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Help???? need tips on photographing an air show.
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Sep 11, 2012 21:15:40   #
JC56 Loc: Lake St.Louis mo.
 
Scott Air Force base is having it's annual air show this weekend. Here is a list of what equipment I will have.
1. Pentax KR with a top of the line extreme pro 16gb card.
2. Sigma 150-500 lens.
3. Heavy duty tripod with gimbaled head.
4. Asst filters.

They will have many preformers including the Air Force Thunder Birds. Any tips and advise would be appreciated.

JC

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Sep 11, 2012 21:16:29   #
sarge69 Loc: Ft Myers, FL
 
Pan smoothly.

Sarge69

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Sep 11, 2012 22:13:42   #
traveler90712 Loc: Lake Worth, Fl.
 
Insure your index finger is up to the hundreds of shots your going to take.
Relax
Enjoy

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Sep 11, 2012 22:31:36   #
JC56 Loc: Lake St.Louis mo.
 
sarge69 wrote:
Pan smoothly.

Sarge69


Thanks,
That's why I bought the gimbal head.

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Sep 11, 2012 22:33:20   #
JC56 Loc: Lake St.Louis mo.
 
traveler90712 wrote:
Insure your index finger is up to the hundreds of shots your going to take.
Relax
Enjoy


Hundreds???? I went to an rc show and shot 1700 in less than an hour.

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Sep 11, 2012 22:49:39   #
william48 Loc: New Philadelphia,Ohio
 
.which gimbal head?

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Sep 11, 2012 23:00:47   #
JC56 Loc: Lake St.Louis mo.
 
An optika from 47th street photo...it's not a wimberly but I'm not a natty geo photographer....it has pretty good reviews and it's only 150 bucks versus 600+...that said what is your helpful tip?

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Sep 12, 2012 00:38:03   #
justjeff
 
hi, jc56. here are a few things you can try. first set the iso to auto, shoot the fastest shutter speed possible. if the camera has it use the af lock button with your thumb, this will allow you to recompose quickly. you might want to do some handheld shots, i find this to be easier than using a tripod all of the time, but it can be tiring after a long day. shoot with and without a polarizer, depends on the angle of the sun. try to get quartering shots as they show more of the plane and are just more interesting to look at. usually the slower planes start first so you can get used to the speeds before the fast movers show up. for interesting static shots, try to isolate various parts of a plane, which helps to keep unwanted people out of your shots. most of the static displays are behind ropes so a real wide angle lens will help if you want the whole plane in the frame. use the polarizer for canopy and cockpit shots where there is a lot of reflections. hope this helps a little, have as much fun as possible! regards, jeff

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Sep 12, 2012 01:05:16   #
JC56 Loc: Lake St.Louis mo.
 
justjeff wrote:
hi, jc56. here are a few things you can try. first set the iso to auto, shoot the fastest shutter speed possible. if the camera has it use the af lock button with your thumb, this will allow you to recompose quickly. you might want to do some handheld shots, i find this to be easier than using a tripod all of the time, but it can be tiring after a long day. shoot with and without a polarizer, depends on the angle of the sun. try to get quartering shots as they show more of the plane and are just more interesting to look at. usually the slower planes start first so you can get used to the speeds before the fast movers show up. for interesting static shots, try to isolate various parts of a plane, which helps to keep unwanted people out of your shots. most of the static displays are behind ropes so a real wide angle lens will help if you want the whole plane in the frame. use the polarizer for canopy and cockpit shots where there is a lot of reflections. hope this helps a little, have as much fun as possible! regards, jeff
hi, jc56. here are a few things you can try. firs... (show quote)


Thanks Jeff...that is very helpful info. ???? should I use a uv filter when shooting flying aircraft against a blue sky....i know they protect the lens....but they also slow them down.

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Sep 12, 2012 01:10:13   #
CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver
 
JC56 wrote:
justjeff wrote:
hi, jc56. here are a few things you can try. first set the iso to auto, shoot the fastest shutter speed possible. if the camera has it use the af lock button with your thumb, this will allow you to recompose quickly. you might want to do some handheld shots, i find this to be easier than using a tripod all of the time, but it can be tiring after a long day. shoot with and without a polarizer, depends on the angle of the sun. try to get quartering shots as they show more of the plane and are just more interesting to look at. usually the slower planes start first so you can get used to the speeds before the fast movers show up. for interesting static shots, try to isolate various parts of a plane, which helps to keep unwanted people out of your shots. most of the static displays are behind ropes so a real wide angle lens will help if you want the whole plane in the frame. use the polarizer for canopy and cockpit shots where there is a lot of reflections. hope this helps a little, have as much fun as possible! regards, jeff
hi, jc56. here are a few things you can try. firs... (show quote)


Thanks Jeff...that is very helpful info. ???? should I use a uv filter when shooting flying aircraft against a blue sky....i know they protect the lens....but they also slow them down.
quote=justjeff hi, jc56. here are a few things y... (show quote)


The UV filter will keep dust and crud off the front element, but will have no effect on the sky color and absolutely will not slow anything down. Where does THAT come from??

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Sep 12, 2012 01:18:24   #
JC56 Loc: Lake St.Louis mo.
 
CaptainC...I put a 58mm uv filter on my 55 to 300 and it slowed the auto focus way down.....took it off and it went back to normal.

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Sep 12, 2012 05:52:27   #
Granddad Loc: UK
 
JC56 wrote:
CaptainC...I put a 58mm uv filter on my 55 to 300 and it slowed the auto focus way down.....took it off and it went back to normal.


Did you have grease on the lens

:D

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Sep 12, 2012 06:06:42   #
Peekayoh Loc: UK
 
JC56 wrote:
sarge69 wrote:
Pan smoothly.

Sarge69


Thanks,
That's why I bought the gimbal head.


Apart from the static displays, a tripod is pretty useless at an Airshow .

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Sep 12, 2012 06:08:21   #
Paul57 Loc: Birmingham, UK
 
If there are any propellor aircraft, try cutting the shutter speed down to say 1/180-1/200, that way you will have a nice motion effect on the prop(s)-nicer to my eye than using a high shutter speed and freezing the prop(s). If the aircraft are in the air then at a lower shutter speed you have to pan smoothly.

Enjoy the display!

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Sep 12, 2012 06:54:58   #
sarge69 Loc: Ft Myers, FL
 
Keep the sun, when possible, at your back.

I always forget that and get nice silhouette pictures

Sarge69

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