keeper Loc: Franklin, TN

No, I don't like the grain. I prefer to stick around 200 ISO. I'll go to 800 but only if I "have" to. Can't remember if I've ever gone higher. Fortunately, when I need a really fast ss, the object is far away, like at a air show. My shots are not very good because I'm still not shooting fast enough. Sometimes, translating what I think I know into actual usage doesn't go very well <so sad>. I've always used aperture to control speed. Waterfalls, want slow speed.

wilsondl2 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska

Try all the above and after each shot look and see what you like. When you get home. Go over each shot and wee what is best for you. I love degital you can see what happens right away. Most cameras you can use a digital zoom so you can see if pics are sharp when they are enlarged. Rxperment and see what is best for you. I do 95% of my pictures with apature prioraty. I like to control depth of field. Soneone else may like something differant. - Dave

JKF159 Loc: Arkansas

Hi Namwife. I've spent many hours in small planes and have taken thousands of photos from them. Let it be known that taking good sharp photos from that helo is a tough task for sure but you can do it. I dont do air to air shoots but in my air to ground work there are a few rules that must be adhered to. Rule #1 is don't brace your arms and certainly not the camera on any part of the aircraft. Let your arms absorb as much of the vibration as they can. Rule #2 is stay out of the slipstream with your camera. It will be impossible to hold the camera steady in a 90 knot wind. Rule #3 is maintain a fairly high shutter speed. How high? Well the example photo in another post showed 320 and it looked acceptably sharp so there is a starting point. Just like on the ground it depends on your focal length. I would not attempt 200 mm focal length, handheld at 1/320 on the ground and in the air it will only be worse. My personal settings are 800iso, f8 with aperture priority. I pay attention to the shutter speed and if it gets too low I drop to as low as f5.6. Any lower than 5.6 and I start easing up the iso. At 200 mm I personally consider 1/1000 to be about the minimum that I want. Rule#4 is that composition is still important even from aircraft. Generally in air to air you dont want the horizon going through your target plane. Get above the target so that you are shooting down and if possible shoot when there is a pleasant background. If you want the sky in the photo then put the target aircraft slightly above you so the horizon is below it. I think your two shots would benefit greatly from a polarizing filter. This would enhance the color and contrast in the sky.

As brought up in another post, the rotor blades will appear stopped at some shutter speeds. I've attached a photo so that you can see what this looks like. It does look pretty unnatural. This was of course, taken from the ground but it gives you an idea. Setting was 400iso, 1/1600.

Sorry for the long post.

eleanorea Loc: Dallas

I have to agree. DOF is very important. Set ISO 800 or higher...depending on camera. If Program does not give you sufficient SS...than set Shutter higher than what Program has given you if you do not like result.
New SLR cameras will not give you any 'grain' problems at ISO 800 and even higher and probably will handle your situation in Program without a problem. I always use
Image Stabilized lenses....big help.