Got a Fuji S5 - action shots???

colinuk · 21 Jul 2008 at 16:12

Use a Fuji S5 for weddings and studio shots and its great. However, thinking of going to a track meet for bikes to take pics. Most of my lenses are 12mm-85mm... so not much use for close up. I do have a 70-200 nikon lens but its not VR but is f2.8 all the way through, might get a few good shots with it..

What lens would be good for this type of work and would the S5 be worth taking or do i need to get a Canon/Nikon after all?

ColiN

D.P. · 22 Jul 2008 at 09:23

Nikon Don't make a non VR 70-200mm. Its either a Sigma or a Nikon 80-200 Af-S or AF-d. If it is AF-s then it is just as fast as the 70-200 VR to focus.

You don't need VR for action shots (Quite the opposite). You wan the fastest lens you can afford at the focal length you need. BY that a 85mm 1.4, or 200 f2.0 or 400 2.8....

colinuk · 22 Jul 2008 at 12:01

So as long as i get a fast lens, f2 or lower, i should be ok, would you also say im better with a fixed lens or are the zooms good enough now adays too?

Would the Fuji S5 body be good enough, i only ask as the guy next to me at the bike track day i think had a canon and it sounded like a machine gun next to mine, spoke to him he was getting 11fps, the fuji does 3fps.. big difference.

Still, time to eye up a new lens

<ColiN>

D.P. · 22 Jul 2008 at 12:10

It depends what sports you will be doing, what lighting you will be dealing with, and what distance you will be at.

If you are in very low light indoors then you really need to get in close and use something like an 85 1.4. Outside and you should be less restrictive.

I would aim to get single shot focusing and well composed, rather than machine gunning it hoping for something to keep. This partly deepends on if you just want very good photos of that sport, or you want to guarantee you shoot every possible interesting event in a particular game etc. E.g., pros usually want to get the best possible photo of some incident (be the deciding goal or whatever) given the current conditions- they must have something to publish. Then 11fps may help achieve this, but it wont necessarily give better photos if you have the time and patience to recompose and try to recapture..

colinuk · 22 Jul 2008 at 16:16

Cheers D.P - always good to bounce ideas of someone else now and again.

Looking at the 400mm for football games and motorbike racing at oulton park. Took the 17-88mm, didnt really get me close enough as i have to stay behind the fence so im about 50-100yards away, need longer reach i think.

Will check that 70-200 lens when i get home, see what it is.

<ColiN>