Air Show Lenses

norters

norters

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Nick
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Hi TP.

Sorry if this comes across as a naive question. I may be taking a trip to the Southport Air Show on Sunday and having never been to an air show with the intention of taking pictures I could do with a little advice.

I have my kit lens (18-55), my 35mm 1.8 and a newly acquired Sigma 50-200mm. I realise that on a crop sensor my 50-200mm is closer to 300mm. Would the guys and girls here that have shot at air shows before say that I would get some keepers using it? I am interested in the aircraft in flight.

As I said, it is a naive question.

Thanks all the same :)
 
It's a while since I've been to Southport airshow.

You'll be fine. The 35mm lens will be great for general shots and the 50-200 just about adequate for in flight ones. Personally I think you'd be better with a genuine 300mm lens, but lets face it you go with what you've got. You'll still get very useable shots with 200mm even if you have to crop them a bit.

The main thing is to have fun and enjoy the show! I hope the weather is OK for you.
 
I started shooting airshows using a 200mm lens with 1.4x teleconverter with reasonable results (cropped sensor), although from reading other forums I understand that the flying at seaside airshows tends to be further away from the crowd. I now use a 300mm and 1.4x t/c but would still prefer longer.
You should find plenty of other advice on airshow photography on the forum. Of particular importance is shutter speed and metering.
 
I went to southport on Saturday, shot with a 300mm until the reds came out and I got the other body out with the 70-200 and used both.

No chance of the bigger planes when they are front and centre could have done with something shorter. Planes out to the sides could have done with something longer.

What I did see were quite a few 100-400's and more 70-200 with a 1.4 or 2x on them, a few f4 300's and a few 400mm f5.6's Even one guy with a 100-400 seemingly locked at 400mm and he swapped lenses when he wanted wider totally confused the hell out of me that one.

So it seems length is all important 300mm+ and time your shots, a shorter lens will work for stuff close and direct in front of you and allows wider shots, I shot last year with the 70-200 and getting closer with the 300 this year improved my shots incredibly I also have a lot more experience shooting so that may have played more of a factor I don't know.
 
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