Beginner Camera for Motor Racing Photography

Best Camera for Motor Racing Photography

  • Canon 7D MkII

    Votes: 1 16.7%

  • Nikon D500

    Votes: 4 66.7%

  • Other (Please state in comments)

    Votes: 1 16.7%
  • Total voters
    6
S

si_r84

Messages
7
Name
Si Reed
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi there all, wondering if I can pick some knowledgeable brains for some advice.

I currently own a Canon 100D with a kit and pancake lens and although it is good for pictures of the kids and general around town pictures I am looking at making the step up in capability of the camera while also improving my ability.

The main focus of the camera will be motor racing photography as the 100D will stay around for if I want to grab it on the way out quickly.

Budget wise I would prefer to stay under £1500 unless there is an absolute no brainer out there that everyone agrees on that pushes that budget.

To flesh out the 'Motor Racing' part, it would mainly be club racing at my local Brands Hatch circuit so will have free roam to change the location to get fairly close up for first lap antics through Druids hairpin but then also to cater for tracking them as they come through the fast sweep of Paddock Hill. There might be some Grand Stand sitting but the majority would be on my feet as close to trackside as I can get.

One caveat to this is my dad and me make a yearly trip to Silverstone for the WEC where there would be more long distance shots from seating areas due to the length of the race.

Although I currently have a Canon I only have 2 lenses so am not tied to them as a manufacturer if there are better options. With that being said I have been reading a lot of good things about the Canon 7D MkII and I can get that within my budget. Though the fly in the ointment for me is I have been really liking what I have seen about the Nikon D500. Is there a benefit to busting my budget for the newer 'better' D500 so I am starting earlier in a products life cycle, or is the 7D MkII still good enough technology wise to see me into the future. Or what are the other options out there I should consider.

Thank you in advance of any advice received.
 
I was taking motorsports images in the 90's with a Canon T90 manual focus camera.

Any camera will take good motorsports shots as long as you have decent light and the right lenses.
 
The 7D mkii is a great body and well suited to Motorsport as it's fast fps and a crop sensor will help on those longer requirements, esp for Silverstone.

You'll then need a lens of say 70-300 range to give you the bit of flexibility depending where you are, but the reach also.

Now if you want to bust your budget properly, then the 100-400 (esp mkii) is certainly worth while looking at.
 
Oh and a slightly cheaper option, but still very capable body would be the xxD range - say the Canon 80D - might free some money up for the lens...
 
Thank you for the replies, would the extra cost of 7D MkII be a better option to grow into over time with more future proofing due to the higher level of technology. Or would you consider something like the 80D as having enough future scope?
 
j crossley said:
The question that I have to ask is, why do you think you need a new camera body? What is it that you are wanting to do that the Canon 100D cannot do?
Personally I would stick with the 100D and spend my money on a good lens like the 100-400.
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That if I am honest with myself is probably part of the reason I have ended up posting up a thread looking for advice. Am I just falling for wanting something 'newer' and 'better' without actually needing it. The discussion here has certainly made me stop and think, which is a good thing.
 
I would look at a used 7D Mk1 and use the rest on some glass (a 300mm f4 & 1.4 TC would work well). Or, look at the Sigma range, they have a few decent zooms, the 150-600 contemporary, with a used 7D Mk1 should just squeeze into your budget.
 
I have the canon 80D wed to my Sigma 150-600 great combo but not used yet in anger on a motorsport event. Sigma have just launched the 100-400 which if the 150-600 is anything to go by will be a another option. If you go down the canon route. There is a 150-600 in the classifieds for Canon at £595 which would tick the need for great reach I would by the lens and then see if the body lens combo works for you then maybe upgrade the body if it does not cut the mustard.
 
I think it's clear what you should do.

You don't have a lens which is suitable for motorsport photography, not even nearly.
But you might have a camera which is suitable, depending on whether aspects of the 100D such as the AF speed and the frame rate meet your needs.

So your priority should be the lens, then the camera if necessary.

A useful rule of thumb which I've seen widely mentioned is that you should generally be thinking of spending 1/3 of your budget on the camera and 2/3 on the lens(es). The lens makes much more of a difference than the camera, most of the time, as you would quickly discover if you tried to shoot motorsport with a 7D Mk II and your pancake lens. So with a budget of £1500 it wouldn't be unreasonable to spend up towards £1000 on a decent telephoto such as the ones already mentioned here (100-400mm, Sigma 150-600, 300mm f/4 + extender, etc), and hold some money back to upgrade the body to something like a used 7D or 70D if necessary.

I really don't think it makes any sense to switch to a different system. There's not that much between the 7D Mk II and the D500 in real life and both are far far more capable than most photographers. Plus it would be inappropriate to blow all your budget on the camera. A D500 plus kit lens wouldn't anywhere near as good as a 7D and a 100-400mm lens.
 
Thank you all for your responses. They have been most helpful. I think I am going to get some new lenses and continue to improve myself as a photographer and only when I start finding things I can't do with the 100D will I look to upgrade rather than let myself be dazzled by reviews and manufacturers websites.

Again thank you for all the advice and recommendations.
 
What Stewart said really, whilst either of your chosen cameras is more than capable:

One of them might feel like someone's just handed you a restaurant menu in French, great but useless to you.

And the other will be a massive step up, but without a lens is still not a great choice.

You need a lens, so budget for the 'kit', a 7d with the right lens is better than a 7dII with a kit lens.
 
I'm certainly no expert by any means, but my own experience is having taken cameras to around 15-20 events at different circuits.
Having upgraded from a 650D to 70D, I appreciated the higher frame rate and seemingly better autofocusing. I used a 70-200mm F4L IS and this was enough reach everywhere at every track bar Silverstone, where I could have done with a little more when up in the grandstands... still, cropping in post production did the job for me though. I found that quite a lot of images were shot at 70mm, too.
I have recently had a change around of lenses, and now have a Tamron 70-300mm VC; initial impression is that this should be more than up to the job, but we shall see in just over a week at Silverstone!
HTH :)
 
Just another thought, regarding future proofing, from what I've read lenses will not depreciate as quickly as bodies, so again a good lens wins the day for me.
Good luck
 
So moving this thread on slightly and taking on board what people have said here in regards to the lens being a much bigger factor than I knew I am looking at reversing my way of doing things and spending some money now on a good quality lens and then saving up for a new body in the future when my skill is limited by the 100D. With that in mind and as lens confuse me even more I have been looking at a couple of lenses and was hoping you guys will continue to assist with you opinions.

First off is this one Canon EF 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS II USM Lens which looking at reviews I would see as something that I can keep long term as I change bodies as my skill improves then the second on is Canon EF 75-300mm f4-5.6 USM III Lens which is a more reasonable price but would it be more limiting as m skills improve and I look to upgrade the 100D in the future?

Again thank you all for your ongoing assistance and advice.
 
si_r84 said:
So moving this thread on slightly and taking on board what people have said here in regards to the lens being a much bigger factor than I knew I am looking at reversing my way of doing things and spending some money now on a good quality lens and then saving up for a new body in the future when my skill is limited by the 100D. With that in mind and as lens confuse me even more I have been looking at a couple of lenses and was hoping you guys will continue to assist with you opinions.

First off is this one Canon EF 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS II USM Lens which looking at reviews I would see as something that I can keep long term as I change bodies as my skill improves then the second on is Canon EF 75-300mm f4-5.6 USM III Lens which is a more reasonable price but would it be more limiting as m skills improve and I look to upgrade the 100D in the future?

Again thank you all for your ongoing assistance and advice.
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From these 2 lenses, I wouldn't look at the 75-300 lens, I had the 70-300 mki and it was a nice lens and okay for Motorsport- my local track is Oulton Park, but I did struggle at times with the AF speed of the lens and occasionally being softer images at 300mm range.

Bought the 70-200 F4 L and it was worlds apart - much quicker to AF and not at all soft, only sold it as I upgraded to the f2.8 version.

I've also had the 300 F4 L and this was my stable lens to use for Motorsport for a long time - again, only sold as I upgraded it...

I'd seriously look to the 100-400 lens or the Canon 70-300 L lens if your funds allow.
 
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I use a Sigma 70-200 f2.8 for motorsport and occassionally with a 1.4x convertor, well within your budget and a great all round lens.
 
Are you a fair weather photographer, or are you going to be out there rain, wind or snow. A 70-300L or a 100-400L would be OK for most of the season, but in poor weather or 'normal' autumn / winter when the light is low and gloomy performance will drop off?

Both those will not be great at Silverstone, but a high megapixel camera image can be cropped fairly heavily and still end up with a print that will print happily at A3 or above.

75-300 - poor
70-300 IS - better
anything with an L in it - better still
often underated Sigma 100-300 f4 EX

A 60D / 7D or above would be a good companion body.

As others have said - your main investment will be glass. A secondhand 7D will produce great shots and you can then upgrade to a 7D2 or something similar later.
 
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si_r84 said:
So moving this thread on slightly and taking on board what people have said here in regards to the lens being a much bigger factor than I knew I am looking at reversing my way of doing things and spending some money now on a good quality lens and then saving up for a new body in the future when my skill is limited by the 100D. With that in mind and as lens confuse me even more I have been looking at a couple of lenses and was hoping you guys will continue to assist with you opinions.

First off is this one Canon EF 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS II USM Lens which looking at reviews I would see as something that I can keep long term as I change bodies as my skill improves then the second on is Canon EF 75-300mm f4-5.6 USM III Lens which is a more reasonable price but would it be more limiting as m skills improve and I look to upgrade the 100D in the future?

Again thank you all for your ongoing assistance and advice.
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This has me scratching my head, you say you've understood that you should change priority, but you've gone from spending a potential 1200 on a camera to a 200 lens :thinking:

I don't think you've truly grasped the importance of a good lens. But as I said before, for your budget, you could get a good enough lens and a 7d mk1, which would give you great kit now.
 
Phil V said:
This has me scratching my head, you say you've understood that you should change priority, but you've gone from spending a potential 1200 on a camera to a 200 lens :thinking:

I don't think you've truly grasped the importance of a good lens.
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Absolutely.
 
Yes one of the lenses I was asking about was 260 and one was 500. Like I have said I am very much a beginner looking to improve themselves so have a lot of further learning to do so if you believe the lenses I have posted are wrong please feel free to correct me with recommendations so I can continue to look into and learn from the alternatives put forward.
 
As others have said lenses should be the priority and whilst over the years you may use many bodies, good lenses will outlast. Having said that I have just been scanning the classifieds and there is a sigma 150-600c for £595 and a couple of 7d2's for between £700-£850. So you could get both for your budget (then keep a standard on your other for when you want to grab a wide angle shot (y) )
 
andyred said:
From these 2 lenses, I wouldn't look at the 75-300 lens, I had the 70-300 mki and it was a nice lens and okay for Motorsport- my local track is Oulton Park, but I did struggle at times with the AF speed of the lens and occasionally being softer images at 300mm range.

Bought the 70-200 F4 L and it was worlds apart - much quicker to AF and not at all soft, only sold it as I upgraded to the f2.8 version.

I've also had the 300 F4 L and this was my stable lens to use for Motorsport for a long time - again, only sold as I upgraded it...

I'd seriously look to the 100-400 lens or the Canon 70-300 L lens if your funds allow.
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Was that the IS version of the 300 F4 L?
 
ChrisHeathcote said:
As others have said lenses should be the priority and whilst over the years you may use many bodies, good lenses will outlast. Having said that I have just been scanning the classifieds and there is a sigma 150-600c for £595 and a couple of 7d2's for between £700-£850. So you could get both for your budget (then keep a standard on your other for when you want to grab a wide angle shot (y) )
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Whilst some of that is solid advice, the 150-600 wouldn't be many people's first choice for Motorsport.
 
si_r84 said:
Yes one of the lenses I was asking about was 260 and one was 500. Like I have said I am very much a beginner looking to improve themselves so have a lot of further learning to do so if you believe the lenses I have posted are wrong please feel free to correct me with recommendations so I can continue to look into and learn from the alternatives put forward.
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You've had loads of advice, there's loads of 'great' lenses suitable to meet your needs.
StewartR said:
...

A useful rule of thumb which I've seen widely mentioned is that you should generally be thinking of spending 1/3 of your budget on the camera and 2/3 on the lens(es). The lens makes much more of a difference than the camera, most of the time, as you would quickly discover if you tried to shoot motorsport with a 7D Mk II and your pancake lens. So with a budget of £1500 it wouldn't be unreasonable to spend up towards £1000 on a decent telephoto such as the ones already mentioned here (100-400mm, Sigma 150-600, 300mm f/4 + extender, etc), and hold some money back to upgrade the body to something like a used 7D or 70D if necessary.
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andyred said:
...
Bought the 70-200 F4 L and it was worlds apart - much quicker to AF and not at all soft, only sold it as I upgraded to the f2.8 version.

I've also had the 300 F4 L and this was my stable lens to use for Motorsport for a long time - again, only sold as I upgraded it...

I'd seriously look to the 100-400 lens or the Canon 70-300 L lens if your funds allow.
Click to expand...

canonrebel said:
I use a Sigma 70-200 f2.8 for motorsport and occassionally with a 1.4x convertor, well within your budget and a great all round lens.
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andrewc said:
Are you a fair weather photographer, or are you going to be out there rain, wind or snow. A 70-300L or a 100-400L would be OK for most of the season, but in poor weather or 'normal' autumn / winter when the light is low and gloomy performance will drop off?

Both those will not be great at Silverstone, but a high megapixel camera image can be cropped fairly heavily and still end up with a print that will print happily at A3 or above.

75-300 - poor
70-300 IS - better
anything with an L in it - better still
often underated Sigma 100-300 f4 EX

A 60D / 7D or above would be a good companion body.

As others have said - your main investment will be glass. A secondhand 7D will produce great shots and you can then upgrade to a 7D2 or something similar later.
Click to expand...
 
Phil V said:
Whilst some of that is solid advice, the 150-600 wouldn't be many people's first choice for Motorsport.
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Granted, focal lengths and lens weights can be very personal. I have to admit to seeing quite a few 150-600s at Donington when I was there a few weeks ago, personally I use a 120-300 occasionally with a 1.4x tc.

Others seen around the track are 100-400, 70-200 (I use an f4 l is) along with a number of 300mm and 400mm primes.
 
si_r84 said:
Yes one of the lenses I was asking about was 260 and one was 500. Like I have said I am very much a beginner looking to improve themselves so have a lot of further learning to do so if you believe the lenses I have posted are wrong please feel free to correct me with recommendations so I can continue to look into and learn from the alternatives put forward.
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Yes, seems a lot of money to spend on a lens, but you'll not regret it and will notice a difference in the quality / speed of AF etc.

General advice I follow, is to decide what you're after and then buy the best you can afford for that purpose - so from your 2 lenses, the 70-300IS lens is a better buy, but as you have budget of £1500, you could look at some of the other options suggested...

Don't forget, you can also look at 2nd hand as people do upgrade (as I have done) ?

Moto from my grandad "buy cheap, buy twice"
 
The camera you use is not important, I've used a lubitel 166B and a canon canonet film cameras before to shoot motor sports. What matters is going out and getting some experience. Get yourself to a track with your current kit and see what you can do get the hang of panning. Have a walk around the pits and get some interesting photos there. Once you have had a go on the kit you have you will understand what else you need, everyone will only recommend what works for them not what works for you. Most of all have fun doing it! Oulton park is a great track to get very close to the action with your current kit! I can recommend that you get a Jessops Motorsport photography course with part of your budget, its a great way to gain a lot of knowledge in a day.

http://www.jessops.com/online.store...torsport Photography Workshop-96408/Show.html
 
In your shoes I'd definitely be looking at second hand. For a £1500 budget you can get a great lens and a 7dII.

If nothing else that should show you how much money you'll lose the day a brand new camera is used. I've bought more 'new' cameras than second hand, but it's usually because I'm buying the latest camera to gain an advantage over what I've already got. The 7dII is now old enough that there's loads on the 2nd hand market, in fact looking at the improvement in the 80d sensor it's probably ready for replacement.
 
IMG_0124.JPG IMG_0103.JPG



D500 and 150-600c is what I use, the D500s focus is so good it's like 6th sense, I got the C variant lens due to weight and carrying it trackside the sport and nikons own were just too heavy for a day out
The 7dii was on my list to buy but I had the budget and the d500 was just better when I tested them both.

I never need to swap the lens out , but if I do it's when I'm doing the pits, I've taken a 70-200 F2.8 with me on occasions but rarely used it, I was out last weekend with my friend who use that setup and 2x TC on a d800e and both did well
 
andyred said:
Hi, yes the IS version, was a superb lens and I also found it worked very well with the Canon 1.4TC mkiii as well..
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Thanks and was it sold through LCE Reading by any chance? If it was I may have it and it is still great.
 
Archie747 said:
Thanks and was it sold through LCE Reading by any chance? If it was I may have it and it is still great.
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Hi, no, sold it to a mate at a very good price (means I can hopefully borrow it if needed) :)

Glad you're liking yours, it really is a belter of a lens...
 
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