British GT Championship and Ginettas at Donington.

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Toby
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Bad light is sometimes good for panning. Great set, Toby (y)
 
Some great panning shots in a very good set. No 6 would be my pick, 1/25 must take plenty practice and lots of skill.
Thanks very much. I've been working on getting to 1/8s if possible, so far the best I've got is 1/15 like these two. Hit rate is very low though, only get the odd one acceptably sharp at these speeds


DSC_3333
by TDG-77, on Flickr

DSC_3339
by TDG-77, on Flickr

Bad light is sometimes good for panning. Great set, Toby (y)
Thanks. Yeah, certainly helps not having to use ND filters (y)


Out of curiosity do these look softer on here compared to Flickr to you guys? Certainly do on my computer.
 
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Some top quality panning shots as always, I really don't know how you get pans that sharp at such slow shutter speeds. #5 and #6 would be my pick, purely for the subject matter but every shot in this thread is excellent
 
Some top quality panning shots as always, I really don't know how you get pans that sharp at such slow shutter speeds. #5 and #6 would be my pick, purely for the subject matter but every shot in this thread is excellent
Thanks very much, appreciate the comments. It's a lot of concentration and binning of shots before I get one's I'm happy with tbh. I am getting more consistent granted but hit rate at 1/25 and lower is very low. That's the beauty of digital though, allows you to experiment and practice with shots like this (y)

I wish I had your eye for framing though, just had a look at your website and your shots are excellent (y)
 
Great set that - very well panned and sharp throughout. I took 6000 images over the weekend! I'm still flagging and rating mine...
 
Great set that - very well panned and sharp throughout. I took 6000 images over the weekend! I'm still flagging and rating mine...
Thanks. 6000? :eek: ;) I only took the camera on Saturday, for once I left the camera at home on Sunday so I was a bit annoyed when it was sunny all day after the gloomy Saturday. That being said, it was really nice just to sit and enjoy the racing, I forget to do that when I take my camera with me. I really enjoyed it actually and must remember to make sure I do this in the future and not just spend the day behind the viewfinder.

The pan Daddy 1/8 :jawdrop: I cannot go below 1/100 :( great set love the orange theme in 1,4 and 11
Well I'm not there yet, but that's the aim ;) Thanks BTW :)
 
Thanks very much, appreciate the comments. It's a lot of concentration and binning of shots before I get one's I'm happy with tbh. I am getting more consistent granted but hit rate at 1/25 and lower is very low. That's the beauty of digital though, allows you to experiment and practice with shots like this (y)

I wish I had your eye for framing though, just had a look at your website and your shots are excellent (y)

My limit for panning is about 1/60th, and even then it has to be a nice wide pan with the car not too big in the frame to hide the fact that it's not pin sharp. 1/25th with this sharpness is incredibly good. Do you use a monopod or is this all handheld? And thanks, that's really kind of you to say. My lens is awful so I guess I've tried to work harder to hide that fact this year by playing about with composition a bit more.
 
My limit for panning is about 1/60th, and even then it has to be a nice wide pan with the car not too big in the frame to hide the fact that it's not pin sharp. 1/25th with this sharpness is incredibly good. Do you use a monopod or is this all handheld? And thanks, that's really kind of you to say. My lens is awful so I guess I've tried to work harder to hide that fact this year by playing about with composition a bit more.
I've tried a monopod but can't get on with them so they're all hand held. I'm not sure if it's practice (this was my third event this year so obviously will be improving) or that I'm using a lighter lens these days as I struggled to get below 1/60 ish with the 70-200mm f2.8 and 150-600mm, very very occasionally I'd get a reasonably sharp shot at 1/25. When the new AF-P 70-300mm f4.5-5.6e had the cash back a few months ago it made it 'relatively' cheap so I picked one up and I do seem to be able to get slower shutter speeds.

I don't know how these guys get 1/15 etc with the big tele primes, I can only assume that they use a tripod and gimbal.
 
I've tried a monopod but can't get on with them so they're all hand held. I'm not sure if it's practice (this was my third event this year so obviously will be improving) or that I'm using a lighter lens these days as I struggled to get below 1/60 ish with the 70-200mm f2.8 and 150-600mm, very very occasionally I'd get a reasonably sharp shot at 1/25. When the new AF-P 70-300mm f4.5-5.6e had the cash back a few months ago it made it 'relatively' cheap so I picked one up and I do seem to be able to get slower shutter speeds.

I don't know how these guys get 1/15 etc with the big tele primes, I can only assume that they use a tripod and gimbal.

I too have toyed with a monopod and I find it too restrictive.
oot a lot and throw a lot away!
As for going below 1/60th - there is an easy solution. Shoot a lot and throw a lot away!
 
Lovely set of shots and incredible panning skills.

I'm getting a Brands Hatch season pass for Christmas so I've got a lot of practice to get to your standard.
 
Lovely set of shots and incredible panning skills.

I'm getting a Brands Hatch season pass for Christmas so I've got a lot of practice to get to your standard.
Thanks, very kind. That sounds like a fantastic Christmas present, looking forward to seeing your shots (y)
 
Thanks very much. I've been working on getting to 1/8s if possible, so far the best I've got is 1/15 like these two. Hit rate is very low though, only get the odd one acceptably sharp at these speeds


DSC_3333
by TDG-77, on Flickr

DSC_3339
by TDG-77, on Flickr


Thanks. Yeah, certainly helps not having to use ND filters (y)


Out of curiosity do these look softer on here compared to Flickr to you guys? Certainly do on my computer.


I have gone down to 1/5th second and got images in focus. The lower you go the lower the hit race, but there are other variables that affect your hit rate at low shutter speeds too.
 
I've tried a monopod but can't get on with them so they're all hand held. I'm not sure if it's practice (this was my third event this year so obviously will be improving) or that I'm using a lighter lens these days as I struggled to get below 1/60 ish with the 70-200mm f2.8 and 150-600mm, very very occasionally I'd get a reasonably sharp shot at 1/25. When the new AF-P 70-300mm f4.5-5.6e had the cash back a few months ago it made it 'relatively' cheap so I picked one up and I do seem to be able to get slower shutter speeds.

I don't know how these guys get 1/15 etc with the big tele primes, I can only assume that they use a tripod and gimbal.


Its down to practise really, I don't use a tripod or gimbal head but just a monopod. I started motorsport photography 5 months ago, but have practised a lot at shooting below 1/15th second. I find that I learn more about how to improve panning shooting around 1/8th second as it makes you really focus on trying to get the image in focus and helps you improve your panning technique. This image was taken at 1/10th second:
 

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I have gone down to 1/5th second and got images in focus. The lower you go the lower the hit race, but there are other variables that affect your hit rate at low shutter speeds too.
Thanks, what other variables affect hit rate other than technique?
 
Thanks, what other variables affect hit rate other than technique?

How far you are away from the car, the closer you are the harder it is to get the pan in focus. What focal lenth your shooting at, which combines with how far you are away from the car, shooting at a wider focal length means its easier to get the car in focus. The angle which you are to the car, taking a parralel pan is easier than doing a 1/4 or 3/4 angle to the car. If your at a narrower angle, its harder to get the car in focus. And then its about trying to maintain as smooth a pan as possible, so I always try to make myself as comfortable and relaxed as possible, make sure the monopods at the corret height etc. It depends on the car, but for closed cockpit, I aim to keep one of the sponsors logo's on the same focus point for the whole pan. Open cockpit I keep the drivers head on the same focus point.
 
How far you are away from the car, the closer you are the harder it is to get the pan in focus. What focal lenth your shooting at, which combines with how far you are away from the car, shooting at a wider focal length means its easier to get the car in focus. The angle which you are to the car, taking a parralel pan is easier than doing a 1/4 or 3/4 angle to the car. If your at a narrower angle, its harder to get the car in focus. And then its about trying to maintain as smooth a pan as possible, so I always try to make myself as comfortable and relaxed as possible, make sure the monopods at the corret height etc. It depends on the car, but for closed cockpit, I aim to keep one of the sponsors logo's on the same focus point for the whole pan. Open cockpit I keep the drivers head on the same focus point.
Ahh I see what you mean. I kinda put that under the whole 'technique' umbrella but I guess it isn't really. I realise that I'm not going to get easily get 1/8 with my 150-600mm although I've seen some that somehow manage it with a 500 or 600mm prime :eek:
 
Ahh I see what you mean. I kinda put that under the whole 'technique' umbrella but I guess it isn't really. I realise that I'm not going to get easily get 1/8 with my 150-600mm although I've seen some that somehow manage it with a 500 or 600mm prime :eek:

Its harder shooting at 50mm closer to the cars than at 600mm a fair distance from the cars. I havn't tried shooting at 600mm at 1/8th second as its not really possible at my local race track without media accrediation. So I generally shoot at around 150-200mm at those sorts of shutter speeds. I recon if you practised enough you could shoot at 1/8th second with 600mm, your hit rate would be very low but its possible. Panning is all about practise.
 
Excellent shots. Just something about these that make them special! Did you take these from the crowd side or within the fence?
 
Excellent shots. Just something about these that make them special! Did you take these from the crowd side or within the fence?
Thanks very much. All shot from the crowd side, ie normal access. I'd love to get access beyond the fencing one day.
 
I have gone down to 1/5th second and got images in focus. The lower you go the lower the hit race, but there are other variables that affect your hit rate at low shutter speeds too.

I find the shutter speed I can pan at depends very much on the focal length.

With long telephotos 1/180 is about my limit, while with a more normal lens 1/50s is pretty much guaranteed (like this one in Infra red)
IR BTCC - Cole by Mike Kanssen, on Flickr

For me speeds down to ~1/8 are just about possible with luck (this ones not quite sharp but the subject was only walking so faster speeds wouldn't have worked at all)
Panning portrait by Mike Kanssen, on Flickr

I've not yet tried panning with a fisheye :)
 
An excellent set of action shots there Toby, superb, and shooting at a low iso setting - brilliant..!! That's a great combo with the D850 + 70-300mm. Did you shoot on cropped DX setting or FX via the D850..?

Regards;
Peter
 
An excellent set of action shots there Toby, superb, and shooting at a low iso setting - brilliant..!! That's a great combo with the D850 + 70-300mm. Did you shoot on cropped DX setting or FX via the D850..?

Regards;
Peter
Thanks very much. 99% were shot in FX and then cropped in post.
 
Have you owned the D850 long Toby? I've just picked one up recently and still learning it and loving it.

Has the Nikkor 70-300mm lens image stabilisation built-in..? You've got great panning skills, where they handheld shots above..?

Peter
 
Have you owned the D850 long Toby? I've just picked one up recently and still learning it and loving it.

Has the Nikkor 70-300mm lens image stabilisation built-in..? You've got great panning skills, where they handheld shots above..?

Peter
Thanks. The AF-P 70-300mm has the latest VR but I’m never sure whether it hinders or helps for this kind of panning tbh. Had the D850 since last April, although I’ve not even picked it up in the last 2 months :(
 
Thanks. 6000? :eek: ;) I only took the camera on Saturday, for once I left the camera at home on Sunday so I was a bit annoyed when it was sunny all day after the gloomy Saturday. That being said, it was really nice just to sit and enjoy the racing, I forget to do that when I take my camera with me. I really enjoyed it actually and must remember to make sure I do this in the future and not just spend the day behind the viewfinder.

Well I'm not there yet, but that's the aim ;) Thanks BTW :)

It was a great event. Real "end of season" feel, but not so busy it was crowded (unlike the Sunday of the WEC this year!)
 
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