What to shoot with a 400mm f/2.8 today?

Gaffer · 6 Mar 2011 at 08:30

I have a 400mm f/2.8 this weekend. I got it so that I could practice rugby for Twickers next week: http://www.tug.com/blog/2011/20110305_Maidenhead_Rugby/

But what do i do with it today in the M3/M4/London area?

The only rugby today seems to be kids...

Andrew

Derek W · 6 Mar 2011 at 11:23

How did you find the Rugby shots then Andrew? And more to the point how many shots did you take over the course of the match?

footman · 6 Mar 2011 at 20:48

my heart rate quickens at the thought of using that lens

Gaffer · 6 Mar 2011 at 22:45

Derek W said:
How did you find the Rugby shots then Andrew? And more to the point how many shots did you take over the course of the match?

1200 images.

There are some interesting skills to learn:

1) Sometimes you lose the ball in the viewfinder. But it is easy to find it again without taking your eye fro the camera - everyone is looking at it.

2) There is skill in knowing when to change camera. I was looking at a series that Marc took of Chris Aston scoring against Australia. As far as i can tell, he had 9 keepers at 400mm, including a great pair of an Ozzy tackle on thin air in his wake. Then as Aston ran towards him and the home crowd erupted around him, he calmly changed down to a 300 in order to catch the dive over the line, bagging it perfectly despite the opportunity for the posts to mess up his focusing.

Andrew

Derek W · 7 Mar 2011 at 20:48

Gaffer said:
1200 images.

There are some interesting skills to learn:

1) Sometimes you lose the ball in the viewfinder. But it is easy to find it again without taking your eye fro the camera - everyone is looking at it.

2) There is skill in knowing when to change camera. I was looking at a series that Marc took of Chris Aston scoring against Australia. As far as i can tell, he had 9 keepers at 400mm, including a great pair of an Ozzy tackle on thin air in his wake. Then as Aston ran towards him and the home crowd erupted around him, he calmly changed down to a 300 in order to catch the dive over the line, bagging it perfectly despite the opportunity for the posts to mess up his focusing.

Andrew

Did you go a little trigger happy with that! 1200 images in one match! I thought doing about 250 was bad enough over 90 mins of football.

I'm thinking about a two camera set up this weekend coming as I'll be covering an important match for Brechin. Cup Quarter final for the first time in our history. Might stick my 450D behind a goal with the 28 - 105 and use my remote whilst shooting with my 5DII + 70 - 200 f2.8 + 1.4 Extender from the side of the pitch. I'm getting nervous about that match let along the Calcutta Cup!

Gaffer · 7 Mar 2011 at 21:31

Derek W said:
Did you go a little trigger happy with that! 1200 images in one match!

I *am* trigger happy. No question. The trouble is that now, for the first time, it has come round to bite me. Takes too long to process the photos to find the keepers.

Derek W said:
Might stick my 450D behind a goal with the 28 - 105 and use my remote whilst shooting with my 5DII + 70 - 200 f2.8 + 1.4 Extender from the side of the pitch.

Marc Aspen shoots like that. He puts a 16-36 on a gorrillapod behind the goal, and fires it useing a pocket-wizard linked the camera with his 300mm f/2.8. When he picks up the 300 to shoot stuff nearby (as opposed to the 400/2.8 or 500+1.4x), every frame is matched by a frame from behind the goal.

Andrew

Derek W · 7 Mar 2011 at 22:03

Gaffer said:
Marc Aspen shoots like that. He puts a 16-36 on a gorrillapod behind the goal, and fires it useing a pocket-wizard linked the camera with his 300mm f/2.8. When he picks up the 300 to shoot stuff nearby (as opposed to the 400/2.8 or 500+1.4x), every frame is matched by a frame from behind the goal.

Andrew

I think my method will be slightly cruder. Strap my remote to my monopod grip and press whilst shooting with my 5D in my other hand

Wish i could get a wider angled lens for the day but I'll have to make do with what i have.

rG-tom · 8 Mar 2011 at 11:52

Derek W said:
I think my method will be slightly cruder. Strap my remote to my monopod grip and press whilst shooting with my 5D in my other hand Wish i could get a wider angled lens for the day but I'll have to make do with what i have.

get some yongnuo rf602s for this, uber cheap and useful for remote flashes mainly, but also work as remote triggers for cameras, have the transmitter on your hotshoe and the receiver on the camera, <£40 for wireless remote shutter that matches your main body frame for frame

Derek W · 8 Mar 2011 at 13:16

rG-tom said:
get some yongnuo rf602s for this, uber cheap and useful for remote flashes mainly, but also work as remote triggers for cameras, have the transmitter on your hotshoe and the receiver on the camera, <£40 for wireless remote shutter that matches your main body frame for frame

I've got two of the rf602's receivers already. didn't realise that you could connect them up like that. hmm will have to have a wee test of that in the next day or so to see it in action

could cut down on a lot of hassle.

Derek W · 12 Mar 2011 at 12:05

All the best for tomorrows match Andrew, will look forward to seeing the results for the day. I'm just preparing to head out for the Quarter final cup match today after the pitch passed an inspection. Would have been gutted if the game got canceled. Saw your newer rugby photos in the post your pictures thread. Thought 2 and 4 were superb. Really getting in on the action.