Panning with light(er) camera and lens than I'm used to

[goinggreynow]

Went to the Silverstone Classic last weekend and instead of my Canon 80D with 70-300L combo, I decided to have a go with my Panasonic G80 and a couple of old manual prime lenses. I knew that my keeper rate would be nowhere near what I'm used to achieving, but it was so far below what I expected that I need to try and understand what happened.
I am planning to have another go with the same kit and so I need to get my head around this. I did in fact use my Canon set up to take around 1000 shots manual focus at the same event last year, with a much higher "keeper rate", so I don't think manual focus, per se, is the main issue.
My thought process at the moment is one or a combination of the following:
1) Stabiliser not set correctly, i.e. set to full stabilisation not just panning. Is this recorded somewhere in the EXIF data and if so, how do you read it? This has to be set in camera & I do remember on one occasion finding that it was set to "full", not pan.
2) The whole setup was so much lighter than I'm used to, that my panning action was well off with my pans overtaking the cars on numerous occasions.
3) My biggest problem was when I used a 50mm lens (I appreciate that this is not an ideal motor sport lens, but I was having a play). Anything particular about an old manual focus 50mm prime that I am missing?
I am pretty much OK with the whole manual focus/manual exposure thing, so that's not the cause.
Am I missing something obvious here? Incidentally, my fastest shutter was 1/60 and the lowest 1/10sec.
Any help much appreciated.
Thanks

 

[Nod]

1. Wrong IS mode selection is certainly a possible cause.
2. Again, a possible cause but one which should improve with practise (remember how long it took to perfect any type of panning some years ago!)
3. Unless you were shooting wide open, I wouldn't have thought that there was a DoF issue but if you were at f/1.8, it could be.
Is there a significant difference in keeper rates between the slower shutter speeds and the faster? Was it colder there this year than last?

 

[mrgubby]

What was the problem ? OOF or movement blur ?

 

[goinggreynow]

1. Wrong IS mode selection is certainly a possible cause.
2. Again, a possible cause but one which should improve with practise (remember how long it took to perfect any type of panning some years ago!)
3. Unless you were shooting wide open, I wouldn't have thought that there was a DoF issue but if you were at f/1.8, it could be.
Is there a significant difference in keeper rates between the slower shutter speeds and the faster? Was it colder there this year than last?

Many thanks for your comments. For most of the day I wasn't shooting the lens (es) wide open and I don't think it's a DOF related issue. As you would expect, I had far more keepers at 1/60 than 1/10 but if I were to try and comapre this to last year with my Canon kit, then I would say that the overall keeper rate (at the same shutter speeds) is significantly lower.
I would say that the weather was much colder this year than last. Would this affect things?

What was the problem ? OOF or movement blur ?

Thanks for the reply. Definitely movement blur and not OOF issues.

Am now coming to the end of my first "trawl through" all of the images taken and have deleted probably well in excess of 80%. I'll have a better idea within the next few days.

 

[mrgubby]

The weight of the "big kit" will possible give a smoother pan due to momentum / inertia ?

 

[damianmkv]

It's a tricky one, I certainly have off days which frustrate the hell out of me.

I assume you're shooting handheld in which case 1/10 is damn slow and I'm not surprised the hit rate is low. That said, it can be done but takes loads of practise - my lowest succcesful pan is 1/6s with my x100t which is known to focus slower than a sloth but has a short FL so that makes life easier. Start with hitting cars as they are square on to you, it's the easiest way to get everything in focus then adjust your SS from there. Continue to rotate your body as you pan ( I'm sure you know this stuff )

FWIW, I don't find any major difference with my e-m1 with ibis on or off in any / all directions. Oh, and I be not tried MF much so I'm probably no help at all here

 

[goinggreynow]

The weight of the "big kit" will possible give a smoother pan due to momentum / inertia ?

Thanks. I did wonder about this. Also whether I pan as successfully "left to right" as I do "right to left".

It's a tricky one, I certainly have off days which frustrate the hell out of me.

I assume you're shooting handheld in which case 1/10 is damn slow and I'm not surprised the hit rate is low. That said, it can be done but takes loads of practise - my lowest succcesful pan is 1/6s with my x100t which is known to focus slower than a sloth but has a short FL so that makes life easier. Start with hitting cars as they are square on to you, it's the easiest way to get everything in focus then adjust your SS from there. Continue to rotate your body as you pan ( I'm sure you know this stuff )

FWIW, I don't find any major difference with my e-m1 with ibis on or off in any / all directions. Oh, and I be not tried MF much so I'm probably no help at all here

many thanks. I appreciate that 1/10 is very slow but I have so many photos at 1/100 & faster (mostly tac sharp) but I have become a little "bored" (if that's the right word) looking at them. I keep telling myself to put my camera away (for an hour or so) and enjoy the racing but something inside won't let me do it!
Sometimes, i do try 1/5 but I could probably count the number of images I've kept on one hand.