Slightly daft motorsport questions...

[srichards]

If you're shooting side on and don't pan is there any shutter speed where the car will be sharp when they're doing between 20-50 mph?

I was at carfest earlier today and had a good straight spot where the cars were side on and not going madly quick.

I did find that liveview was more hit and miss than using the OVF. I was using the screen as I really wanted to see the cars and was taking a shot as they went by after pre-focusing where they'd go passed. I used the 28mm end so there was a wide opportunity. This didn't work well!

Panning in the normal fashion was much more successful. I was using AI mode which is single focus when stuff is still and continous when they aren't. I'm wondering whether continuous would be better? There were some instances where the car was only in focus at the beginning and end of the pan where they were similar distances from me. I did use the wider end more as I'm not coordinated enough to pan and change zoom level at the same time and I needed the wider end to get all a car in as I was fairly close to them.

I used shutter priority and set to 1/320th which I thought was fast but so fast you'd get no blur of anything at all. I even used matrix metering which is normally mental but it seemed ok when using S mode. What's a reasonable shutter speed to get some movement blur but without having too much opportunity to blur the car too much?

One of the better ones:


Untitled by srichgtr, on Flickr

Another day of it tomorrow so any suggestions on what to try next?

 

[Mikesphotaes]

Move your camera!

 

[srichards]

I did on their return. I wanted to have a good look at the cars as they went out so was idly catching them when they floated in front of the lens. On the way back I did the proper pan method. I was just wondering what shutter speed would be necessary for the idle method

 

[Az_GTi]

Pretty random question Most of the time with side on shots you want to try and show the motion to avoid it looking "parked". However probably 1/1000sec would be enough I think, obviously the higher the better (just up your ISO depends on the light). I'd suggest getting a closer look at the start/finish area or paddock/garage area, can usually get pretty close and then it won't be moving

 

[srichards]

I was at a start/finish area They came by my vantage point twice. I don't know whether they did that on the rest of the course.

I'm going to try and find a shadier corner and try some slower pans.

I've done lots of static car shows so it is more fun to catch them moving

 

[sambloxxy]

How much of the car is blurred depends on the angle of the car in relation to you. In the picture you've put up, at the time you've took the photo, the car is not perpendicular to you, which means the car is getting larger/smaller in one part of the frame that it is in the other.

Its hard to explain, but have a look at this shot I took a while back at Brands - http://www.flickr.com/photos/64946037@N03/7597477258/in/photostream

The car is coming towards me, and the slow shutter speed (1/60) has exaggerated the effect, so the front and rear is blured, but the centre is sharp (ish!) because that part of the car is pivoting in relation to my sensor.

But to (finally) answer your question, if you want to freeze a car moving across your path, it being large in the frame (more than 3/4 of the frame full) you'll need at least 1/640 but really 1/1000th and faster. But as Az-GTi said, go for a pan when they're moving, it makes a much better photo!

 

[Phillips_91]

Although this one is actually a pan, i was trying to freeze the car because i wanted to try and catch the brakes which were glowing red (failed on that part) and to give you an idea it was shot at 1/500, its a poor picture because i only had a 18-55 kit lens and its a heavy crop but you get the idea

IMG_0237 by Phillips_91, on Flickr

 

[Phil V]

Although this one is actually a pan, i was trying to freeze the car because i wanted to try and catch the brakes which were glowing red (failed on that part) and to give you an idea it was shot at 1/500, its a poor picture because i only had a 18-55 kit lens and its a heavy crop but you get the idea
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dphillipsphotography/7232718088/
IMG_0237 by Phillips_91, on Flickr

The glowing brakes show better at lower shutter speeds being brighter than the blurred wheels.

 

[Phillips_91]

The glowing brakes show better at lower shutter speeds being brighter than the blurred wheels.

Worked that one out afterwards :bang: was VERY new to photography at that point think actually it was my first time doing panning

 

[Diamond hell]

IMG_0237 by Phillips_91, on Flickr

Looks like Quarry at Combe - one of the UK's best vulture stations.

I'm always disappointed by official track photographer's photos - they always want to just stop motion, often with very little else in the shot that isn't the car, so it could be that car on any circuit, anywhere.

About the only place this is acceptable, in my books is Eau Rouge at Spa!

 

[Phillips_91]

Not sure on corner names but it certainly is castle combe

 

[Diamond hell]

Not sure on corner names but it certainly is castle combe

Long bend, tightening radius at the East end of the circuit. It's where I catch out 2WD Golfs with my Syncro (4WD) and watch them pirouette off in front of me

 

[mrgubby]

The glowing brakes show better at lower shutter speeds being brighter than the blurred wheels.

Pan & Glow, the new BTCC shampoo