How do you capture motor sport?

Kryptix

Kryptix

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When you're at a track taking pictures of whatever is racing around, how do you focus?

Do you leave it on a set focus and wait until the vehicle reaches that point of focus? Do you quickly manually focus wherever you want the shot? Do you use auto focus all the time?

I've always wondered. Whenever I try, I cannot focus and zoom at the same time (I'm quite new), so I have to focus on a vehicle that I don't want to shoot, and then wait until the next vehicle passes that point and I snap it.

Any tips? The main reason I bought the equiptment was for track days/motor sport, but I'm really struggling with it.

Regarding panning, I'm aware that you have to set a slower shutter speed and 'pan' the vehicle to get background blur (the sense of speed), but how do you know what shutter speed and ISO to use? There's quite a few times when I think I've nailed it and keep on the same settings through-out the session, only to get home and realise all the pictures are blurred and horrible once I load them onto the big screen.

Advice please... :)
 
What focus setting are you shooting on? Sounds like your shooting with one shot, try shifting it to servo and that should sort your problem. As for the rest, ill leave it to Matt Sayle to sort you out :)
 
Just manual, I think. I set a shutter speed to what I thought was correct, ISO 100 and f/4.0...
 
I would have thought that you would need to set A1servo for focusing on moving objects.
 
Depends. I will use either depending on the situation.

Most of the time AI servo (continuous on a Nikon). The autofocus systems are good enough these days to easily capture the action.

However, if it is a tricky shot, where I will only see the car for a brief moment I will manually focus, as the autofocus will not have time to recognise the car and fire before it is gone again.

I also often use manual focus if I'm using my 300mm 2.8 lens with a 2x converter, particularly when the light isn't great. The autofocus can really struggle in these situations, and by manually focusing and waiting for a car to arrive in that spot I will get a sharp picture, rather than a marginally soft one. I'd hate to have a massively soft picture in dps!

The picture below was shot with a 300 2.8 with a 2x converter, 1/400sec at f6.3 ISO250. Had to manually focus, because the light wasn't great, and you only get a split second to get the cars in that position.

Armour_07.jpg
 
Now, before I begin, I will admit that I'm not very good at it myself. What I do know however is that for panning you need to set the camera in shutter priority. That way the camera will pick the appropriate apperture for you, so you don't have to worry about that.

As far as focussing goes, not a clue. I've just tried it and got lucky, so I can't help you much with that. I do remember that I didn't zoom once I had decided where I wanted to take the actual shot. That means I didn't have to look at that anymore and could focus on the focussing. ;)
 
Firstly choose your CF card and quality setting, then see how long you can shoot in continuous for before the shots become spaced further apart.

I set the camera to be on a fixed AF point, AI servo and continuous shooting, usually on aperture priority. Follow the car towards the point at you want the shot with the the shutter half pressed to maintain focus, then about 'half your buffer before its in position' press and hold the shutter down until the car is gone or the buffer is full.

It'll take some practise, but you'll get there :).

http://www.xen0phobiak.f2s.com/novaload/karting08/_MG_5200.JPG
http://www.xen0phobiak.f2s.com/novaload/karting08/_MG_5232.JPG
http://www.xen0phobiak.co.uk/karting/_MG_5196.JPG
 
As for panning - it takes practice to get really smooth. Start at 1/320 of a second and gradually work your way down. Don't worry if you get a few duffers, it's all down to practice. The slower the shutter speed, the harder it gets!

The first picture was shot at 1/250th of a second, the second at 1/30th of a second - getting the first was straight forward, second was a lot harder!

1.
Thompson_22.jpg


2.
Idafar_13.jpg
 
Panning can be done in any mode. However doing it in shutter priority allows you to define the shutter speed directly, but you could do it in manual, aperture priority or not.

Most of the time I use the AF system, using a specific focus point and picking up the car early on. However there are some times where this isn't possible and you have to prefocus and shoot when the car is in focus.
 
Given the likelihood that the light conditions are going to be changing, shutter priority is just much easier and gives you one less thing to worry about. I've typically used both AIServo and manual, depending on how crowded it is and if I can get a clear view, the AIServo gets totally out of kilter if you pan across someone's head. (Not that I'm either very experienced or particularly good).
 
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