Your favourite motorsports events

[IMG_0001]

Hi Guys,

Its been a long time away from the forum, but a couple weeks ago was the Fall Classic at Mont-Tremblant in Québec (Canada). I tought it would be time to bring my oldest son (4 and a half) to his first race and he LOVED it. Here are a couple of the pics I took of the cars racing.

As most older cars are not that fast, I tried to experiment with what are quite low shutter speed (low for me at least down to 1/60) for my panning. I had a pretty low keeper rate, but still some decent shots came out.

I hope you enjoy one or two.

 

[Click]

Hi Guys,

Its been a long time away from the forum, but a couple weeks ago was the Fall Classic at Mont-Tremblant in Québec (Canada). I tought it would be time to bring my oldest son (4 and a half) to his first race and he LOVED it. Here are a couple of the pics I took of the cars racing.

As most older cars are not that fast, I tried to experiment with what are quite low shutter speed (low for me at least down to 1/60) for my panning. I had a pretty low keeper rate, but still some decent shots came out.

I hope you enjoy one or two.

Beautiful series. Very nice panning.

 

[Roo]

Welcome back IMG... and what a way to come back Nice series!

 

[Valvebounce]

Hi IMG_0001.
Very nice series, 1/60th will get you very few keepers (well it doesn't get me many) but what you got are great shots, well done. Don't forget to take some high shutter speed shots to guarantee some keepers!
Glad your son enjoyed it, getting him started young so he will have great memories of time spent with dad.

Nice to have you back.

Cheers, Graham.

Hi Guys,

Its been a long time away from the forum, but a couple weeks ago was the Fall Classic at Mont-Tremblant in Québec (Canada). I tought it would be time to bring my oldest son (4 and a half) to his first race and he LOVED it. Here are a couple of the pics I took of the cars racing.

As most older cars are not that fast, I tried to experiment with what are quite low shutter speed (low for me at least down to 1/60) for my panning. I had a pretty low keeper rate, but still some decent shots came out.

I hope you enjoy one or two.

 

[Roo]

A few more from Sandown

 

[Click]

A few more from Sandown

Very nice pictures, Roo. I especially like the first one. Well done.

 

[IMG_0001]

Hello again,

Thanks for the kind words to Click, Roo and Graham. I've flipped a bit through the latest pages of the thread, there are quite a few nice pics in there. Good job everyone.

 

[Valvebounce]

Hi Roo.
Nice series of shots, that first one is fabulous, the penalty for cutting the apex, traction and steering relying on one wheel each!

Cheers, Graham.

A few more from Sandown

 

[dhr90]

Hi Tom.
Unfortunately crashing cars don't always abide by what you think they should do, be safe out there.

As for the camera, even with high shutter speeds that should eliminate tracking error and aperture that should provide sufficient depth of field it seems that the first shot (AI Servo) can be oof, next sharp, next couple oof (or not as sharp), then some sharp. I know that with the 70-200 f2.8 II this camera can catch a target lightning quick for a snatch shot, I also know that for tracking one should try to give the camera time to establish a good focus lock before the first shot. I have AI Servo 1st shot set to focus not speed, 2nd shot focus not speed. Things understandably get worse with the 2xIII on the 70-200, and my older Σ150-500 is a lot slower to AF and often just goes walkabout of its own accord if the contrast is low so I don't take any real notice of its behaviour.
I also noticed last weekend at the Bournemouth Air Festival that when I was tracking planes keeping the plane as close to centre as possible the AF boxes would seem to fall off the back of the plane, only way to get them back on was to stop AF and start again, back button method. Initially I put this down to the light, cloud and the colour of the planes being similar to the clouds, but then the Red Arrows came on and gave the same problem. I have the EOS iTR AF enabled as it seems this should help in pretty much any situation.

Cheers, Graham.

Its certainly not for the faint hearted but thankfully that corner is a long, wide and fairly well protected as the cars should naturally spin away from you! haha you hope anyway!


What sort of issues have you been having? Also what lenses have you been using? Because of the MP the camera is much more susceptible to movement than the previous 7 and a really good 4 stop IS lens really makes the difference especially in mode 2 and 3 for motorsport!

I would say that this: "it seems that the first shot (AI Servo) can be oof, next sharp, next couple oof (or not as sharp), then some sharp" is EXACTLY what I have experienced most of this year from my 7d mk1, expecially when trying very slow shutter speed panning shots, both air shows and motorsports. Always found it a weird quirk of the camera and didn't know if I wasn't doing something right. Interesting it isn't the same camera or person to get that trait.
Sort of put the motorsports ones down to me trying to stand back and bit and pan with trees/people in front to blur them out a bit and the AF just catching them enough to distract the camera.

Been away from the forums a bit due to my laptops HDD deciding it didn't want to be a HDD anymore. New drive, only a few lost photos, now awaiting a LR upgrade before I start to churn through 40GB of car and plane photos

 

[Valvebounce]

Hi dhr90.
I look forwards to seeing some of them here then. Glad to hear hdd failure didn't cost you too many shots.

Cheers, Graham.

Hi Tom.
Unfortunately crashing cars don't always abide by what you think they should do, be safe out there.

As for the camera, even with high shutter speeds that should eliminate tracking error and aperture that should provide sufficient depth of field it seems that the first shot (AI Servo) can be oof, next sharp, next couple oof (or not as sharp), then some sharp. I know that with the 70-200 f2.8 II this camera can catch a target lightning quick for a snatch shot, I also know that for tracking one should try to give the camera time to establish a good focus lock before the first shot. I have AI Servo 1st shot set to focus not speed, 2nd shot focus not speed. Things understandably get worse with the 2xIII on the 70-200, and my older Σ150-500 is a lot slower to AF and often just goes walkabout of its own accord if the contrast is low so I don't take any real notice of its behaviour.
I also noticed last weekend at the Bournemouth Air Festival that when I was tracking planes keeping the plane as close to centre as possible the AF boxes would seem to fall off the back of the plane, only way to get them back on was to stop AF and start again, back button method. Initially I put this down to the light, cloud and the colour of the planes being similar to the clouds, but then the Red Arrows came on and gave the same problem. I have the EOS iTR AF enabled as it seems this should help in pretty much any situation.

Cheers, Graham.

Its certainly not for the faint hearted but thankfully that corner is a long, wide and fairly well protected as the cars should naturally spin away from you! haha you hope anyway!


What sort of issues have you been having? Also what lenses have you been using? Because of the MP the camera is much more susceptible to movement than the previous 7 and a really good 4 stop IS lens really makes the difference especially in mode 2 and 3 for motorsport!

I would say that this: "it seems that the first shot (AI Servo) can be oof, next sharp, next couple oof (or not as sharp), then some sharp" is EXACTLY what I have experienced most of this year from my 7d mk1, expecially when trying very slow shutter speed panning shots, both air shows and motorsports. Always found it a weird quirk of the camera and didn't know if I wasn't doing something right. Interesting it isn't the same camera or person to get that trait.
Sort of put the motorsports ones down to me trying to stand back and bit and pan with trees/people in front to blur them out a bit and the AF just catching them enough to distract the camera.

Been away from the forums a bit due to my laptops HDD deciding it didn't want to be a HDD anymore. New drive, only a few lost photos, now awaiting a LR upgrade before I start to churn through 40GB of car and plane photos

 

[StephenHopkins]

The v8 supercar shots still melt my heart. I loved them all!

 

[GN Photos]

Hello to all,

This is my first post on Canon Rumors. I have been reading and learning from all of the helpful, knowledgeable and talented photographers on this site, for a few years now. I just retired and am getting back into photography from the darkroom days. I have been slowly collecting my new gear for a while. I have acquired a 5D Mk III, 16-35mm f/2.8 L II, 24-70mm f/2.8 L II, 70-200 L IS II f/2.8 L and a 100-400 L IS II f4.5-5.6. I still have a LOT to learn and Lightroom is pretty confusing to me.

I shot these with the 100-400 in April at The Circuit of the Americas, in Austin, TX. So, here are a few shots I got of my favorite subject, MotoGP.

Thanks for looking,

Geoff

 

[GN Photos]

And few of "The Doctor", Valentino Rossi.

 

[Roo]

Welcome Geoff. Some excellent captures there. We have the MotoGP bikes at the Island this weekend but unfortunately I won't be able to make it down there but it's on my to do list!

 

[GN Photos]

Thank you Roo, I appreciate the positive comment. I was a little nervous with it being my first post. Philip Island is dream destination track of mine. It's just quite a distance from California. Since MM93 has wrapped up the Championship, it's now for the runner-up spot.

Geoff

 

[Valvebounce]

Hi Geoff.
Some really nice shots, I really need to know, did the Repsol bike in the final shot come back up again or had it passed the point of no return, it looks pretty flat to the ground from the angle you used.
Some very sharp panning there too. Great gear list btw.

Cheers, Graham.

Hello to all,

This is my first post on Canon Rumors. I have been reading and learning from all of the helpful, knowledgeable and talented photographers on this site, for a few years now. I just retired and am getting back into photography from the darkroom days. I have been slowly collecting my new gear for a while. I have acquired a 5D Mk III, 16-35mm f/2.8 L II, 24-70mm f/2.8 L II, 70-200 L IS II f/2.8 L and a 100-400 L IS II f4.5-5.6. I still have a LOT to learn and Lightroom is pretty confusing to me.

I shot these with the 100-400 in April at The Circuit of the Americas, in Austin, TX. So, here are a few shots I got of my favorite subject, MotoGP.

Thanks for looking,

Geoff

 

[Roo]

Hi Geoff.
Some really nice shots, I really need to know, did the Repsol bike in the final shot come back up again or had it passed the point of no return, it looks pretty flat to the ground from the angle you used.
Some very sharp panning there too. Great gear list btw.

Cheers, Graham.

Hello to all,

This is my first post on Canon Rumors. I have been reading and learning from all of the helpful, knowledgeable and talented photographers on this site, for a few years now. I just retired and am getting back into photography from the darkroom days. I have been slowly collecting my new gear for a while. I have acquired a 5D Mk III, 16-35mm f/2.8 L II, 24-70mm f/2.8 L II, 70-200 L IS II f/2.8 L and a 100-400 L IS II f4.5-5.6. I still have a LOT to learn and Lightroom is pretty confusing to me.

I shot these with the 100-400 in April at The Circuit of the Americas, in Austin, TX. So, here are a few shots I got of my favorite subject, MotoGP.

Thanks for looking,

Geoff

My guess would be the angle taken from high in the tower at CoTA that gives the impression it's about to slide out. But you are right - there is some very good panning going on

 

[Click]

Beautiful series, GeoffN. I really like your pictures. Welcome to CR.

 

[GN Photos]

Thank you all for your kind words. Valvebounce, Marc Marquez (MM93) on the Repsol Honda did not throw it away, he won the race that day and has won all three races held at CoTA. The MotoGP bikes are capable of 60 degree lean angles and have hit a top speed of 228 MPH at San Marino, Italy. Roo, you are correct, the shot was taken from the tower at turn 17. The tower is 251 feet tall.

Thank you again, I know there is a lot of talent on this website and it's a little intimidating. I appreciate the welcome and the compliments.

Geoff

 

[dhr90]

A few from Brands Hatch at the start of the month.

1.

Gordon Shedden by Matt, on Flickr

2.
Untitled by Matt, on Flickr

3.

Colburn by Matt, on Flickr

4.

Will Burns by Matt, on Flickr