Photographing a big windsurfing event in the summer

bartoszwozniak

bartoszwozniak

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Bartosz Wozniak
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Hi everyone, I am just in need of a bit of advice really. I am going to be photographing a huge windsurfing event this summer in Croatia and I want to make sure that my kit is appropriate for the task.

I currently have the EF 70-200mm f/4 L along with my Canon 6D, and despite the fact that I will have access to boats and can get much closer to the action than from the shores, I feel that I will need AT LEAST 300mm on the full frame to get the necessary reach to get a nice range of photographs - including some personal ones of the windsurfers.

I am contemplating a number of different solutions, including buying a dedicated lens off the Classifieds but I am also thinking about the 2x extender. I want to get the best results and quality possible whilst keeping in mind the budget.

Would anyone have any advice for a good solution??
 
A decent crop body? 1.6x extra apparent reach with no loss of light gathering ability.
 
It depends entirely on how close you can get. This was taken a very long time ago on 35mm film through a 200mm prime lens, as that was all I had available...

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I prefer to use the shortest lens that will do the job because the problems multiply twice as much as the focal length.
 
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Nod said:
A decent crop body? 1.6x extra apparent reach with no loss of light gathering ability.
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Well I do actually have a 40D as my second body, but what would be the benefit of using that over just cropping the same amount on the images from my 6D?

skiking said:
Thing I'd be looking for is some protection from the sea salt.
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To be honest I have never thought of this, I've photographed by the sea and had taken my equipment out to sea before many times and never had a problem. What sort of protection are you thinking?
 
I bumped into Dave White (pro windsurf photographer, http://davewhite.me/ - drop him an email or a message on Facebook) a several years ago at Hunstanton, and this was his choice:



5D2 and a 500L. I had a good long play with it as he was desperate to get on the water.

It really depends where you can get yourself in relation to the action. Which means it's impossible to say unless you've got a map, an idea of the course and tides. Go equipped to react to circumstances, but I'd say you'd need something in the 300-500mm range on full-frame to be fully prepared.
 
bartoszwozniak said:
Well I do actually have a 40D as my second body, but what would be the benefit of using that over just cropping the same amount on the images from my 6D?


To be honest I have never thought of this, I've photographed by the sea and had taken my equipment out to sea before many times and never had a problem. What sort of protection are you thinking?
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Sea salt is very corrosive and it is also going to be in the air as well as the spray. I'm assuming it's going to be windy otherwise the action will be a tad slow. If you are taking pictures for several hours I'd invest in some disposable lens/camera covers. Just my view!
 
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