Airshow photography question

Weetobix

Weetobix

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James
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I've just bought myself a Sigma 120-400 as an upgrade to my long lens.
I'm hoping to use this at at least one airshow to capture some nice flight pics, but I've not owned a lens with image stabilisation before.

So, you airshow toggers, do you tend to use IS when taking pics of planes in flight?

Assuming I'm shooting hand held here
 
Does it have mode two mode IS? (One for stabilising both planes (unintentional pun, honest), one for stabilising ony the vertical)
I'd have thought flying shots would be similar to motorsport, you pan with the subject to get it sharp and the background blurred? If so, you'll need either mode 2 IS (vertical only), or it turned off altogether I'd have thought.
 
Weetobix said:
I've just bought myself a Sigma 120-400 as an upgrade to my long lens.
I'm hoping to use this at at least one airshow to capture some nice flight pics, but I've not owned a lens with image stabilisation before.

So, you airshow toggers, do you tend to use IS when taking pics of planes in flight?

Assuming I'm shooting hand held here
Click to expand...
My Airshow experience is limited, but yes I do find IS useful for slower shutter speeds to capture motion in the propellors

I've got a 300mm lens so I'll usually switch the IS on if my shutter speed is anything below 1/300ish sec

Anything above say 1/500sec and I'll switch IS off as I don't think I will see any benefit from it

Jim.R said:
Does it have mode two mode IS? (One for stabilising both planes (unintentional pun, honest), one for stabilising ony the vertical)
I'd have thought flying shots would be similar to motorsport, you pan with the subject to get it sharp and the background blurred? If so, you'll need either mode 2 IS (vertical only), or it turned off altogether I'd have thought.
Click to expand...
I've often found mode 2 to be a hinderance when the display is in flight (as the planes come flying in from all angles, not solely on a horizontal axis)

Mode 2 is good for capturing take off or landing
 
Arh ok, i have a nikon d300, so can you set it to horizontal or vertical? Is that what you do when taking fast moving objects eg. planes or cars?
 
If you're panning horizontally with the plane/car, use mode 2. This will stabilise any vertical movement but won't interfere with the horizontal as you move through the pan.
If you're keeping the lens still and just snapping them as they come past, you can probably use full stabilisation.
 
Jim.R said:
Does it have mode two mode IS? (One for stabilising both planes (unintentional pun, honest), one for stabilising ony the vertical)
I'd have thought flying shots would be similar to motorsport, you pan with the subject to get it sharp and the background blurred? If so, you'll need either mode 2 IS (vertical only), or it turned off altogether I'd have thought.
Click to expand...

Yes, it has the 2 modes
 
What sort of settings could i use to take moving planes from an airshow with my nikon d300 with a 70-300mm VR lens. Stuff like metering modes or priorities, iso etc would be great :)
 
Weetobix, let me know what you think of this lens. I recieved mine about 2 weeks ago and so far I have found the quality a little disapointing. I have been recommended to send mine back to Sigma for recalibration. It seems as if its a little out of focus all of the time, particularly at 400mm.
 
voodoochild said:
Weetobix, let me know what you think of this lens. I recieved mine about 2 weeks ago and so far I have found the quality a little disapointing. I have been recommended to send mine back to Sigma for recalibration. It seems as if its a little out of focus all of the time, particularly at 400mm.
Click to expand...

Here's a pic I took with a 120-400 last month when testing one in london camera exchange
400mm handheld, iso 200, 1/50sec, f/5.6
Uncropped but shrunk - no sharpening added

lights.jpg


Looks pretty sharp to me - I'm still waiting for mine to arrive
 
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