Car photography

L

luksnk

Messages
6
Name
Grzegorz
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi everyone,

I am new here. I am a beginner in photography and am interested in car shots. What budget camera and lens would you suggest buying? I would appreciate your help.
 
Phil V said:
Budget?
Car shows or what kind of racing?

Welcome to TP, and remember cameras don’t make photographs, photographers do.
Click to expand...
I do understand that cameras don't make photographs. I need a good setup that will let me edit photos. My iPhone isn't good enough :D.

Yes, car shows and static car shots.

Budget - I would say £600. Maybe a used camera?
 
luksnk said:
I do understand that cameras don't make photographs. I need a good setup that will let me edit photos. My iPhone isn't good enough :D.

Yes, car shows and static car shots.

Budget - I would say £600. Maybe a used camera?
Click to expand...

I think what Phil is asking is...

Are you taking pictures of static cars or ones zooming past you at 100 MPH? The answer could make a difference to the kit people suggest.

By the way... Welcome :D
 
£600 is a reasonable budget for a single camera and lens that'll take pictures of static cars better than an iphone, there’s literally hundreds of options (fairly simple subject).

Have you any idea what format you might want.

You can likely get a decent M43, APSC or full frame camera and standard zoom with that budget. I’d recommend mirrorless, which limits the options only slightly. But a mid range DSLR would do the job.
 
Not sure what format. I don’t have experience with any of them. Not sure about pros and cons.
 
I would always tend to recommend Fuji, because I really like their cameras, and they're very tactile, with dials for all the settings. However, as a learner in all honesty it probably doesn't matter what make you go for, as it's probably best to start off in auto mode and then as you learn and get more confident you'll start to know what you need and want.

I don't know where you are, but if you can I'd suggest going to your local camera shop (London Camera Exchange or Wex are both very good) and telling them what you want to shoot. They'll be able to advise you, and you'll be able to have a play with some different options to find what suits you best.
 
Hello and have fun,

Car shots IMO are all about the colours, look at as many car shots as you can, hundreds, and see which colours and tonality strike you the most, the differences are subtle.

If there is one camera and lens combination that stands out for you or which you prefer, choose that one.
 
As a suggestion, I would try a Fuji X-T30 or possibly an X-T2. They have good automatic modes which you can start with as well as a full range of manual controls when you want to start tweaking the exposure. They aslo have built-in 'film simulations' which give different effects with colours straight out of the camera. These can be quite interesting and are very easy and convenient. As you progress you'll probably be more inclined to shoot RAW images and then process them in Lightroom or similar software.

One thing Fuji are not the market leaders in is fast autofocus. If you want to take images of cars at speed you're probably better off with a Sony A7 (i, ii or iii) if you can find one at a good price.

Lens wise, I'd suggest a 'kit' lens. Something with a moderate zoom facility to give the option of variation on the focal length. Say a 16-55mm or 20-60mm or similar.

As stated previously, there are countless options out there so the best thing is to go and have a look/play with some and make your own mind up.

Good luck with the search. Hopefully that in itself will be enjoyabe for you.
 
Last edited:
luksnk said:
Not sure what format. I don’t have experience with any of them. Not sure about pros and cons.
Click to expand...
Your problem is that you literally couldn’t buy a camera that’ll fail to do what you want. You can’t possibly buy the wrong camera. But some may suit you more than others.

You really need to go and try out some different options if you can.

Trying not to sound flippant but…
Recommend me a car? I’ve only ever had a scooter, and I need it to get to work and stuff.
 
Phil V said:
Your problem is that you literally couldn’t buy a camera that’ll fail to do what you want. You can’t possibly buy the wrong camera. But some may suit you more than others.

You really need to go and try out some different options if you can.

Trying not to sound flippant but…
Recommend me a car? I’ve only ever had a scooter, and I need it to get to work and stuff.
Click to expand...
Got it. Personal preference will be crucial here.
 
luksnk said:
Got it. Personal preference will be crucial here.
Click to expand...
A small M43 camera will do the job, an old ff DSLR will give better IQ but will be bigger and heavier.

It ought to be said that mirrorless is the modern standard, but if you don’t care about that, there’s bargains in older DSLR’s, both APSC and full frame
 
Phil V said:
A small M43 camera will do the job, an old ff DSLR will give better IQ but will be bigger and heavier.

It ought to be said that mirrorless is the modern standard, but if you don’t care about that, there’s bargains in older DSLR’s, both APSC and full frame
Click to expand...
Can you name any of them? I was reading about the Sony A7, and Mark 3 seems to be the way to go. Unfortunately, even used one is £600-700.
 
luksnk said:
Can you name any of them? I was reading about the Sony A7, and Mark 3 seems to be the way to go. Unfortunately, even used one is £600-700.
Click to expand...
You can’t look at recentish FF gear with your budget. New cameras are expensive, however a used Canon 40d is less than £100 and is easy to use, and produces lovely files. You’ll get a decent 3rd party zoom too for a couple of hundred.

In your shoes though, I’d look at a used M43, which will be newer tech, mirrorless and small and light.

Sorry I can’t make recommendations because it’s something I’ve never used.

But if you put a post on the M43 thread, you will get loads of help.
 
Last edited:
The only real problem with (even a short) telephoto like the FE85 is getting a clear shot at a show - or even in a car park. I prefer the flexibility that a "standard" zoom gives me, from the wide angles that get me close enough to avoid reduce the number of people wandering/barging into shot to the short telephoto for the rare occasions when a clear grab shot appears!
 
LeeRatters said:
Focal length and a CPL are the most important things gear wise.
Click to expand...
I've never used a CPL for car photos for some reason, probably too lazy :lol:
 
luksnk said:
I do understand that cameras don't make photographs. I need a good setup that will let me edit photos. My iPhone isn't good enough :D.

Yes, car shows and static car shots.

Budget - I would say £600. Maybe a used camera?
Click to expand...
One of the first things I would consider would be what focal length you want, the following are focal lengths in Full Frame terms, if you choose APS-C or Micro 4/3 you'll have to adjust the focal accordingly.

85mm looks great, it compresses the photo and gives a real nice look, however at car shows and car meets you'll find it very limiting as you need to stand a fair distance away which may not be possible, and you'll get no end of people walking in front of you all the time. My go to is 50mm, but even then people will still walk and stand in front of you. I do quite often use 35mm too.

You have to be a little more careful with 35mm as it can cause distortion, accentuating certain proportions and elongating others, but it can also be desirable if you wish. Here's a couple of examples

A1_06613 by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr

A1_07818 by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr



However, depending on how you shoot/distance from the subject it can look more natural and almost the same as 50mm, such as these examples below, one at 35mm one at 50mm.

A1_00746 by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr

DSC04078-Edit by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr


It's not everyone's cup of tea but I'm a sucker for shallow depth of field so I'd recommend a wide aperture lens, something like a 50mm f1.8 or wider.

In terms of camera bodies I doubt very much you'll be able to get a decent mirrorless full frame camera within budget, and to be honest you're going to struggle to get one of the better APS-C mirrorless. You could get a full frame DSLR such as the Nikon D750 and 50mm f1.8 within budget, it's older tech but image quality is top notch, plus it has a tilt screen which is essential (IMO) for car photography to allow you to get better angles.
 
Last edited:
snerkler said:
One of the first thing I would consider would be what focal length you want, the following are focal lengths in Full Frame terms, if you choose APS-C or Micro 4/3 you'll have to adjust the focal accordingly.

85mm looks great, it compresses the photo and gives a real nice look, however at car shows and car meets you'll find it very limiting as you need to stand a fair distance away which may not be possible, and you'll get no end of people walking in front of you all the time. My go to is 50mm, but even then people will still walk and stand in front of you. I do quite often use 35mm too.

You have to be a little more careful with 35mm as it can cause distortion, accentuating certain propertions and elongating others, but it can also be desirable if you wish. Here's a couple of examples

A1_06613 by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr

A1_07818 by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr



However, depending on how you shoot/distance from the subject it can look more natural and almost the same as 50mm, such as these examples below, one at 35mm one at 50mm.

A1_00746 by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr

DSC04078-Edit by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr


It's not everyone's cup of tea but I'm a sucker for shallow depth of field so I'd recommend a wide aperture lens, something like a 50mm f1.8 or wider.

In terms of camera bodies I doubt very much you'll be able to get a decent mirrorless full frame camera within budget, and to be honest you're going to struggle to get one of the better APS-C mirrorless. You could get a full frame DSLR such as the Nikon D750 and 50mm f1.8 within budget, it's older tech but image quality is top notch, plus it has a tilt screen which is essential (IMO) for car photography to allow you to get better angles.
Click to expand...

Fully agree pretty much. Especially with the shallow dof look. The meets and shows I tend to go to, I can often get away with 85mm without too much trouble. 35mm is my absolute widest I like to shoot at though.

I shot this set with the Voigtlander 40/1.2 in both standard and APSC mode on the A7Riii. I just switched between the 2 modes depending on how I wanted it to look mainly so that's 40mm and I guess 60mm.

www.flickr.com

Weston Car Stuff 2026

Explore this photo album by Lee|Ratters on Flickr!
www.flickr.com www.flickr.com
 
So I saw this yesterday and thought I’d have ago at editing it. This was shot on my iphone while I was out with the dog. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0296.jpeg
    IMG_0296.jpeg
    255.2 KB · Views: 32
  • IMG_0287.jpeg
    IMG_0287.jpeg
    389.9 KB · Views: 31
@luksnk

As @snerkler and @LeeRatters have implied focal length choice is crucial in getting the look you want (I shoot mainly in the 35mm to 50mm range for car shows, my "goto" lens for this type of work is 43mm), so in your shoes I would find a camera that gives you these sort of ranges in your budget, even a simple nifty fiifty lens on an older full frame body will give you good results and enable shallow depth of field if required. Zoom lenses (and kit zooms will cover the required focal range) can offer focal length flexibility but are unlikely to acheive as much shallow depth of field - it all depends on how you want to shoot.

IMO the absolute key thing is patience, you have to be prepared to wait (or re-visit) to get shots at often crowded car meets. It is important to get what you don't want in the frame as it is to get what you do want.
 
Last edited:
a used Nikon d600 and a nikon 24-70 f2.8 used would come in at around £500-£700. you may likely have change to add a 50mm f1.8. or a wide angle lens.
London camera exchange - filter by brand under their "used equipment" section. A great company to deal with.

im suggesting the above as the set up still remains good enough for professional level work. Has a great focal range and there are so many options for additional lenses if you want to add to your kit.

welcome to the forum and the hobby.
 
Last edited:
I'm with Lee on this, the editing is not for me, and of course the watermark across the whole image spoils it too.

I'm going to reiterate what @Mr Perceptive said, there's a few key things to getting good car shots and that's focal length, depth of field and being patient. If I had hair I'd be pulling it out at every car event I go to with the amount of people that stand in front of me whilst I'm trying to take a photo :lol:

My go to is 50mm (Full frame/eq) preferably f1.8 or wider. 85mm looks great but it's very difficult to use at car meets for the reason I mentioned above, plus room is an issue. I do sometimes use 35mm if I know space is going to be limited and/or I know it's going to be uber busy (think Goodwood FoS).

Another thing is to think of different angles and compositions, this is very much a work in progress for me as for a while my shots would either be front on, 3/4 angle from the front, or straight on from the side. More recently I've been trying other things like this. Some work and some don't, but it's all good practice


A1_07640 by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr

A1_07732 by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr

A1_07818 by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr

A1_09858 by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr

A1_07198-Edit by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr
 
LeeRatters said:
That's not for me sorry.
Click to expand...
No need to be sorry I value peoples opinions . This was something I took using my iPhone while out with the dog. As being a total beginner I’m getting used to the process and wish I had my camera when I saw this.

Now with watermarks I was told to put it across the photo to stop people cropping it out and claiming things for themselves. Going off information I’ve had so far some of it is good but not all of it hence why I joined this group to learn from my mistakes.

All advice greatly appreciated @snerkler I appreciate you helping and advising on this as it’s the only way I’ll grow in this process. The photos you displayed look amazing and I hope I can get that quality some day.

I’m never going to be brilliant from day one I get what you mean at car shows they stress me out let me see if I can find one I did last year.
 
This was something I tried last year on a standard kit lens just something different.
 

Attachments

  • DSC00228.jpeg
    DSC00228.jpeg
    165.3 KB · Views: 9
Adhd.Artwork said:
No need to be sorry I value peoples opinions . This was something I took using my iPhone while out with the dog. As being a total beginner I’m getting used to the process and wish I had my camera when I saw this.

Now with watermarks I was told to put it across the photo to stop people cropping it out and claiming things for themselves. Going off information I’ve had so far some of it is good but not all of it hence why I joined this group to learn from my mistakes.

All advice greatly appreciated @snerkler I appreciate you helping and advising on this as it’s the only way I’ll grow in this process. The photos you displayed look amazing and I hope I can get that quality some day.

I’m never going to be brilliant from day one I get what you mean at car shows they stress me out let me see if I can find one I did last year.
Click to expand...
Thanks, most kind.

Watermarks are a contentious one, I understand why people do it but for me photography is fun and so I don't want big watermarks across the entire image. I can't see people wanting my images anyway, but if they do then it's not something I'll get too upset about (unless they makes serious money off it :lol:) Modern day software will likely be able to remove most watermarks anyway.

Also, I remember a while back someone was making money by taking screenshots from one of the social media platforms and selling them. There was some kind of loophole about the image not being exactly the same and they got away with it :oops: :$
 
Car shows are a PITA, always parked too close together and loads of folk photo bombing you.

My best results have been when everyone is turning up or leaving, when sometimes there is some separation between the vehicles and no one is on the access path to the field.

There is a steam rally near me this weekend and that will be exactly the same, fantastic stuff to photograph but getting a good portrait shot is virtually impossible.
 
Detail shots are the way to go, especially at crowded shows. Close ups of emblems/badges, carbs, rocker covers etc. make it harder for other people to get in the way!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top