an early shot (14:11) at 420mm on full frame and uncropped....

20120908_141119_1988_LR.jpg


And a bloody big crop (14:01)....

20120908_140103_1897_LR.jpg


Here's one from late in the day (17:17), shot at 420mm on full frame and cropped just a little....

20120908_171706_2941_LR.jpg
 
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Thanks, Simon.

Just to show long focal lengths aren't always an advantage, this was at 168mm, so about 110mm on a cropper....

20120908_165004_2807_LR.jpg
 
Great shots. The Tornado looks spot on considering the big crop! :clap:

I'm working at the moment and then have a 4hr drive home this afternoon - so not sure if I'll get chance to go through my shots today!

I'm not yet confident enough to just grab the one or two shots per pass - so I've got two 8GB cards of RAW fiels to go through when I get home!!! :bang:
 
Thanks. :)

Search the forum for "Duxford". There are a few threads appearing and many examples from others which make mine look like poo. Maybe I was in the wrong place, as I suspect it may have been better to be at the opposite end and to catch them as they banked and caught the light. I wish I knew the magic answer.
 
tdodd said:
Thanks. :)

Search the forum for "Duxford". There are a few threads appearing and many examples from others which make mine look like poo. Maybe I was in the wrong place, as I suspect it may have been better to be at the opposite end and to catch them as they banked and caught the light. I wish I knew the magic answer.
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I was on the tank bank yesterday too and thought it would of been the best place as the sun moved around our right shoulder as the afternoon went on.

I'd say one down side was that majority of passes by the aircraft were with their underside facing us though as they banked away from the crowd line. There were alot of guys over in the field in the far side - would be interesting to hear how they got on?
 
Yes, it took too bloody long for the sun to move round. I did a bit of a recce on Google Maps for alternative vantage points but I wasn't sure how practical it would be to park up a car somewhere nearby to get to them so I chickened out and bought a ticket. Certainly that hump across the runway area looked like prime shooting turf.
 
tdodd said:
Yes, it took too bloody long for the sun to move round. I did a bit of a recce on Google Maps for alternative vantage points but I wasn't sure how practical it would be to park up a car somewhere nearby to get to them so I chickened out and bought a ticket. Certainly that hump across the runway area looked like prime shooting turf.
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I think for next time I'd do the research up font and make the effort to setup on the other side. I'm sure there are plenty of people on here who will know where is best to park up etc

Saves on the entry fee and waiting +1hr to get out of the car park afterwards too!!! :)
 
mtjones said:
I think for next time I'd do the research up font and make the effort to setup on the other side. I'm sure there are plenty of people on here who will know where is best to park up etc

Saves on the entry fee and waiting +1hr to get out of the car park afterwards too!!! :)
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There is a No parking zones on the roads by the fields opposite the runway during airshows but the local primary school in duxford village does parking and then its a 10-20 min walk.
 
The bottom on passes are standard for most airshows. The reason, I'd guess is that the dispaly aircraft fly an oval with a flat side, that being parallel to the crowd. Which is fine for safety I suppose, but makes for pretty crap photo opportunities.
The Sun at DUX is not your friend, it's at a horrible angle most of the day, not much you can do about it inside.
The alternatives are not going to last forever, I suspect that the more people go in the field, the more they will tighten up on access. That's a shame, but the way of the world.
 
Bernie174 said:
The bottom on passes are standard for most airshows. The reason, I'd guess is that the dispaly aircraft fly an oval with a flat side, that being parallel to the crowd. Which is fine for safety I suppose, but makes for pretty crap photo opportunities.
The Sun at DUX is not your friend, it's at a horrible angle most of the day, not much you can do about it inside.
The alternatives are not going to last forever, I suspect that the more people go in the field, the more they will tighten up on access. That's a shame, but the way of the world.
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Yes - as off site spots become more known then the organisors are bound to get 'twitchy' about it more! Shame - make the most while you can, eh!
 
you don't even need a big lens! this was taken with 24-105mm f4L, cropped to about 1/4 of the original. (having 22MP to play with helps)


Vulcan by wuyanxu, on Flickr

anyone know where the underside light comes from?
 
Yeah, but think what you could have had with a 200mm or 300mm lens instead. :D

I also noticed the strange lighting underneath. No idea what the source was.

20120908_141119_1988_LR.jpg
 
tdodd said:
Yeah, but think what you could have had with a 200mm or 300mm lens instead. :D

I also noticed the strange lighting underneath. No idea what the source was.
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Was it simply the reflection of the grass? I seem to remember it being quite a pale green/yellow. The sun was super bright.
 
I also noticed the strange lighting underneath. No idea what the source was.
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The Tin triangle is covered in semi glass pain, it reflects grass, and everything else annoyingly well. The fields opposite were full of chopped off yellowish things (I obviously should have done horticulture at school!) which probably accounts for the odd reflections.
 
Thanks or the input. That makes plenty of sense.
 
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