Flying Legends - results and technique

9designs2

9designs2

9designs2

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Hadn't been for a few years, certainly not with this much current technology..... D7200 + 80-400 (current version), the trip yesterday was good day out and excellent weather.

Now I've done airshows probably for 30+ years, shooting film and manual focus in the beginning.... later with autofocus on an F80 etc.

From the results it's clear I'm out of practice, as I'm not happy with the sharpness, or lack of from the fly shots.
So wondering how others fair, and how you've found best to use all the latest gizmo's a DSLR's has to offer.

As I was shoot prop's so it's seemed 1/320 sec was fastest I could go without stopping them to much. 1/400 tops if they were on full power..... Knocked the ISO back to 100 and ended up with an aperture around F8.

VR switched on, used "normal" not active, is that best way?
Shooting on Continuous low, Focus I tried centre only, 5 point and 3D..
The 3D options looked to jump around the focus points a bit, I was fearing it would hook onto the background clouds at the wrong moment, so I used centre focus point mostly.

I assuming focus kept up, and the issue is camera shake even with VR it was too much, well hand holding 1/320 with an effective length of 400-600mm is I guess ambitious?

I use to use a mono-pod, sometime not extended, then hook the foot on top of my belt to make support but keep freedom to pan. (is that going to work with VR, or switch it off)

So what are others magic tips and techniques.......

You'll notice I haven't posted any examples.... deliberately :(
 
I wouldn't have thought you had issues with low shutter speed - I can get acceptable results with a 70-300mm VR at 300mm on a D7000 at 1/100 and occasionally even lower but that's where luck starts to take a bit more precedence than judgement. Normal VR is correct, Active is designed for when you're bouncing around (in a car for example).

Is your focus set on continuous or single? Perhaps if it's set on single, in the small period between the camera selecting focus and you pulling the trigger to shoot the frame the subject has moved out of the focal plane slightly?

Posting examples might help as it will make it clearer whether you're getting blur from inaccurate tracking, excessive vibration, focus not keeping up, general lens softness at full zoom etc.
 
Actually thinking about it I also had Ok results with my D7000 and 70-300... What I've just noticed with the 18-85 lenses which also had VR on is seems to have the edge taken off... I wondering if the extra resolution and sharpness of the D7200 is showing up the blur VR can create when it's not needed.
I have hand held non VR with the 80-400 of the wife's eye when I was trying out for the first time... it's sharp !!!

I'll pick a picture to post shortly....

0128_Full.jpg


100% Crop

0128_100percent.jpg


VR on, Continues focus, F8, 1/400.

Think I'm going to switch VR off and practice my panning.... and get the monopod out again.....
I have tickets for Sundays RIAT, so will get another go :)
 
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I didn't go personally but IS/VR can definitely cause images to be soft if you're panning.

Even with lenses that have special 'panning' modes for the IS/VR I think it can still end up making it softer.
 
Just digressing slightly I'm going to duxford in september for the uber spitfire show. I've got a 7100. What sort of glass would you recommend out of interest. I've got a wide angle 12 24 and a 35 prime. I've used a zoom before but didn't get on with it too well.
 
philstanbridge said:
Just digressing slightly I'm going to duxford in september for the uber spitfire show. I've got a 7100. What sort of glass would you recommend out of interest. I've got a wide angle 12 24 and a 35 prime. I've used a zoom before but didn't get on with it too well.
Click to expand...

Well those lenses would be ok for the static displays that you can get close to but I'm not sure you'd get much out of those for flying displays.

First airshow I went to was Airbourne on the beach and I used a borrowed crappy 70-300 lens. That kind of range wasn't bad when I was that close.

A zoom will be your best bet to get more varied shots I guess! Anything that gives you up to 300-400mm would be good.
 
Even on the static you will be limited, doing the flight line walk, I use the 18-85 Nikon lens, which is nice little walk about lens...
Flying you need 300-400mm even on a crop sensor.

Did a stationary test with and without VR, with fast shutter and leaning against the door frame.... both were really sharp look at 300%.... Nothing wrong with the lens....:)
Gave it try out again today at Twycross zoo.... will review the results shortly.
 
9designs2 said:
Even on the static you will be limited, doing the flight line walk, I use the 18-85 Nikon lens, which is nice little walk about lens...
Flying you need 300-400mm even on a crop sensor.

Did a stationary test with and without VR, with fast shutter and leaning against the door frame.... both were really sharp look at 300%.... Nothing wrong with the lens....:)
Gave it try out again today at Twycross zoo.... will review the results shortly.
Click to expand...

Yeah image stabilisation works best when shooting stationary subjects.

For moving targets it's a toss-up between IS/VR off on a tripod/monopod or using the 'panning mode' if your lens has one.
 
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