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stan the man

stan the man

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now i'm after some advice if any of you could help..going to watch some motorcycle road racing this weekend,and i want to take some piccy's,question is...is the sports setting on the camera good enough,or as scott kelby says..use a slower shutter speed,and if so..how do i go about doing that,and to what speed do i set it at?

hopefully,one of you alpha users out there will have the answer for me..:wave:

thanks in advance :thumbs:
 
I can't help you with the motorbike photography side of things, but to set the shutter speed you need to use Shutter Priority Mode (should be on the mode dial as S or Tv). There will probably be instructions on this in the manual :)

I think I'd just start at around 1/200 sec, try a few test shots and raise it/lower it to get the effect you're after.
 
Also, follow the bike with the camera. Usually I avoid pre-settings like 'sports' mode, etc. You could shoot manually, or shoot in aperture priority mode. Set the aperture to the smallest F-number (e.g. F4, F3.5, etc). This will also lower the depth of field and push the background out-of-focus, making the rider stand out more.
 
cheers folks..been trying it out on passing traffic..seems to be ok(just hope no-one stops and punches me)..lowest setting is F4.5 and shutter speed at 200.i take it that these will be ok?or can you only have one or the other?stupid question probably,but i am a complete novice at this :help:
 
Hi Stan,

For a starter, shoot in av mode as wide open as you can - i.e F2.8, this will then maintain your shutter speed dependant on light - which you can then manage with your ISO so that you start to freeze images or get a little movement if you prefer. If you are shooting at F4.5 you will need a reasonable IS0 to get shutter speeds so up the IS0 one stop at a time til you get what you need.

If the bikes are approaching you switch to your servo mode, whether canon or nikon as this will focus on the movement of the machine. Also, shoot at your optimum frame rate, ie. 3, 5 or 8 etc. If you are panning 1/125 is a good ss to pan with as it will nail the bike but get movement behind the rider etc.

Hope this helps.

Diego.
 
Diego Garcia said:
Hi Stan,

For a starter, shoot in av mode as wide open as you can - i.e F2.8, this will then maintain your shutter speed dependant on light - which you can then manage with your ISO so that you start to freeze images or get a little movement if you prefer. If you are shooting at F4.5 you will need a reasonable IS0 to get shutter speeds so up the IS0 one stop at a time til you get what you need.

If the bikes are approaching you switch to your servo mode, whether canon or nikon as this will focus on the movement of the machine. Also, shoot at your optimum frame rate, ie. 3, 5 or 8 etc. If you are panning 1/125 is a good ss to pan with as it will nail the bike but get movement behind the rider etc.

Hope this helps.

Diego.
Click to expand...

hi diego

what is AV mode? the camera i am using is the sony alpha 100,and looking in the index of the user guide,there is no mention of AV mode.also,does the "F" factor relate to the numbers on the lens?if so,then my 18-70 lens has 3.5-5.6 on it,and my 75-300 lens has 4.5-5.6 on it :thinking:.

SS..???????

panning at 125?

yours numpty:bonk:
 
SS = Shutter speed
AV mode = Aperture Priority Mode. Lets you set the aperture manually and adjusts shutter speed to suit.
 
panning at 125?
he meant 1/125 as in shutter speed.
numbers on lens 18-70 f3.5-5.6
75-300 f4.5-5.6 are the maximum apetures ie f3.5@18mm 5.6@70mm
f4.5@75mm f5.6@ 300mm
most zoom lenses as focal length increases max apeture gets smaller.hope that helps.
 
thanks guys..hoping to start a digital photography course in september,which hopefully will help get me up to a reasonable standard,and an understanding of the basics etc..

will give it all a go tomorrow and if there's anything worth putting up,i'll put them up for your constructive critisism[sp]
 
:clap:
good luck mate its all about tryin the more you try the better you should get..

on the safe side if you want shoot some bikes to start with with a fast shutter speed i:e 1/500 up to freeze the action so you get some shots your happy with ..then start to move the shutter speed down . when doing this you will need to pan to the bast of your abilty.." practice makes perfick"
anything around 1/125th will blur the background giving a sense of speed and if you have panned the bike well :clap::clap: hey pressto :thumbs:
good luck hth
dave
 
stan the man said:
hi diego

what is AV mode? the camera i am using is the sony alpha 100,and looking in the index of the user guide,there is no mention of AV mode.also,does the "F" factor relate to the numbers on the lens?if so,then my 18-70 lens has 3.5-5.6 on it,and my 75-300 lens has 4.5-5.6 on it :thinking:.

SS..???????

panning at 125?

yours numpty:bonk:
Click to expand...

Stan, no worries. F stops are the photographic terms for the differences in the numbers on the lens that you can work with. So, your 4.5 -5.6 lens has a difference of one stop 9possibly half) from the 75mm to the 300 end, which effectively means it lets in less light. Its easy once you get your head around it mate.

So, if you were in aperture mode on your Sony with the 300mm lens extended to 300mm the speed of the shutter would then be managed by the amount of light going into the sensor, but as before you can 'speed' up or 'slow' down the amount of light by upping your ISO stop by stop.

Look here

http://www.uscoles.com/fstop.htm

HTH.
 
Stan, have a look at my website, you'll find lots or motorcycle photographs in there many with the settings used. Diego's advice is spot on. http://www.ian-smart.co.uk
 
Diego Garcia said:
Stan, no worries. F stops are the photographic terms for the differences in the numbers on the lens that you can work with. So, your 4.5 -5.6 lens has a difference of one stop 9possibly half) from the 75mm to the 300 end, which effectively means it lets in less light. Its easy once you get your head around it mate.

So, if you were in aperture mode on your Sony with the 300mm lens extended to 300mm the speed of the shutter would then be managed by the amount of light going into the sensor, but as before you can 'speed' up or 'slow' down the amount of light by upping your ISO stop by stop.

Look here

http://www.uscoles.com/fstop.htm

HTH.
Click to expand...

cheers diego...will take a look at the link.

i'm sure i'll get there eventually..
 
iansmart said:
Stan, have a look at my website, you'll find lots or motorcycle photographs in there many with the settings used. Diego's advice is spot on. http://www.ian-smart.co.uk
Click to expand...

some nice pics you have on there ian..hope i can replicate something near as good as those.just spoke to my brother who recons that aberdare park racing isn't very good for spectating or photographing,so i may wait until a decent BSB meet to try my luck..
 
BSB you will love it

oulton-park-2.jpg



:naughty::naughty:
 
Interesting, i personal use manual, and slower shutters.

With slower shutter you need to be far more actuarate with paning action.

The BSB is great action, and my main stay for motorsport (as you might see from my gallery linked below) i cant make Donington but shall be at every other event till the end of the season now.

WSB next weekend at Brands is just something else. (Hopefully if the weather's nice)
 
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