Hiring a lens for Le Mans 2014

Cleisthenes

Cleisthenes

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Ben
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I've been considering this, as I won't be able to afford to purchase a high quality lens for this year.

It will on a 7D body.

I've been considering a 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM, this would cost me about £80 for the week.

Thoughts?
 
100-400 would be a good choice and good value.
Make sure you're fully insured. Lots of tea leafs around at Le Mans.

But the advice I always give about Le Mans: leave your camera at home. Get drunk, enjoy yourself and take a few selfies with your phone.

There really isn't much opportunity to get many good track photos.
 
Thanks for the advice Gary :)

It's one of the big opportunities that I get to use my camera a lot with cars, so I like to practice there (panning etc)

Do you think a monopod would help me with this lens? Is it especially heavy etc?
 
Gary has made a good point there, shooting opportunities are quite limited with huge fences and big crowds, you can have more fun around and about the place.
 
Thanks both of you.

I loved the Porsche shots you posted the other day too Gary, great work :)
 
there is alot of fencing :(, i didnt get many good shots with a bridge camera a few years ok, i think a fast lens might help you see through the fencing, and be better for the night stuff. u should get good pics from the ferrice wheel at the food chicane.

oh and le mans is huuuge
 
There is a decent gap in the fence at the Ford chicane for rear shots of the cars travelling along the start straight, you could be waiting a long time for 'your turn' though, unless you catch in the early hours of Sunday morning or during the night. I think the Terte Rouge banking on the inside lifts you above the fence, as the banking does down at the Porsche curves entry, the 400mm should come in handy there.

Above the fence at the Mulsanne corner Thurs night.


LM (1 of 1)-7 by Paul Babington Photography, on Flickr

Through the gap between fences at the Ford Chicane.


LM (1 of 1)-21 by Paul Babington Photography, on Flickr

On the run down to the Ford Chicane standing on a wall shooting through the fence .


LM (1 of 1)-49 by Paul Babington Photography, on Flickr


All shot with my old Nikon D3100 and 70-300 lens.
 
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Nice shots PBP27, they're the kind of shots i'm after. Is the position for the ford chicane inside one of the camp sites? How exactly do I get there?

I've been four times before, twice with my old 450D, but this'll be the first time with the 7D and quality tele lens.

Also, how did you get 'above' the fence opposite mulsanne corner?

Thanks
 
I've been twice and looking back it probably wasn't worth taking the camera, but it's still good practice.
Monopod might be good if you'll be standing on a bank for a few hrs

Anyone managed to sneak through to mulsanne straight etc? We got quite far once but then got caught.

I've heard there is a hotel on the straight that let's you view if you're buying food or something, not sure what viewing is like though

Have fun, fingers crossed for the weather!
 
I've been going on and off since 1984 ! Last year was the first time that I took a camera as I'm late getting into the hobby, I am really looking forward to going back with a new camera body and lenses (D7100, F4 300 prime +1.4 tc and 70-200 f2.8 VRII). I've picked up a lot since last year, certainly from the guys who post pics on here, so I'm hoping for better shots all round.

The Ford Chicane leads onto the start straight so can be very busy on the Saturday, there are entrances into the circuit at Garage Bleu/blanc (camping and parking) which then lead you to the chicane/start straight. I walked back up through the Maison Blanche campsite (away from the chicane) towards the Porsche curves for the twin Audi shot. The Mulsanne corner is a car journey away, we parked in the village down there and took the entrance . There is a steep bank for spectating, I stood at the top of the bank on a small camping step to get above the heads and fences (these can come in handy everywhere !), you will need the 400 there though as my shots were heavily cropped with the 70-300. I'm certainly going to try the inside of Terte Rouge and the Porsche curves this year.
There is that place on the Mulsanne that Simon mentioned which we haven't tried out, I think it is right by one of the chicanes ? Yes they do frown on people who try to get up close to the straight, some have been successful though.

Oh and the weather, it has been rubbish for the last few years,so take camera/lens waterproof bags .
 
Thanks Paul. The camp site which I always use is on the inside of tetre rouge, so I am often up there getting some snaps. I really want to get to the Porsche Curves this year, as well as the Ford Chicane.

I go with my Father and a bunch of his mates (although I'm 20), so I'll have to see what they plan to do. I will certainly venture to the Porsche Curves and Ford Chicane on my own though; really looking forward to it now, especially as it's the other side of my exams!

If anybody else has any good spots around the track that they'd like to share, then by no means hold it back!!

Thanks everyone.
 
I've just been reading the T+C's for the lens hire companies, and the insurance is terrifying to say the least.

Given that it's a L lens, do I need to be worried about something going wrong?

I've paid just under £70, which includes insurance, but the excess would be £500 if something were to happen, for 7 days of hire of the 100-400mm.

Give me some comfort please? :hug:
 
Cleisthenes said:
I've just been reading the T+C's for the lens hire companies, and the insurance is terrifying to say the least.

Given that it's a L lens, do I need to be worried about something going wrong?

I've paid just under £70, which includes insurance, but the excess would be £500 if something were to happen, for 7 days of hire of the 100-400mm.

Give me some comfort please? :hug:
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The excess just gives you incentive to be careful with it.
 
Winkyphoto said:
The excess just gives you incentive to be careful with it.
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I guess, and thinking back, I've never once damaged my telephoto lens, and that is only a relatively cheap one!

I'll keep the order, and I'll just be sure to be careful with it! Otherwise I might be working it off for a good while :(
 
Cleisthenes said:
I guess, and thinking back, I've never once damaged my telephoto lens, and that is only a relatively cheap one!

I'll keep the order, and I'll just be sure to be careful with it! Otherwise I might be working it off for a good while :(
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The downside of insurance is a personal interest of mine. I think socialising/spreading risks through insurance reduces the care people take; and therefore costs us all dearly. Think of motor vehicle insurance. If you couldn't cover your own car for accidents that were your fault, people would drive much more carefully and we'd all be better off. As a compromise, I much prefer insurance that has large excess and lower rate, rather than insuring the complete risk (which would give us NO immediate incentive to prevent loss and damage).
 
Winkyphoto said:
The downside of insurance is a personal interest of mine. I think socialising/spreading risks through insurance reduces the care people take; and therefore costs us all dearly. Think of motor vehicle insurance. If you couldn't cover your own car for accidents that were your fault, people would drive much more carefully and we'd all be better off. As a compromise, I much prefer insurance that has large excess and lower rate, rather than insuring the complete risk (which would give us NO immediate incentive to prevent loss and damage).
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You speak a lot of sense. I agree, it probably would be costing me almost twice as much if my excess was considerably lower!
 
There is places with out fences etc have to explore a little all part of the fun!

I found a really quick way to the mulsanne slightly scary when the police are chasing you...haha

A 100-400 will do the job nicely!
 
Riad said:
There is places with out fences etc have to explore a little all part of the fun!

I found a really quick way to the mulsanne slightly scary when the police are chasing you...haha

A 100-400 will do the job nicely!
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Don't know whether I'm brave enough for that! Any of your personal favourites that you'd like to share? ;)
 
I've been a couple of times and used a 100-400mm the first time because my 70-200 was being repaired..

There are some decent panning opportunities at the Porsche curves on the inside of the circuit.. Plus as already mentioned there are some gaps in the wire at the Ford chicane (outside of circuit) and a few places where it's not impossible to pan through the fence



 
Thanks Glenn. When you say that the Ford Chicane location is outside of the track, do you mean that you have to go outside of the enclosed track area to get to it?
 
No worries... Access to the Ford chicane is through the Maison Blanc area, so inside the spectator enclosure but on the outside of the track rather the the inside, i.e. the cars are coming towards you as they come into the chicane then go right to left..

At the Porsche curves, you leave the spectator enclosure and walk down the road, then under the circuit and then right through one of the camp sites. That takes you to some spectator area banking. This on the inside of the circuit with cars going left to right. You're shooting towards the light at sunset which can be a bit tricky.

I wish I was going this year, but alas not..
 
GeeJay57 said:
No worries... Access to the Ford chicane is through the Maison Blanc area, so inside the spectator enclosure but on the outside of the track rather the the inside, i.e. the cars are coming towards you as they come into the chicane then go right to left..

At the Porsche curves, you leave the spectator enclosure and walk down the road, then under the circuit and then right through one of the camp sites. That takes you to some spectator area banking. This on the inside of the circuit with cars going left to right. You're shooting towards the light at sunset which can be a bit tricky.

I wish I was going this year, but alas not..
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Thats really really helpful, thanks a lot.
 
Sorry, got it a bit wrong... The area I called the Ford Chicane is the exit of the Porsche Curves, which can be viewed from the Maison Blanc area with the cars coming into the lens. There were gaps in the fence there the last time I went.

The view from the spectator banking inside the Porsche curves is as mentioned earlier.

The Ford Chicane is the section just before the start of the pit-straight. My bad..
 
GeeJay57 said:
Sorry, got it a bit wrong... The area I called the Ford Chicane is the exit of the Porsche Curves, which can be viewed from the Maison Blanc area with the cars coming into the lens. There were gaps in the fence there the last time I went.

The view from the spectator banking inside the Porsche curves is as mentioned earlier.

The Ford Chicane is the section just before the start of the pit-straight. My bad..
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Haha, no problem at all.
 
Gary said:
See my first post. Lots of thieves at Le Mans. If you have £500 excess on the insurance then never let it out of your sight.
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Thanks Gary, it'll always be either round my kneck or in my rucksack :)

And I've already been on the feris wheel!
 
I've taken my 70-200 before but found shooting opportunities of the track to be limited.

Last year I just took my 17-40mm and 50mm and concentrated on the experience around the track...

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1069880_845486932489_194376877_n.jpg
 
Nice shots Gill. I'll have my 50mm in my bag, so if the opportunity arises I should be prepared
 
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