Motorsport Photography

MrP775

MrP775

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Carl
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Hi all.

I'm off to see the touring cars this weekend with my 600d, my question is should i use apeture or shutter priority and what sort of settings? Also should i have the camera on manual or auto focus and if its on auto what do i set it to, one shot, ai servo etc.

I'm hoping to get some really good shots, but really need help on my settings.

Thanks in advance

Carl
 
I know a lot of motorsport photographers use shutter priority. Personally ive always used manual but I will be giving shutter priority ago this weekend.

I use auto focus for motorsport. Not sure if you know this already but set your ISO at 400 then go from there.

Good luck.
 
Autofocus - AI Servo
Shutter Priority - for panning try 1/125 as a starting point, a bit higher for front 3/4
Adjust ISO to get an aperture around f/8
set it so you choose the focus point. Collect car in advance with shutter half pressed and then fire off a frame when car where you want it.
 
andrewc said:
Autofocus - AI Servo
Shutter Priority - for panning try 1/125 as a starting point, a bit higher for front 3/4
Adjust ISO to get an aperture around f/8
set it so you choose the focus point. Collect car in advance with shutter half pressed and then fire off a frame when car where you want it.
Click to expand...

This but I would start off at 1/200th personally to get some sharp shots then go lower to get abit more movement in the wheels.
Also when paning dont just immediately stop dead after pressing the shutter but carry on the arc to finish the pan.
What lenses do you have?
 
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I went to the BTCC Media day at Donnington, was shooting manual, take a reading of a grey card or use the tarmac ;) gave me 1/125 @f7.1 ISO 160 but the light may be different. As already said pick up the car in the viewfinder before shooting and pan smoothly by twisting your body and follow through. Focus should be AI Servo depending on which direction use a focus point to the right of centre if car coming in from the left and keep it on a fixed point on the car (not easy but do your best). Also use multiple shots, whislt it may gobble your card it gives you more bites of the cherry.

This was 1/125 f5.6 @ISO100 which gives you a nice background and wheel blur to indicate speed (Est 120mph) Oh and wrap up warm, with fingerless gloves as well, it was freezing at Donnington!

IMG_H0757.jpg
 
I went to Brands today for the practice session. 1/100 was a fair figure for panning, but I got decent results both above and below that figure. Some assorted examples in this thread....

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=474492

No question that practice helps, so don't be too ambitious too quickly and don't give up. Work at it and you will become used to the movements necessary. I'm rusty every time I go.

Usually I would shoot with manual exposure, but today the light was a bit too variable so I shot mostly in shutter priority mode since I wanted control over how the impression of speed was captured within the scene and cared far less about aperture value.
 
I'm with D-Pearce and Richard T.

Has anyone asked Carl whether he's shot Motorsport before, because from the sound of his post, he seems pretty green.

So there you are already with recommendation for shooting pans of 1/100 1/125 sec without establishing what lens he has, whether he's done this before, how does he position himself, where to put the sun when shooting, what setting to use for head on shots.

He'll go to brands use the settings you've recommended, take a load of half decent shots (most of us would bin), most of which will probably be soft and go away disappointed.

Carl please have a read of Richards thread, there's some good tips to get you started

Have a read of this thread as a prime example

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=434271&highlight=Panning
 
Beav said:
Not sure if you know this already but set your ISO at 400 then go from there.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

:thinking: Why go for iso 400? I thought you would start off at 100 then adjust it till your get aperture around f8?
 
Wow, thank you so much all of you. I've been knocking around here for a while, took a few at Brands last year with a 350d and a Canon 70-300mm lens. I've now got a 600D and a Tamron 70-300mm lens. Took a couple of these ones last year, i dont know if it was the camera or me, but they didnt seem to be focused very well. I was also taking these hand held, but now i've got myself a mono pod as well. If anyone can see where i was going wrong let me know.

Thanks again

IMG_3447.jpg


IMG_2499.jpg


IMG_2409.jpg
 
I wouldnt use a monopod personally as they restrict movement I find rather than help unless your using a massive lens like the the 300 prime etc.
Number ones through through the fence, thats why its soft as your camera hasnt focussed througg the fence.
Number two: youve either missed focus, to slow a shutter speed or when you pressed the shutter you stopped staright away rather than finish of the pan
Number three: Was it still moving when you took the shot or was stopped, the tyres look sharp. It might have been that you had all focus points selected rather than individual so the cameras focused on the trees.

As a base setting:
Al servo
1/200th shutter speed
Iso: Look through the viewfinder and half press the shutter until you see the figures then adjust the iso until its around F8
You also might find back button focus helps: so rather than half press the shutter you press the star button on the back to focus and press the shutter when you want to take the picture.
You might not like it but ever since i used it ive found it so much better.
 
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D-pearce92 said:
I wouldnt use a monopod personally as they restrict movement I find rather than help unless your using a massive lens like the the 300 prime etc.
Number ones through through the fence, thats why its soft as your camera hasnt focussed througg the fence.
Number two: youve either missed focus, to slow a shutter speed or when you pressed the shutter you stopped staright away rather than finish of the pan
Number three: Was it still moving when you took the shot or was stopped, the tyres look sharp. It might have been that you had all focus points selected rather than individual so the cameras focused on the trees.

As a base setting:
Al servo
1/200th shutter speed
Iso: Look through the viewfinder and half press the shutter until you see the figures then adjust the iso until its around F8
You also might find back button focus helps: so rather than half press the shutter you press the star button on the back to focus and press the shutter when you want to take the picture.
You might not like it but ever since i used it ive found it so much better.
Click to expand...

Thanks, so i'm now thinking if i set the camera to M, the appeture to F8 and the ISO on Auto, then using the meter in the camera viewfinder to hopefully get it right.
 
MrP775 said:
Thanks, so i'm now thinking if i set the camera to M, the appeture to F8 and the ISO on Auto, then using the meter in the camera viewfinder to hopefully get it right.
Click to expand...

I wouldnt personally use manual, I would stick to TV mode then maybe venture into Manual mode when you start getting consistant results in TV mode.
 
Motorsport is all about the settings and freezing the action (but with an essence of motion) but not too slow that you get soft images or too fast that you freeze the action (stop the action) like with the motorbike, but it also depends what your subject is. Motorbikes tend to go faster than cars, so you'll need slightly faster shutter speeds for motorbikes, it's also depends whether your panning or capturing head on shots, whether its a slow corner, straight. For head on shots aperture may be more important that shutter speed, as long as you have a fastest enough shutter speed to capture the action.

Panning isn't easy, anyone you tells you otherwise (well just say I've seen their efforts and most shots would end up in the waste bin). Achieving shots at 1/100 - 1/125 sec ain't easy, it's all about a smooth pan and this will only come with practice, lots of practice. Also positioning of your body is very important when panning. Have a read of both threads I've posted including the one below.

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=8216

Camera setting are also important especially when you're struggling with the conditions because of the light limiting what shutter speeds your camera is allowing you to set. ISO will help you control the aperture and shutter speeds.
 
D-pearce92 said:
I wouldnt personally use manual, I would stick to TV mode then maybe venture into Manual mode when you start getting consistant results in TV mode.
Click to expand...

See your point, i shall stick with TV first tomorrow, gt a few other oppurtunities to head to brands so i'm sure i'll get some good practice in this year.
 
pete.rush said:
Motorsport is all about the settings and freezing the action (but with an essence of motion) but not too slow that you get soft images or too fast that you freeze the action (stop the action) like with the motorbike, but it also depends what your subject is. Motorbikes tend to go faster than cars, so you'll need slightly faster shutter speeds for motorbikes, it's also depends whether your panning or capturing head on shots, whether its a slow corner, straight. For head on shots aperture may be more important that shutter speed, as long as you have a fastest enough shutter speed to capture the action.

Panning isn't easy, anyone you tells you otherwise (well just say I've seen their efforts and most shots would end up in the waste bin). Achieving shots at 1/100 - 1/125 sec ain't easy, it's all about a smooth pan and this will only come with practice, lots of practice. Also positioning of your body is very important when panning. Have a read of both threads I've posted including the one below.

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=8216

Camera setting are also important especially when you're struggling with the conditions because of the light limiting what shutter speeds your camera is allowing you to set. ISO will help you control the aperture and shutter speeds.
Click to expand...

Thank you, just had a read of that, love the foot prints. Makes perfect sense i'll try to put it into practice tomorrow.
 
I always think it's worth spending some time (on a support race for instance) shooting in full manual. I think it's nice to try and do this stuff from basics. I'm no expert, but learning how to do it in manual allows you to appreciate what's going on when you use a semi auto mode.

Of course, that may be the wine talking.
 
For myself.
Trackside:
Normally shutter priority and normally at 1/320 (this should give me some blurred wheels). ISO set to minimum to give an aperture of around F8.
A downside to 1/320 is that unplanned events may not be sharp because the shutter speed is too slow, beside any other problems.

If the light is low it will be aperture prioprity, with the lens usaully wide open or there abouts (I normally shoot with a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 lens), ISO at ,maximum or nearly maximum and take what ever shutter speed I can get.
Exposure compensation may be used if needed.

I only shoot manual in tricky lighting, like when head lights may mislead the exposure setting, or shooting into the sun etc.

----------------------

I normally start around 1/125 for paning and go up or down from there.
+1 on lots of practice.

--------------
I almost always use a monopd except when panning. Some lenses can get heavy for us old guys during a days shooting.
 
Well, i had a great day yesterday. Ended up taking just short of 1500 shots, however to be honest i can say i'm happy with most of them. Think i just need some more practice, although the ever changing light didn't really help. It appears the ones i've tried to take from across the track at full 300mm focal length look washed out and just rubbish, could this be over or under exposure? The ones closer up just after druids were pretty good though.

Thanks everyone for the advise, i shot in 1/160 or 1/200 ISO between 100 and 400 to get the appeture at around f8 as much as possible.
 
Glad to hear you had a successful day.

"Washed out and rubbish" may mean overexposed or flare. Where you shooting into the sun?
If so were you using a lens hood? A flilter on the lens may have degraded the immage, especially if it is dirty. Lastly if itwas rainning spray from the cars on the lens will cauise a "washed out" (low contrast) image.
 
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