Air show Sony A7III: i will be shooting WW II air craft in near future. My Sony A7 III is still new to me. What is the best metering setting on this camera for planes in the air.

saminpa2001

i will be shooting WW II air craft in near future. My Sony A7 III is still new to me. What is the best metering setting on this camera for planes in the air.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I'd do spot on the plane, any camera that allows spot metering.
Maybe center weighted, depending on how it may work in that camera.
(Bright sky, plane belly in shadow, one will be over or under exposed, lots of contrast.)
Try a couple with one method, a couple with the other.
Of course it will depend on the composition.
If the plane is in the metering area.
Gonna have to be quick.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Although you asked about metering, I find the shutterspeed is more important for older prop planes. To achieve a blur for prop planes, you should be in the 1/200sec to 1/320sec range on the shutter. Ideally, you'll be in manual to control both the shutter and aperture so you have wing-tip to wing-tip depth of field. The acrobatic planes can be in the 1/400sec range.

I don't trust any of the partial meter readings and whether they will actual meter what is relevant for a moving subject. Did I really have a 5% portion of the frame exactly on the relevant portion of a fast moving subject? Rather, Sony's "Multi" will meter the entire frame and you can predict how it will respond to a blue (or cloudy) sky. If you use Shutter or Aperture priority modes, use a +1 EC to tell the camera to brighten the frame so you don't end up with a noisey underexposed sky. In manual, adjust the ISO to position the meter at +1 over the 0-mark.

For the actual day, take some test shots even before the planes are in the air. If you have some white clouds where the planes will fly, use them to confirm if you can push the exposure more to the right. If the clouds are blinking in the test images, you have the ISO too high. Use f/8 to f/11 for the depth of field and to give some options of the ISO at or above ISO-100. If the clouds in your test image are not blinking with the meter at +1, test where they start blinking as you push the exposure to the right. You may be at +1.3 to +1.7 to the right of the 0-mark, depending on the sky and time of day.

The image below is 1/250 sec (for the blur), f/10 and ISO-125 at an extended 600mm. The image was brighter coming out of the camera than the edited result. The whites were white without being over exposed. On a similar day to the example below, if you fixed your shutter at 1/250 in shutter priority and the ISO at ISO-100 with the EC at / around +1, the camera will handle the aperture easily between f/8 and f/11. You just have to pan, focus and shoot.

Final tip, capture the planes at their closest point while still coming toward the camera and passing. After they've passed will an easier shot, but less interesting. It can take all day (or multiple days) to get your panning technique so that you smoothly track the moving subjects and release the shutter in 3- to 5-frame bursts. Each plane will likely make several passes, practice and prepare with each pass, and hopefully at least 1 excellent keeper comes from every plane.

Warbirds over Oshkosh by Paul Sager, on Flickr

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Advice worth its weight in gold. Years of experience distilled into a couple of paragraphs of concise instructions. You can bet I’m saving this gift.

saminpa2001

Very nice pics. I should be ok, I shot some air craft a few years back with a Nikon. The Sony is new to me and the setting are more advanced. All your info. is well taken and very helpful.

Thanks for your help Paul.

SonyBug

CHG_CANON wrote:

Although you asked about metering, I find the shutterspeed is more important for older prop planes. To achieve a blur for prop planes, you should be in the 1/200sec to 1/320sec range on the shutter. Ideally, you'll be in manual to control both the shutter and aperture so you have wing-tip to wing-tip depth of field. The acrobatic planes can be in the 1/400sec range.

I don't trust any of the partial meter readings and whether they will actual meter what is relevant for a moving subject. Did I really have a 5% portion of the frame exactly on the relevant portion of a fast moving subject? Rather, Sony's "Multi" will meter the entire frame and you can predict how it will respond to a blue (or cloudy) sky. If you use Shutter or Aperture priority modes, use a +1 EC to tell the camera to brighten the frame so you don't end up with a noisey underexposed sky. In manual, adjust the ISO to position the meter at +1 over the 0-mark.

For the actual day, take some test shots even before the planes are in the air. If you have some white clouds where the planes will fly, use them to confirm if you can push the exposure more to the right. If the clouds are blinking in the test images, you have the ISO too high. Use f/8 to f/11 for the depth of field and to give some options of the ISO at or above ISO-100. If the clouds in your test image are not blinking with the meter at +1, test where they start blinking as you push the exposure to the right. You may be at +1.3 to +1.7 to the right of the 0-mark, depending on the sky and time of day.

The image below is 1/250 sec (for the blur), f/10 and ISO-125 at an extended 600mm. The image was brighter coming out of the camera than the edited result. The whites were white without being over exposed. On a similar day to the example below, if you fixed your shutter at 1/250 in shutter priority and the ISO at ISO-100 with the EC at / around +1, the camera will handle the aperture easily between f/8 and f/11. You just have to pan, focus and shoot.

Final tip, capture the planes at their closest point while still coming toward the camera and passing. After they've passed will an easier shot, but less interesting. It can take all day (or multiple days) to get your panning technique so that you smoothly track the moving subjects and release the shutter in 3- to 5-frame bursts. Each plane will likely make several passes, practice and prepare with each pass, and hopefully at least 1 excellent keeper comes from every plane.

Warbirds over Oshkosh by Paul Sager, on Flickr

Although you asked about metering, I find the shut... (show quote)

Great advice. Also look at the overlap of the wings. This was a extremely dangerous stunt!

starlifter Loc: Towson, MD

I bet your going to Reading, I agree with the shutter speed nothing worse than a prop plane with no prop. I'll be near a black pick up on one of the parking lots. I have been going for several years and always have a good time. There is time for practice shots as there are planes taking off giving rides. The big stuff starts around noon.Good luck.

(Download)

riderxlx Loc: DFW area Texas

saminpa2001 wrote:

i will be shooting WW II air craft in near future. My Sony A7 III is still new to me. What is the best metering setting on this camera for planes in the air.

Thanks for any suggestions.

They practice the day before sometimes two days in a row before the actual event starts and a lot of people show up to watch and set the cameras up. I have done this in the past I’ve been exactly where you’re at. Paul‘s advice is always excellent, print it out write it down and use that as a guide, others here have made excellent suggestions too. What I have done is I’ll go a day before the event starts where they’re doing their practice runs and take pictures and then I’ll look at the results and see how they came out. That has helped me a lot.
Good luck and have a good time.
Bruce.

photoman43

Great advice from Canon. I would add that slower shutter speeds might be needed for some of the old WWII prop planes, like the bigger bombers, to get the props in motion to look interesting. Experiment. And have fun!

saminpa2001

Reading it is. Hope to go on Friday. Love the shows not many to attend. Hope to make Pocono as well.

saminpa2001

Bruce,
Where do you park when you go early.

petercbrandt Loc: New York City, Manhattan

CHG_CANON wrote:

Although you asked about metering, I find the shutterspeed is more important for older prop planes. To achieve a blur for prop planes, you should be in the 1/200sec to 1/320sec range on the shutter. Ideally, you'll be in manual to control both the shutter and aperture so you have wing-tip to wing-tip depth of field. The acrobatic planes can be in the 1/400sec range.

I don't trust any of the partial meter readings and whether they will actual meter what is relevant for a moving subject. Did I really have a 5% portion of the frame exactly on the relevant portion of a fast moving subject? Rather, Sony's "Multi" will meter the entire frame and you can predict how it will respond to a blue (or cloudy) sky. If you use Shutter or Aperture priority modes, use a +1 EC to tell the camera to brighten the frame so you don't end up with a noisey underexposed sky. In manual, adjust the ISO to position the meter at +1 over the 0-mark.

For the actual day, take some test shots even before the planes are in the air. If you have some white clouds where the planes will fly, use them to confirm if you can push the exposure more to the right. If the clouds are blinking in the test images, you have the ISO too high. Use f/8 to f/11 for the depth of field and to give some options of the ISO at or above ISO-100. If the clouds in your test image are not blinking with the meter at +1, test where they start blinking as you push the exposure to the right. You may be at +1.3 to +1.7 to the right of the 0-mark, depending on the sky and time of day.

The image below is 1/250 sec (for the blur), f/10 and ISO-125 at an extended 600mm. The image was brighter coming out of the camera than the edited result. The whites were white without being over exposed. On a similar day to the example below, if you fixed your shutter at 1/250 in shutter priority and the ISO at ISO-100 with the EC at / around +1, the camera will handle the aperture easily between f/8 and f/11. You just have to pan, focus and shoot.

Final tip, capture the planes at their closest point while still coming toward the camera and passing. After they've passed will an easier shot, but less interesting. It can take all day (or multiple days) to get your panning technique so that you smoothly track the moving subjects and release the shutter in 3- to 5-frame bursts. Each plane will likely make several passes, practice and prepare with each pass, and hopefully at least 1 excellent keeper comes from every plane.

Warbirds over Oshkosh by Paul Sager, on Flickr

Although you asked about metering, I find the shut... (show quote)

Is the upper plane a Texan trainer and the lower a Mustang ? Love the composition !

riderxlx Loc: DFW area Texas

saminpa2001 wrote:

Bruce,
Where do you park when you go early.

This depends on the airport.They are all a bit to widely different. Last year before the Ft.Worth Texas Alliance airshow on Saturday the day before the event, some of the local photographers parked in a field at the end of the airfield.
The Dallas Executive airshow I parked the day before in the parking lot right next to the viewing area. I guess I could have gone in but I had a nice spot and sat on the back of my truck and did very well. I do do know the local photography groups actually have a meeting scheduled the day before airshows to where they meet up and practice and set up the cameras. So, it depends on where the the show is going to be held at. If the one you are going to, I would drive out there and check it out and see if you can pick out a nice spot for pre-show viewing. You will probably not be alone. Lots of folks here do this. Some shows even have a pre-event to watch the practices. which airshow are you going too, I will poke around and see what I can find.
By all means, keep us in the loop as this goes and can't wait to see the shots you get.
Bruce.

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

saminpa2001 wrote:

i will be shooting WW II air craft in near future. My Sony A7 III is still new to me. What is the best metering setting on this camera for planes in the air.

Thanks for any suggestions.

I'd use Center Focus and Exposure as well as setting a minimum exposure of 1/250 sec.

bwa

Travler

CHG_CANON wrote:

Although you asked about metering, I find the shutterspeed is more important for older prop planes. To achieve a blur for prop planes, you should be in the 1/200sec to 1/320sec range on the shutter. Ideally, you'll be in manual to control both the shutter and aperture so you have wing-tip to wing-tip depth of field. The acrobatic planes can be in the 1/400sec range.

I don't trust any of the partial meter readings and whether they will actual meter what is relevant for a moving subject. Did I really have a 5% portion of the frame exactly on the relevant portion of a fast moving subject? Rather, Sony's "Multi" will meter the entire frame and you can predict how it will respond to a blue (or cloudy) sky. If you use Shutter or Aperture priority modes, use a +1 EC to tell the camera to brighten the frame so you don't end up with a noisey underexposed sky. In manual, adjust the ISO to position the meter at +1 over the 0-mark.

For the actual day, take some test shots even before the planes are in the air. If you have some white clouds where the planes will fly, use them to confirm if you can push the exposure more to the right. If the clouds are blinking in the test images, you have the ISO too high. Use f/8 to f/11 for the depth of field and to give some options of the ISO at or above ISO-100. If the clouds in your test image are not blinking with the meter at +1, test where they start blinking as you push the exposure to the right. You may be at +1.3 to +1.7 to the right of the 0-mark, depending on the sky and time of day.

The image below is 1/250 sec (for the blur), f/10 and ISO-125 at an extended 600mm. The image was brighter coming out of the camera than the edited result. The whites were white without being over exposed. On a similar day to the example below, if you fixed your shutter at 1/250 in shutter priority and the ISO at ISO-100 with the EC at / around +1, the camera will handle the aperture easily between f/8 and f/11. You just have to pan, focus and shoot.

Final tip, capture the planes at their closest point while still coming toward the camera and passing. After they've passed will an easier shot, but less interesting. It can take all day (or multiple days) to get your panning technique so that you smoothly track the moving subjects and release the shutter in 3- to 5-frame bursts. Each plane will likely make several passes, practice and prepare with each pass, and hopefully at least 1 excellent keeper comes from every plane.

Warbirds over Oshkosh by Paul Sager, on Flickr

Although you asked about metering, I find the shut... (show quote)

Paul, great picture.