Indoor karting

livewires71

livewires71

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Dean
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I have a Canon 450D on it's way (hopefully it will get here in time) with a 18-55 & 75-300 lens. I'm going to a Christmas party which includes a indoor karting session in Wolverhampton. I was hoping someone could advise me what are ideal settings for a beginner to get the best results as I imagine it to be a tricky environment to do so.
Many thanks in advance:thumbs:
 
I would basically bump ISO all the way up to 1600 right off the bat. Noisy & grainy pics are better than motion blur and camera shake. No IS on the lenses and f/4 - f/5.6 on the focal lengths that you were probably looking to use is not going to make it easy.

With that kit, personally I'd keep the 18-55 on the camera and try to capture wide angle shots at f/3.5 & ISO 1600. This means keeping the lens close to 18mm. Zooming in on the action will cost you more than 1 stop of aperture (f/5.6) as well as increasing camera shake and motion blur due to increased magnification (and angular velocity whatnot ;))

Just crop in post if you can stand the high ISO noise.

I may be all wrong though, bring on the dissenting opinions :bonk:
 
I wouldnt use any more than 400asa and a good flash, these were taken YEARS ago with a Canon 10D and Metz 45 CT1 and Canon 28-105.

You have a much better camera but the flash is all important. Built in camera flash NO chance.

Pan with the cart

cart.jpg

cart3.jpg

cart2.jpg


And yes my sons were moving....
 
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Without being in the exact building you're going to be in at the time you're going to be there we can't give you settings because we don't know what the light will be like.

I'd avoid flash if at all possible because it freezes everything which looks unnatural for subjects like cars/karts and on-camera flash as a main light tends to look awful for everything - but it may be so dark that you've no other choice.

Set your aperture as wide as it'll go, set the ISO as high as it'll go and then see what sort of shutter speeds you're getting a good exposure at. If it's too low for you to get anything sharp consistently you'll have to go with the on board flash (assuming you don't have an external one that you haven't mentioned).
You're probably going to find you either have to pre-focus on a spot or manual focus because those aren't fast focusing lenses at the best of times and the low light level will cause focus accuracy issues, possibly to the extent that it just won't focus at all.

Most importantly don't spend all day with a camera glued to your face sitting out of what's going on. Far too many people seem to only experience things through a screen/viewfinder these days rather than just looking at the world around them.
 
Thanks for the advice guys. So now I need to get a decent flash or forget it then.
 
DazJW said:
I'd avoid flash if at all possible because it freezes everything which looks unnatural for subjects like cars/karts and on-camera flash as a main light tends to look awful for everything - but it may be so dark that you've no other choice.

QUOTE]

I have been to many with my sons, unless it is outdoors you have no choice than to use flash, it is as dark as a living room with one 100w light, 1600asa just will not do the trick, you have to use flash.
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With a set up like that even with a decent flash I wouldnt even bother with the ''freezing the action'' shots to be honest.
If I was doing it, I'd use the 18-55 and try getting some ''getting ready/posing with the helmet/behind the wheel'' shots. they might not be the typical photos u'd expect from a kart race but it'll stil be a nice set of event photos.

Edit:
With a 450D becareful with ISO1600... its VERY noisy :S
 
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Try some panning shots? And if you can, shoot from the inside of a bend to get the karts at an angle. The drivers will be looking along the bend - and will appear to be looking at the camera with luck. You will need flash. If it's the pop-up on the camera, the effective range will be around 10-15 feet. A top-mounted flash gun will have quite a bit more range. Chances are the 18-55 will give you the best results. Go for your widest aperture, set the camera to centre focus point and servo focusing and make sure you are in continuous shooting (drive) mode.
 
I would not use the 75-300 at max ap you will have almost no DOF, perhaps f8 with a good flash
 
Ideally, you need a fast lens.

An f/2.8 telephoto or fast prime, along with your 450d at either 800 or 1600 iso.

You'll struggle to get enough light with your current lenses and I'd be careful using a flash - some indoor kart venues don't allow it! And as already stated, you won't be able to get a nice panning shot or motion blur if you rely on the flash.

Indoor sports are difficult to shoot, and that's why the pros spend thousands on fast lenses and high end full frame cameras where the iso can really be pushed without degrading image quality too much.
 
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Personally I'd go for fast lens over a flash, and unless you have a flash like the ones on rollercoasters or a proper studio lighting setup in there I doubt you'll get a good shot. If all else fails...nifty fifty?
 
ohara said:
Personally I'd go for fast lens over a flash, and unless you have a flash like the ones on rollercoasters or a proper studio lighting setup in there I doubt you'll get a good shot. If all else fails...nifty fifty?
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Agreed, id go for a fast lens and crop it.

It does depend what you want thoe:

1)Stop motion = Require fast shutter, low f/stop and maybe high ISO. Very easy but needs the right equipment.

2) Pan = This should be easy but I could imagine karts would need a steady hand. This can be done with pretty much any lens as your not stopping motion your following it. You can use slower shutter speeds which let in more light. The keep rate may also be low depending how good you are.

http://www.ephotozine.com/article/motorsports-photography---a-complete-guide-4655
 
Well the good news is the new 450d has turned up and I have borrowed a flash from a friend, so all ready for the race. Hopefully someone else will be taking the podium shots because I'm on the top step :)
 
I managed to get a couple of half decent shots, I've just got to work out how to post them on here :-]
 
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