70-200 Goodness

dod

dod

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Ebenezer McScrooge III
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First time out with the sigma and generally impressed. Having said that it doesn't forgive any mistakes in technique at F2.8, panning really needs to be a lot better than I was able to manage today.

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I don't know Dod - you seem to have done it some justice ... imo !

First guy seems to have his eye on you too ... good eye contact or was he looking where he was supposed to be going ?

TFS ... !
 
Some very nice results there Dod :thumb:

The lens is giving you some nice bokeh results that are really making the riders pop, I'm sure your glad you went with the 70-200 now ;)
 
Liberalis said:
Love that first one, looks like a mag cover to me, nice one
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Got to agree with that statement, Damn good effort today dod, I am impressed..:clap:
 
Nicely done dod.

Looks like you got on well with the 70-200.:thumb:
 
Thanks for the comments but in truth today was a learning experience. My technique just isn't good enough to cope with anything under 1/250 and preferably 1/320. I've an awful lot like this, almost but not quite

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It's not the lens, it's sharp enough ;)

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Practise makes perfect!

Keep at it mate, I'm sure you'll adjust quick enough.
 
how are you focusing dod, auto or manual. Are you picking a spot and taking it, or panning with the rider.
roadracing was a nightmare to photograph, not done any with the 350d.
 
Boon said:
how are you focusing dod, auto or manual. Are you picking a spot and taking it, or panning with the rider.
roadracing was a nightmare to photograph, not done any with the 350d.
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Taking the OOF shot I'm focusing on a point just before they come into view and catching them, or trying to, as they jump. You get two frames maximum before they're past you.

petemc said:
Could it be the lack of IS? Those shots do look great though.
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Might be actually, I had a look through some with the 100-400 and had sharp results right down to 1/120. Most of yesterdays at 1/320 aren't bad. Lower than that it's a bit iffy. 1/500 are spot on but you're losing some of the motion.

Venomator said:
First guy seems to have his eye on you too ... good eye contact or was he looking where he was supposed to be going ?
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There's quite a few of them play to the camera, especially in the section these guys are in, the "A's". It's either taking feet off the pegs, pointing, waving, that sort of stuff. You often get them coming up to you asking "Did you get that?"
 
nice shots Dod, you should submit them to mags for this genre
 
Matty said:
nice shots Dod, you should submit them to mags for this genre
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I'd go with this, i used to do some editing for a sporting image library in London, and i'd let those first images get in no bother. They do have to look good at 100% too, but i'm sure they do!!
 
Great shots - would definately heed the advice of others and send them in (who to I would have no idea, but Im sure you would know).

Definately capturing the sport well, not just in terms of good image quality, but also in respect to getting the timing right in respect to the speed and daring of those bikers.

Also whats the worst that can happen - they dont use them, but if they do its adding another string to your bow;)

Nice work:thumb:
 
Just wondering, you say pre-focus and catch them, at the point of hitting the shutter are you holding your cam still ?

I ask this because when doing the rally shots, I would pre-focus on a spot, then follow the car through the viewfinder, what I noticed was that when hitting the shutter button, I had actually stopped panning, almost like I couldn't do both at once, since then I've been practicing at any oportunity (luckily my lounge has a commanding view over Douglas and the sea, so I can train on the traffic without getting shouted at) and after a while it works, its all a bit like firing a rifle, or hitting a tennis ball, follow through the shot.

Its a bit easier on the cars, because there mostly passing level, but with these things you have to pan left, right, up and down.

full credit to you for getting those top shots, I'd be happy if those were the only ones from hundreds to come out.
 
Yeah, I agree Lib. Been trying this with some skiing photos recently. I found the blackout the mirror flipup caused myself to loose the pan some times.

Practice I guess.
 
Now you need to be really respectful of my Paintshop abilities ;)

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That's me standing roughly at position 4. The bikes are coming towards the table top after a long straight bit. The tabletop is about 35 feet and the quick guys clear it.

You see the helmets before they dip and you can be roughly sure of where they're going to appear. Focus on an appropriate bit of the track shown as 2 and then adjust quick and try to pan with them as soon as they appear. As you say it's up and along and there's no two identical so you don't really establish any rhythym.

I'm not sure exactly how quick they are but the lap record works out at an average speed of 60mph I believe.
 
Well I think that dod'll first see and therefore aquire them at P2.
 
SammyC said:
Well I think that dod'll first see and therefore aquire them at P2.
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yep, they come up the "ramp" and you try to catch them as they're appearing.
 
Well it sounds like the IS on your Canon has been doing all the work for you then. Welcome to the real world lol! :)
 
Fantastic set of shots there - I'd be proud of them if they were mine. Still have to get my head around panning :dizzy:
 
They are good shot's, and I'm sure somewhere ike Alamy would be pleased to have them. I reckon if you talked to someone who does this full time then you'd find that their hit rate wasn't massively better than yours. Keep up the good work!
 
SammyC said:
Well it sounds like the IS on your Canon has been doing all the work for you then. Welcome to the real world lol! :)
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Haha :D

Just got this in a PM from the webmaster of one of the MX forums :banana: I've starred out his email just in case he gets spammed.

www.tmxnews.co.uk
Hiya

Drop a couple of sample pics to Graham Milne - ********@tmxnews.co.uk - offering some from when you are at events.

I'm sure he'll snap your hand off for them.
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Sounds like doors are opening for you dod..........well done mate:thumb:
 
Doddy, it could be the weather, your processing or just me, but do these shots lack a bit of the saturation and punch of your usual shots? The DOF or rather the lack of it, is great, but every time I use a non IS lens for moving subjects or in low light, I'm forcibly reminded what a real boon it is. The lens looks great but I wouldn't be in a rush to part with your 100-400L if I were you. :)
 
dod said:
Now you need to be really respectful of my Paintshop abilities ;)

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I have to say it breaks all the rules but I like it.....:D
Excellent stuff again and get them shots sent!!;)
 
Heh, yeah, make that one of the ones you send in....
:D
 
CT said:
Doddy, it could be the weather, your processing or just me, but do these shots lack a bit of the saturation and punch of your usual shots?
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I think it's mostly the weather, the first half hour was quite sunny, then it clouded over and got a nice boring white sky.

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KenCo1964 said:
I have to say it breaks all the rules but I like it.....:D
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:laugh1: :thumb:
 
dod said:
I think it's mostly the weather, the first half hour was quite sunny, then it clouded over and got a nice boring white sky.

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Bummer! Don't you just hate those blank skies? BUT... a blank sky like that is a gift for the lasso tool. That shot is a cracker just lacking a background. I might have to have a play with it. :D

The picture, the picture!!!! ;)
 
Those shots are a good advert for that lens and your ability


Well done pal
 
It's a bit jaggie at this size to do a real top job, but the original is well worth spending some time on. :)

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Jeez, you're good :clap: Did you paint in the spokes on the back wheel?
 
Image/selective colour/
Choose white and change sliders to desired colour....
A little easier but don't know how effective.
No sorry, would alter his helmet being white.
 
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