Long lenses for F1
- Thread starter jeanie
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you mean the autofocus motor is so heavy?
Jeanie, my humble opinion. 
Get the VR 300f2.8 with a tc17E II. If you can get the 200-400f/4 VR.
Else, the Sigma 120-300f/2.8 HSM DG is your best all rounder and value for money.
Sharing some sport shooting experience, the use of a zoom will help greatly.. you can frame your shots easily with only one camera body. If you use primes, you may need 2 bodies. 1 for the 600mm, another body for 300mm.. just my thoughts.
Tripod wise, you want mobility, use a monopod. If you want best of both worlds, CF models like Gitzo 1325 series offer great stablilty and weight.
Get the VR 300f2.8 with a tc17E II. If you can get the 200-400f/4 VR.Else, the Sigma 120-300f/2.8 HSM DG is your best all rounder and value for money.
Sharing some sport shooting experience, the use of a zoom will help greatly.. you can frame your shots easily with only one camera body. If you use primes, you may need 2 bodies. 1 for the 600mm, another body for 300mm.. just my thoughts.
Tripod wise, you want mobility, use a monopod. If you want best of both worlds, CF models like Gitzo 1325 series offer great stablilty and weight.
the 600 is aperture 5.6 not 2.8 that's what makes the difference...
Jeanie, my humble opinion.
Else, the Sigma 120-300f/2.8 HSM DG is your best all rounder and value for money.
Sharing some sport shooting experience, the use of a zoom will help greatly.. you can frame your shots easily with only one camera body. If you use primes, you may need 2 bodies. 1 for the 600mm, another body for 300mm.. just my thoughts.
Tripod wise, you want mobility, use a monopod. If you want best of both worlds, CF models like Gitzo 1325 series offer great stablilty and weight.
thanks for opinion.i'll think about it.
The weight difference between MF and AF lenses (especially for long lenses) may not be the nett weight of the additional motor assembly.
Very often, Nikon will re-design the optics and this will change the physical shape of the AF lens as well which explain the weight difference.
Very often, Nikon will re-design the optics and this will change the physical shape of the AF lens as well which explain the weight difference.
oic, so it's the elements or glass that really makes the diff.
but manual focus is out for me.
i think by the time i focus, the race is over.
zac08
Senior Member
Most of them pre-focus at certain spots anyway... else you'd need AF-S speeds of autofocusing as well as a very quick camera to follow.
this thread still going strong...
imho, focal length really depends on where you're shooting from and how you would like to frame it. for some of these events, 200mm is more than sufficient, where other shots would require 600mm... my suggestion, for the flexibility, 200-400f4.
the quick AF is usually not so much of a concern, unless you are really intending to pan to follow the cars. else prefocus with sufficient DoF... the cars will be going around for 40-50 laps, so you'll have plenty of chances to catch them.
note that this would be a night race, so lighting would likely be more of an issue than in a normal day race. however, i'm sure most of the track would be well lit (else the drivers would likely boycott the race), just be sure to catch a spot where the lighting is sufficient for good exposure, shandows and composition.
imho, focal length really depends on where you're shooting from and how you would like to frame it. for some of these events, 200mm is more than sufficient, where other shots would require 600mm... my suggestion, for the flexibility, 200-400f4.
the quick AF is usually not so much of a concern, unless you are really intending to pan to follow the cars. else prefocus with sufficient DoF... the cars will be going around for 40-50 laps, so you'll have plenty of chances to catch them.
note that this would be a night race, so lighting would likely be more of an issue than in a normal day race. however, i'm sure most of the track would be well lit (else the drivers would likely boycott the race), just be sure to catch a spot where the lighting is sufficient for good exposure, shandows and composition.
If you are going to shoot from Hotel room long lens like Nikon 600 or Sigma 300-800 will be required. At the street level Nikon 300 or 200-400 or Sigma 120-300 with monopod is better option. At the pit stop 70-200 if you are close. I am not sure how Singapore will setup its race track. The last time my wife went to oversea one the fence was rather high. Most photographers were standing on plateform. You already have 70-200 right? I recommend the 200-400, you can also use it for other after the race. One last thing, the cars are fast, I mean really fast. Can't focus lock if you are near that is why most pro give some distance with their tele Lens. Better chance at truning but there will have many others crowding. But I guess you wouldn't have problem getting through.
but i shot at sepang before, from pits, the cars really doesnt look that fast.
it's a funny thing.from the driver's pov, it looks fast.but from the pits, they dont look that fast.
maybe it's the sepang straights.near 900meters, even you floor till 200+km/h, it still looks pretty 'slow'.
:dunno:
If you are a distance away It doesn't look that fast. Next to it is a different story. It also depend where you are at the straight track. I have seem one using Nikon AF 80-400D to shoot F1 from grandstand no problem. Once you are next to the track a fast 2.8 Lens is needed and also your waist turning speed.
zac08
Senior Member
Also, I would suggest you do a recce of the spot you intend to shoot from. Else later you end up with pictures of ants driving minature cars.... :bsmilie: :bsmilie:
Dun forget, the higher you are and at a distance, you are probably not gonna get much of a view unless you zoom really close.
CYRN
Senior Member
sidetrack a little first... if you are going for 10fps, why settle for 5fps :devil:
Now back to the serious part....
Firstly, everyone is juz blindly giving you recommendations, cuz 3 things you've have not confirmed.
1. Where's the location of your "supposed to be" hotel room.
2. if you wan city skyline in the BG wat sort of "skyline" are you referring to?
3. You need to clear lighting stands, stages, banners (if any) and not forgetting trees. Then you need to identify the spot where lighting is shining from the front or side of the car. (I'm not sure if the lights would be sufficiently diffused, else you may end up with plenty of hotspots on the car if you shoot close ups)
Given the various constraints highlighted in s/n 3. It will determine also s/n 1 and 2.
So your question shouldn't be specific to F1 but rather other uses... in that case, if you are not shooting birds, naturally 300/2.8 would be preferred.
Then again, if you have the moolah... get both lah :lovegrin: :devil:
Now back to the serious part....
Firstly, everyone is juz blindly giving you recommendations, cuz 3 things you've have not confirmed.
1. Where's the location of your "supposed to be" hotel room.
2. if you wan city skyline in the BG wat sort of "skyline" are you referring to?
3. You need to clear lighting stands, stages, banners (if any) and not forgetting trees. Then you need to identify the spot where lighting is shining from the front or side of the car. (I'm not sure if the lights would be sufficiently diffused, else you may end up with plenty of hotspots on the car if you shoot close ups)
Given the various constraints highlighted in s/n 3. It will determine also s/n 1 and 2.
So your question shouldn't be specific to F1 but rather other uses... in that case, if you are not shooting birds, naturally 300/2.8 would be preferred.
Then again, if you have the moolah... get both lah :lovegrin: :devil:
psychoatom
New Member
Here are some shots that I took at last season's Canadian GP. My location was in the grandstand overlooking the straight:
1. Taken with 18-70 kit lens @ 18mm, D70s [ To give you an idea of my shooting position ]
2. Michael S. with AF 80-200mm @ 200mm, D70s
3. Kimi with AF 80-200mm @ 200mm, D70s [ Straight ahead of me ]
I had a monopod with me but 99% of my shots were handheld because there were many obstacles between me and the subject (people, fence etc.).
So when the race starts, everyone stands up and you have to look for an elevated vantage point .. otherwise you will be taking photos of waving hands and heads.
Panning was also tough because of the speed of the cars passing the straight, shooting through the fence (focussing shifts), but primarily because I am inexperienced in panning shots.
So when people settle down, I still had to stand up to take shots and once you stand up in the grandstand, you block the views of others behind.
In Singapore, it will really depend on the location you want to shoot from, the lighting (especially if it is gonna be a night race), and the lens (I wish I had a zoom with a working distance of 200-400mm f4 on one camera and a fixed tele 300mm f2.8 with a 1.7x teleconverter on another camera).
I wish I had the moola for the 200-400mm VR f4 ...
1. Taken with 18-70 kit lens @ 18mm, D70s [ To give you an idea of my shooting position ]
2. Michael S. with AF 80-200mm @ 200mm, D70s
3. Kimi with AF 80-200mm @ 200mm, D70s [ Straight ahead of me ]
I had a monopod with me but 99% of my shots were handheld because there were many obstacles between me and the subject (people, fence etc.).
So when the race starts, everyone stands up and you have to look for an elevated vantage point .. otherwise you will be taking photos of waving hands and heads.
Panning was also tough because of the speed of the cars passing the straight, shooting through the fence (focussing shifts), but primarily because I am inexperienced in panning shots.
So when people settle down, I still had to stand up to take shots and once you stand up in the grandstand, you block the views of others behind.
In Singapore, it will really depend on the location you want to shoot from, the lighting (especially if it is gonna be a night race), and the lens (I wish I had a zoom with a working distance of 200-400mm f4 on one camera and a fixed tele 300mm f2.8 with a 1.7x teleconverter on another camera).
I wish I had the moola for the 200-400mm VR f4 ...
i personally find this thread a bit over-rated.
are u telling me that you will specifically buy one lens for the F1 ? wow..
my take.
if you can afford it. buy 600/500. and your problem is solved.
the event has not even started, plans have not been concrete solid and you are already talking about this ?
well done. what other places the F1 has taken place in and the reach and angles and other conditions are not similar to singapore.
sepang is sepang.
singapore is singapore.
what u experience in sepang is different in singapore.
reason.
sepang in stadium
singapore in the streets.
get it ?
:sticktong
are u telling me that you will specifically buy one lens for the F1 ? wow..
my take.
if you can afford it. buy 600/500. and your problem is solved.
the event has not even started, plans have not been concrete solid and you are already talking about this ?
well done. what other places the F1 has taken place in and the reach and angles and other conditions are not similar to singapore.
sepang is sepang.
singapore is singapore.
what u experience in sepang is different in singapore.
reason.
sepang in stadium
singapore in the streets.
get it ?
:sticktong
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