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motor racing night lens
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pete.rush
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Could you expand please, how important is the lens for taking night motorsport shots. Are the night shots of the action, ie moving cars etc or action in the pits. What focal length do you want, is this track racing, rally, how close do you intend to get to the action. Is night photography not so important, and you just want a general lens for Motorsport, a bit more information is required.
Hi sorry it will be on track action shots I do have a Motorsport lens but it's not good enough for night time
Focal length I guess 300 should be enough
That's wy I was thinking secondhand rather then paying full price the amount I would probably use it
Focal length I guess 300 should be enough
That's wy I was thinking secondhand rather then paying full price the amount I would probably use it
Fireproof Creative
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Still a bit vague mate 
what is the lens you already have?... 300mm f2.8 is the best at that range, that can cost between 900 and 4500 quid depending on brand, condition and whether it's new or used. F2.8 is the widest aperture available at a 300+ focal length but if your body can't handle upper ISO or you haven't refined your technique, well then you have a whole set of other issues depending on what kind of shot you want to achieve.
You pretty much asked this same question last year to the day, the same advice that was offered holds true... Wide apertures let more light in so enable you to shoot at higher speeds with less light available. It's not cheap, even used... Hiring equipment is an option, but it's 2/300 quid that you won't see again.
Used Sigma 120-300 f2.8 + your new 70D probably the most affordable option. But it's not night vision equipment so don't expect miracles, I found shooting at night nigh on impossible with little ancillary lighting. Flashes won't help as a speccy at tracks so it's about position, timing, experience, patience and luck... Which means overall you'd probably still be getting a percentage of good shots with the equipment you already own, spending two grand on an upgrade will improve that ratio slightly but it won't make it any easier
what is the lens you already have?... 300mm f2.8 is the best at that range, that can cost between 900 and 4500 quid depending on brand, condition and whether it's new or used. F2.8 is the widest aperture available at a 300+ focal length but if your body can't handle upper ISO or you haven't refined your technique, well then you have a whole set of other issues depending on what kind of shot you want to achieve.You pretty much asked this same question last year to the day, the same advice that was offered holds true... Wide apertures let more light in so enable you to shoot at higher speeds with less light available. It's not cheap, even used... Hiring equipment is an option, but it's 2/300 quid that you won't see again.
Used Sigma 120-300 f2.8 + your new 70D probably the most affordable option. But it's not night vision equipment so don't expect miracles, I found shooting at night nigh on impossible with little ancillary lighting. Flashes won't help as a speccy at tracks so it's about position, timing, experience, patience and luck... Which means overall you'd probably still be getting a percentage of good shots with the equipment you already own, spending two grand on an upgrade will improve that ratio slightly but it won't make it any easier
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Fireproof Creative
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It would be helpful to know what you want to achieve from a shot, like Pete said. Also what exactly you are unhappy about with your current images? Do you have examples of images you want to emulate? The community can then advise what that would involve or if it's a feasible option.
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Fireproof Creative
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With a shot like this with very little light from external sources like a following car or floodlights even a 2.8 lens and massive ISO won't really help you.
In my limited experience and looking at other togs work you need to have factors on your side. Even at floodlit races like f1 at Singapore they struggle with slower glass, you probably need to adjust your expectations for what you can achieve with these kind of lighting conditions
In my limited experience and looking at other togs work you need to have factors on your side. Even at floodlit races like f1 at Singapore they struggle with slower glass, you probably need to adjust your expectations for what you can achieve with these kind of lighting conditions
pete.rush
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Same event similar results
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/britcar-night-race.519038/
Different event, flood light, media access, and probably 1DX and a fast prime lens
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/formula-1-abu-dhabi-grand-prix.516230/
Low light / night action photography isn't achieved on a budget with any great success
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the only cheapish ghetto type solution is a decent screw on teleconverter and a fast prime, and I'm not sure that's great either, and wouldn't get you much length.
or vintage manual lenses, there's a 300mm f4 zeiss for 200 quid in the classifieds
or vintage manual lenses, there's a 300mm f4 zeiss for 200 quid in the classifieds
sk66
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In your example image, I don't see where a faster lens or better ISO capability will help much. The image looks fine. If you gathered more light the bright areas would just blow out.
The exposure could be improved in post quite a bit... I didn't even push it that hard. (I had to reduce quality to 80% to upload)
Kevin Owens
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I agree with the other tog's, I have a 5D mk3 coupled with a 70~200 f2.8, I mainly do Equine and they are a lot slower than the Motorsport, I have included an image shot with interior lighting and still had to bump the ISO up to 12000
ISO 12800
f2.8
70mm
1/1250 sec
ISO 12800
f2.8
70mm
1/1250 sec
desantnik
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Only thing Kevin, you won't need anything like 1/1250 for motorsport!
Night races are really, really hard to shoot as others have said - slightly easier when Bernie or DORNA have paid millions of quid to light the circuit up, but other than that night races are raced...in the dark with headlights.
Again, exposure is the major problem - you can't expose for the car without blowing out the lights from the headlights.
Better gear really won't help you a lot with this - not even a D3S with a 200 f2!
Night races are really, really hard to shoot as others have said - slightly easier when Bernie or DORNA have paid millions of quid to light the circuit up, but other than that night races are raced...in the dark with headlights.
Again, exposure is the major problem - you can't expose for the car without blowing out the lights from the headlights.
Better gear really won't help you a lot with this - not even a D3S with a 200 f2!
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sorry to say there is some rather duff advice being given!
putting a teleconverter on the lens will let in less light.
you arent going to get 1/1250 in the dark
in fact you arent going to get any lens in the world even at ISO 1 billion that will freeze a car in frame in the dark.
its the technique rather than the lens that you will need to work on. find places on the circuit where the car is more lit up. even if its only a tiny bit, every little bit of light helps. use light in the background (i.e. shoot on the start /finish straight and use the light from the pits to get more light in the camera).
shoot the car that has another car close behind it so that its lit up. Pan with the car. the smaller the car is in the frame the less blurry it will be. if you can get close enough (and not for head on shots) then use a flash. Cheat a bit and underexpose your photos at dusk so they look like they are night shots.
an f1.4 will be better than an f5.6 but the difference wont be as much as using your head and your technique.
putting a teleconverter on the lens will let in less light.
you arent going to get 1/1250 in the dark
in fact you arent going to get any lens in the world even at ISO 1 billion that will freeze a car in frame in the dark.
its the technique rather than the lens that you will need to work on. find places on the circuit where the car is more lit up. even if its only a tiny bit, every little bit of light helps. use light in the background (i.e. shoot on the start /finish straight and use the light from the pits to get more light in the camera).
shoot the car that has another car close behind it so that its lit up. Pan with the car. the smaller the car is in the frame the less blurry it will be. if you can get close enough (and not for head on shots) then use a flash. Cheat a bit and underexpose your photos at dusk so they look like they are night shots.
an f1.4 will be better than an f5.6 but the difference wont be as much as using your head and your technique.
the screw on teleconverter we have seems to drop less light than a normal tc, maybe because its got a large front element, and its therefor getting more light vs a normal type with just enlarges whats there, but it still loses light..