Mach loop virgin

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Skids72

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Simon
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Hi all

I have been given the chance to go to the Loop on Thursday, and also a lens to use (as I dont have one yet) and wondered if there was any advice for setting my camera up. ISO shutter speeds etc. I have not had an opportunity to photograph aircraft since getting my camera so I am totally new to it.

I have a Canon 40D and a borrowed Sigma 150-500 1:5-6.3 APO HSM.

Any help appreciated

Thanks
Simon
 
Skids72 said:
Hi all

I have been given the chance to go to the Loop on Thursday, and also a lens to use (as I dont have one yet) and wondered if there was any advice for setting my camera up. ISO shutter speeds etc. I have not had an opportunity to photograph aircraft since getting my camera so I am totally new to it.

I have a Canon 40D and a borrowed Sigma 150-500 1:5-6.3 APO HSM.

Any help appreciated

Thanks
Simon
Click to expand...

Hopefully the weather will be ok. The sigma might struggle to keep the shutter speeds up, but advice is for jets as this is your 1st time, used AISERVO, single or multi focus points, depending on what you feel comfortable with, shutter speeds around the 1/1000 sec for jet just so that you'll have a few keepers (images) depending on whether there are any aircraft out training.

Try and focus on the aircraft as early as possible and smoothly pan with the aircraft as it approaches, once the aircraft starts to fill 1/2 2/3 frame start taking your shots, avoid machine gun appoach, shutter lag on your camera will miss shots, best to take 2/3 shots and another 2/3 shots rather than trying to shoot the aircraft down.

Hopefully the weather will be good enough to achieve decent shutter speeds, but you can up the ISO, say to 400, perhaps 800 to try and achieve shutter speeds of around 1/1000 sec. Tucano perhaps 1/320-400 sec unless you're confident to go slower, herc's 1/200-250 again slower if you want, but depends how accomplished you are with panning. Hawks you could probably go with 1/640 - 800

Best places to photograph are the Bwlch spur (opposite side), Bwlch shelves or Bwlch exit, Blue Bell hill, but the climb might kill you (pack light and keep ready, not much time to capture shots), Cad West (cockpit shots) and East
(undersides) and head-ons or Corris Corner for shots over the lake. Personally the Bwlch isn't a bad place to start.

Word of warning, you are up on the side of a hill, its exposed, conditions ain't beach weather so be preapred with extra clothing (you don't have to wear it, but have it to hand - you wouldn't climb up Snowdon in shorts and T-shirt and nothing else, I know idiots have and they're usually the one who get rescued for exposure to the conditions), wet weather gear etc as you do alot of standing around and getting cold won't do you any good.

Hopefully you'll have a good day weather wise
 
Thanks for the advice Peter. Think we are going to Cad West, but the Weather is not looking to good. Hopefully it wont rain all day and I will get some shots.

Thanks again
Simon
 
Great advice Peter... hoping to get there myself one day but I'm on the wrong side of the country.
 
Well Peter your advice was sound and I will post some shots up soon. Had a great time and when I looked at some other peoples shots with an L Lens boy can you see the difference. But happy for first time.

Ipswichboy you have to go, took us three hours to get there, and we had 1 herc, 2 F-15s (through twice) and 1 Hawk. Would have driven twice the distance for it. Photos are good but the experience was bloody amazing. Such an adrenalin buzz when someone shouts "F-15"
 
Skids72 said:
Well Peter your advice was sound and I will post some shots up soon. Had a great time and when I looked at some other peoples shots with an L Lens boy can you see the difference. But happy for first time.

Ipswichboy you have to go, took us three hours to get there, and we had 1 herc, 2 F-15s (through twice) and 1 Hawk. Would have driven twice the distance for it. Photos are good but the experience was bloody amazing. Such an adrenalin buzz when someone shouts "F-15"
Click to expand...

Perhaps I'll suggest a romantic break in Wales to the missus :thumbs:
 
Skids72 said:
Well Peter your advice was sound and I will post some shots up soon. Had a great time and when I looked at some other peoples shots with an L Lens boy can you see the difference. But happy for first time
Click to expand...

Great it all worked out and you got to see the 15s, there becoming a regular visitor to the loop
 
Yeah its a shame it wasn't Tuesday, apparently the F15s had about 18-20 passes through that day. Oh well give me an excuse to go back again
 
Great advice Peter!

I'm going to a wedding in Criccieth in september which is only 45 mins away- are there flights on Saturdays? EDIT: just found timetable that looks like no weekeneds and only 1-2pm on weekdays. Will have to time flights well!
 
Darthchaffinch said:
Great advice Peter!

I'm going to a wedding in Criccieth in september which is only 45 mins away- are there flights on Saturdays? EDIT: just found timetable that looks like no weekeneds and only 1-2pm on weekdays. Will have to time flights well!
Click to expand...

Although you may see something monday - friday, you can't guarantee aircraft going around the loop, and there's no real timetable for aircraft movement (i.e. a hawk will fly around the loop at 10am) as the lowfly area's are rather large and aircraft can use other parts of the area's to do their training.
 
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