Going to a race, advice needed!

Invertigo

Invertigo

Invertigo

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I'll be off to watch the BTCC touring cars at the start of June at Oulton Park, and would love to use the weekend as a chance to try some new photography. Until now the only thing I've really tried is landscapes, scenery and portraits and as such only currently have 2 lenses.

I assume I'd be best renting a lens for the weekend, but I'd ideally like to save as much cash (and weight!) as possible there.

Current equipment is a Canon 30D, with a 50mm 1.8 and 18-55mm IS, so as you can see no long range lenses. THIS lens has tempted me due to its compact size for a 300mm, and I don't mind doing a bit of PP to tidy up the images. However, the aperture seems to be its flaw.

To that end, I'm also curious what sort of focal length I should be looking for, remembering the 30D is a crop sensor. 400mm feels like it might be excessive?
 
Why not just pick up a Tamron/Sigma 70-300mm from a shop? Same apertures and less quality but it's not much more and you get to keep it.

A 70-300mm should work well for racing, the tricky bit is getting somewhere where you can get the shots from!
 
Im using a 70-200 f4 IS at Donington BTCC next week. Should be enough I hope on a crop body (500D).

The only other lens ill be taking is the 18-55m IS kit lens. Even so I probably wont use it as I dont like doing lens changes in the open.
 
I wouldn't really worry too much about the maximum aperture. If it's a nice sunny day, which it should be, then you won't have to worry about adjusting the aperture to get a fast shutter speed.

And if you're panning, you don't need a very large aperture anyway.
 
Im using a 70-200 f4 IS at Donington BTCC next week. Should be enough I hope on a crop body (500D).

The only other lens ill be taking is the 18-55m IS kit lens. Even so I probably wont use it as I dont like doing lens changes in the open.
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I went to donnington a few weeks a go to watch the world superbikes armed with a 70-300 lens & found I was using the max length everywhere on the track other than the foggerty esses and even then I still needed around 250. If your going on the race day (sunday) I would advise getting their early as it really does get busy and you will struggle to get a spot to shoot at 200mm. I am actually going to watch BTCC on the 17th
 
The maximum you'll need at Oulton is ~200mm. Always worked well for me :)

I think the BTCC is one of the ones I'm at this year too!
 
I've always found 200mm to work quite well with motorsport.

The 70-300mm tamron lens is pretty poor btw, my dad has it and I've not been that impressed tbh.
 
The 70-300mm tamron lens is pretty poor btw, my dad has it and I've not been that impressed tbh.
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I don't know if we're talking about the same lens here but the Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 SP Di VC USD Lens is a cracking lens, Unbeatable for the money imo. it can be had for around the £350 mark
 
lee7 said:
I went to donnington a few weeks a go to watch the world superbikes armed with a 70-300 lens & found I was using the max length everywhere on the track other than the foggerty esses and even then I still needed around 250. If your going on the race day (sunday) I would advise getting their early as it really does get busy and you will struggle to get a spot to shoot at 200mm. I am actually going to watch BTCC on the 17th
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Cool, may see you there. Never been to Donington before so will be a new test.

Didnt think it got as busy as the superbikes. Every time I watch the btcc on TV its not that packed. Looks fairly relaxed.
 
70 - 200 works fine for me at Oulton Park. There are several places where you can get close to the action.
 
I was considering renting the Canon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM for the weekend, would cost around £50 for 3 days. I know it wont be as good as the L series lenses, but the weight and size of the DO lens make it appeal to me.

It's either that, or the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM / Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L USM, which are actually marginally cheaper. It seems from reading the replies that 200mm is fine on a crop sensor for Oulton.

Any opinions either way?
 
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Got a 70-200 f4 for 400 quid second hand with case and cap, should work out cheaper than renting, hopefully. If I enjoy it, I didn't waste money renting first, if I don't enjoy it I sell it again for 400 ;)
 
I use a Sigma 70-300 which seems ok for motorsports. It tends to loose a bit of definition at 300mm but I rarely use it at the maximum anyway. Just set the camera to shutter priority mode and experiment :)
 
Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 - and as it happens I have one for sale in the MM. :p

Seriously though, any of the 70-200 2.8s are ideal, long enough for the club/national circuits (apart from brands), sharp with a 1.4x TC, fast AF with the f/2.8, there all HSM/USM, they all have enough speed to separate a car from track.
 
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