new to photography help needed (motocross)

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honda224

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just bought my first dslr and after a bit advice for shooting motocross. Is my camera any good? and also what is a good lens to use.
It is a canon 400d

thanks in advance
 
i would reccomend a canon 70-200 f2.8L mkII for motocross

yes your cameras good enough no problem..
 
honda224 said:
just bought my first dslr and after a bit advice for shooting motocross. Is my camera any good? and also what is a good lens to use.
It is a canon 400d

thanks in advance
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Just use the lens that came with the camera. And pratice. Someone has said to get a very expensive pro lens. Very nice but only if you've nothing else to spend your money on. Or you plan on selling the photos. You may also find it an unbalanced setup. Large heavy lens, small camera body. Regards.
 
petespics said:
Just use the lens that came with the camera. And pratice.
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On motocross? seriously?

petespics said:
Someone has said to get a very expensive pro lens. Very nice but only if you've nothing else to spend your money on. Or you plan on selling the photos. You may also find it an unbalanced setup. Large heavy lens, small camera body. Regards.
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he specifically asked what the best lens for motocross was so I told him.. now your telling him the best lens for motocross is his kit lens?

yes its expensive.. nowhere did he mention he had a budget ?
 
Thanks for that. What are the best lens to use on a lower budget also? Or is it pointless and just get that lens straight off? Also is there any other must haves for motocross like flashes etc? Thanks again
 
On a lower budget and since you are starting out I'd suggest a cheap 70-300. I assume you won't be right up in their faces so the longer zoom should be fine.

OK you won't get the creamy bokeh you might with the 70-200 f2.8 but it's a moot point if you don't have £1k+ lying around.

That said...if you have £500 to spare then the 70-200 f4 would be a good investment.
 
honda224 said:
Thanks for that. What are the best lens to use on a lower budget also? Or is it pointless and just get that lens straight off? Also is there any other must haves for motocross like flashes etc? Thanks again
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you can take a good picture with any lens.. you didnt mention low budget when you first asked... the lens reccomended is the answer to your question..

if your now saying lower budget then the other lens listed will also do the job.... they wont do it as well.. they will be poor when the light fades like winter months and they wont be weather seled which is pretty important with mud and wet flying about.

as with anyhting else in life.. you get what you pay for.. there are reasons the best lens is 1600-1800 quid and the budget ones are 400 quid.. on a nice summers day wiht good lighting you probably cant tell the pictures apart :)
 
Thanks again for all your help. The budget isn't really a problem I was just wondering if there was anything else worth buying that is a lot cheaper. Or if it would be better to just get the best from the off. Any input on external flashes?
 
Yeah that's the plus side you can get as close as you dare. So you could get away with the shorter lens
 
Hi there and welcome.

Ive done some motorcross, i used nikon 55-200 mm and got some really good results. Ive recently upgraded to a sigma 70 - 200 and and after 3 days it has gone back to sigma for repair.

So the moral being, you can use most telescopic zooms, just depends on budget and possibly your own abilities.....

;-)
 
how much difference is there between the 2.8 and the 4

as im new to this what are the main differences?

thanks
 
Have a look for the Canon 55-250mm IS - comes in at about £150 and is probably best bang for buck when it comes to sharpness and focus speed.

If you are serious about motocross, but still want to keep the budget down, hunt out a used Canon 70-200mm F4L which will be about £330 on the second hand market. Much sharper, better autofocus and also very well put together.
 
I'd start of with a 2nd hand "budget" lens & practice your technique. It may sound patronising but it doesn't matter how much you've spent on kit the photos will still be carp if the camera isn't pointing at the subject (or is setup wrong)




photographyman said:
Ive recently upgraded to a sigma 70 - 200 and and after 3 days it has gone back to sigma for repair.
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and mine has been 100% reliable for 6 years :D
 
mrgubby said:
I'd start of with a 2nd hand "budget" lens & practice your technique.
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Your saying start with a budget lens and practice... why? why not start with a decent lens and practice..? its not liek they get worn down is it...

Sorry just wondering what your resoning is to start wiht a budgest lens then go to a decent lens?

mrgubby said:
It may sound patronising but it doesn't matter how much you've spent on kit the photos will still be carp if the camera isn't pointing at the subject (or is setup wrong)
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absoloutly correct..

but still not sure why you think starting with a budget lens is better than starting wiht a decent one?
 
I'm in Tony's camp on this one.

If the OP was to get a 70-200 f2.8 II, as he says budget is not an issue, then, all other things being equal like camera holding technique, panning technique, camera settings etc, he stands a much better chance of getting images in focus with moving subjects because the 2.8 locks on that much quicker and just stays there.

It's a superior lens full stop.
 
I cannot add to the comments already made which all make good sense. I would only add that it might be best to go to a few meetings with what you have, have some fun and see what results you get. I would also suggest that you go to a few different tracks as you might find that man-made tracks have limited access for the public as the main element of the track is not fenced; unless you can get access to the 'inside track' (requiring the organiser's permission and indemnity insurance etc) you may be disappointed whatever lens you have. Club events can also be similarly restricted (club unable to fence the whole track or marshal the public). Big clubs at Hawkstone Park (Shropshire)or Cadders Hill (Norfolk) and similar have great access and you can get so close that 300mm would be too much for a great shot, so a zoom is adviseable.

For what it is worth, I use a Canon 70-200 F4 (with IS which I do not use it for MX) which is lightning fast and sharp even with my 1.4 extender glued to it - which then loses as stop). I also shoot in manual focus most of the time but that is just my preference. To get to those preferences, I used standard lenses, went to meetings and found out when I missed shots, had the wrong lens on, the camera deciding where to focus when I thought it was focusing elsewhere, out-of-focus shots, depth of field issues, bikes racing that look as though they are standing still, how to cover the lens in wet and muddy conditions (or dust!) with cheap plastic bags, where to stand and how early I might need to get there to do so and which tracks not to bother with (access etc). Grasstrack is a great sport as well and gives you great access but some other photographic issues to overcome.

Why do I think this is worthwhile. If you do buy the 70-200 F2.8 (a magnificent lens it has to be said) and find it does not give you the magnification you require for most of your shots, then why add an extender and reduce it's effectiveness? I do, but MX is not my main subject, more a source of great fun, and I find the lens light and good for what I need. A 'x-300' or 100-400, or a prime might be a better option but you don't want to make this decision having already shelled out for a top lens - unless it doesn't matter of course.

So I would take the kit you have got and have some fun at the events and see what you think and there are always people with gear there that are only to pleased to chat. I used to ride myself (a very long time ago) and often see team managers whose sons, and even grandsons are riding now, it is pretty friendly on the whole. You never know, the answers you come up with might be the best 2.8 lens at 70-200, or something bigger, or you might find that your stock lens does the trick for the events you want to attend. I have used my wife's Canon 450 with the 55-250 and managed some great shots at the right track and distance.

Hope this helps a bit.

PS I don't use flash at these events, although I have seen others use it sometimes. I don't recall it ever being an issue when I was riding but there weren't that many cameras around then; from the side shouldn't be an issue but face-on at close-range is something I wouldn't do.
 
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mrgubby said:
I'd start of with a 2nd hand "budget" lens & practice your technique. It may sound patronising but it doesn't matter how much you've spent on kit the photos will still be carp if the camera isn't pointing at the subject (or is setup wrong)

and mine has been 100% reliable for 6 years :D
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Typical, theres always one. Hahaha ;-)
 
Yet again thanks very much for all this input. Getting to the tracks is not a problem as I currently race myself so I am at a track at least once a week. So to get lots of practise should be fine. I have decided To go for the canon 70-200 L f4 for me to begin with. I found a good condition low use for very sensible money so I will use this and learn with this then maybe in the future upgrade to the f2.8 if it becomes an addictive hobby!
 
well the bloke with the lens has pulled out so im on the look for one again. However camera came tonight so i can start practising. :)
 
When I first tried mx i stuck my camera in Av mode (2.8 on my 70-200), and adjusted iso to ensure a fast enough shutter speed.

I agree with Kippax the best lens is a 70-200 2.8 mk ii, but it may be worth lookibg for the mk i non-is, still a great lens and much cheaper than the newest version.

Have a look on my flickr and you'll find some mx shots, you can check the settings I used to under 'details'

Hope that helps!
 
Phil V said:
Better at what?
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:)

Canon is better quality than sigma but f2.8 is faster and thus more versatile/better than f4 in a lot of situations..

Thus you have to trade quality and use then make a decision..


ALSO.. An old canon f4 v a new sigma f2.8 will confuse the question even more..


In short.. its a loaded question.... is canon better than sigma. is f2.8 better than f4 ..its two questions..


is a rolls royce better than a mini? is a little car better than a big car ?
 
Having done several motocross events this year, I've used a 24-105mm, 70-200mm and 300mm lenses and have added a TC to the 300mm, so yes the 70-200mm f2.8 MKII or MKI would be a good middle ground lens and on a budget the 70-200mm f4 optic's are by far superior to any of the budget lenses like the 70-300mm or 55-250mm, but I would like to add another lens to the melting pot.

The sigma 100-300mm f4, ok the lens is discontinued now, but you can still pick this lens up on the used market and it was one of sigma's sharpest lenses. 100-300mm zoom, constant f4 throughout zoom range, fast focusing and sharp, downside, no IS, but for action photography most people turn this off, I think it would be the best compromise.

There's 1 for sale within your budget (£479) at mpb
http://www.mpbphotographic.co.uk/us...-100-300mm-f/4-ex-apo-if-hsm,-canon-ef-fit-1/
 
Well I've finally bought one and I went with the sigma 70-200 f2.8 and I should have that on Tuesday. I have added some pictures from My first attempt but only with the kit lens. They are in the Motorsport category. Thanks very much for all your help
 
You can also use a wide angle lens if you are willing to get close enough, gives a different perspective
 
this is one of mine that i took as a side part to doing some photography for the 750MC.

On a 1100d using a Sigma 150-500mm

new-2.jpg
 
honda224 said:
Well I've finally bought one and I went with the sigma 70-200 f2.8 and I should have that on Tuesday. I have added some pictures from My first attempt but only with the kit lens. They are in the Motorsport category. Thanks very much for all your help
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great choice
is it the OS version?
look into a monopod maybe. would that help? /looks at the experts :shrug:
 
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