Going to the Olympic velodrome tomorrow

[andya700]

Well, the time has come around quite quickly, and I have printed off all the rules and regulations, so I will be taking the camera along. First of all, has anyone been inside the velodrome yet, and what lighting conditions can I expect, as I will be using a 70 - 210 F4 (crop sensor), and we will be on level two, just at the start of the final bend. I may take a small, manual "nifty fifty" to see if I can get any atmospheric shots of the inside of the venue (and the surrounding Olympic park if possible.
Hopefully I will post some of the results, but if they are pants, they will be getting deleted.

 

[kelack]

Very jealous! Have a good day. Sorry, can't help with the settings etc

 

[dave_xyz]

Well, the time has come around quite quickly, and I have printed off all the rules and regulations, so I will be taking the camera along. First of all, has anyone been inside the velodrome yet, and what lighting conditions can I expect, as I will be using a 70 - 210 F4 (crop sensor), and we will be on level two, just at the start of the final bend. I may take a small, manual "nifty fifty" to see if I can get any atmospheric shots of the inside of the venue (and the surrounding Olympic park if possible.
Hopefully I will post some of the results, but if they are pants, they will be getting deleted.

I went to the velodrome this afternoon with my son. The lighting is pretty bright, and there was a fair number of people were using 70-200 F4 lenses (and plenty using slower than that). Unfortunately didn't take my gear so can't comment on the actual results.

We were on row 8 just at the end of the final bend and could see all except the very nearest part of the track. Where you are I think you should be able to get some good shots of the riders coming down the back straight.

Edited to add there's limited access to the park - it is a building site with plenty of activity. You'll be bused from the entrance to the velodrome.

Dave

 

[andya700]

Cheers folks. Camera battery charged up, memory card in. I found an old Lowepro bag which takes the camera (and food) with ease. May squeeze a couple of extra lenses in, thinking that the 28 - 85 might be more use.
Hope the alarm goes off in the morning.

 

[Pjlawrie]

Hi there, was also at the velodrome this afternoon and was worried about getting my camera in so went minimalist with a 70-200 f4 and 28mm f1.8. Lighting is pretty decent and there are some good spots that are cordoned off for photographers. I have put a post up about twenty minutes ago with some shots from today. Have fun and go Team GB!

 

[mtsuit]

I was also lucky enough to get to see some racing at the velodrome at the weekend. The only cordoned off spots I saw were for accredited photographers, though.

Some quick notes for anyone interested or lucky enough to have tickets for the summer:
* I had no problem getting kit in. Apart from the pros I didn't see anything larger than about a 70-200/2.8, though.
* 70-200 on a 1.6x crop was mostly ok, although I sometimes wanted a little longer for action at the far end.
* Take something very wide if you want a full width shot of the velodrome. (I didn't)
* My seat was one row back from the barrier so other people were an issue. Lots of opportunity to wander round and find angles from the central floor level of the velodrome.
* Go outside and look up. The velodrome building itself looks fantastic. Maybe you won't have to look up in the summer o get a clean shot once they finish the landscaping.

 

[andya700]

Go outside and look up. The velodrome building itself looks fantastic. Maybe you won't have to look up in the summer o get a clean shot once they finish the landscaping.

Very true, I thought that the bus was taking us to the "Green Zone" in Baghdad.
All good suggestions about the kit to take, especially the wide angle lens. I had a great time on Saturday, and spent a few hours just wandering around, trying to find new angles to shoot from. We were right at the top of the row, so quite high up (did nothing for my vertigo), which is why I decided to go for a wander every so often.
Great event!