Setup for a DSLR for motorsport.

badgerbaiter said:
i hope it doesnt make me sound too amateur but i only ever use fully manual when i'm shooting at a night race, or trying to get some weird effect, or drunk :)
when i need to set the exposure myself because the camera cant do it or gets tricked by something (i.e. car headlamps shining head on) then i just use the * button to preset the exposure. Never really had to use manual exposure, but maybe i should. I guess its just a matter of taste.
My main problem with manual exposure and manual focus is the if something happened that you werent expecing (like the leader of the race barrell rolling) then chances are you arent going to catch it.
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Yeah i shot manual exposure, but retain AF you do miss some shots due to exposure if something happens that takes the target out of your anticipate range, but tbh i can save most of the wrong ones using exposure correction in cs3 when shot in raw. You can get some very interesting shots in raw, but i know if i was shooting for someone and required the shots id use Tv on race day, and manual for practice or arty stuff.
 
Matt, its the start of a slippery slope mate, this time last year I had my first DSLR in my hand in the form of a 400D, brilliant camera, made even better if you can get your hands on a battery grip as it them felt alot more balanced to me.

Next stop, working your ass off and never going out in order to save the pennies for the 'L' glass and upgrade bodies.

I look forward to seeing the results matey !
 
dseered said:
Matt, its the start of a slippery slope mate, this time last year I had my first DSLR in my hand in the form of a 400D, brilliant camera, made even better if you can get your hands on a battery grip as it them felt alot more balanced to me.

Next stop, working your ass off and never going out in order to save the pennies for the 'L' glass and upgrade bodies.

I look forward to seeing the results matey !
Click to expand...

I will be working my ass to drive then I will work towards more toys for the camera. I currently on the hunt for a monopod.

I cant wait get the camera in les then 24 hours :woot:
 
badgerbaiter said:
i dont want to completely contradict some of the previous posts, but some of you guys need to read the original post about Matt getting his first DSLR the morning of the race.. I dont think the suggestions of using manual exposure, manual focus, and 1/40th is really the best idea for a rookie (no offence Matt :) )
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Which is why I said "I tend to use" and *pre*-focus :-|
 
Hey Matt congrats on moving to DSLR.. I am hoping mine gets delivered tomorrow too a 450d, I was playing about with my dads 400d just to get a feel for it and it's a nice camera , he has the battery grip which i found made it heavier than my existing camera which mean i introduced a bit of wobble on slow shutter speeds...

My advice to you is download the manual now and start reading it so you can get familiar with it before it arrives :D

I hope you get some good snaps with it!
 
badgerbaiter said:
i hope it doesnt make me sound too amateur but i only ever use fully manual when i'm shooting at a night race, or trying to get some weird effect, or drunk :)
when i need to set the exposure myself because the camera cant do it or gets tricked by something (i.e. car headlamps shining head on) then i just use the * button to preset the exposure. Never really had to use manual exposure, but maybe i should. I guess its just a matter of taste.
My main problem with manual exposure and manual focus is the if something happened that you werent expecing (like the leader of the race barrell rolling) then chances are you arent going to catch it.
Click to expand...

couldn't agree more :)

Congrats on the new cam Matt, really looking forward to seeing the results (y)
 
badgerbaiter said:
i hope it doesnt make me sound too amateur but i only ever use fully manual when i'm shooting at a night race, or trying to get some weird effect, or drunk :)
Click to expand...
I'm getting the impression that you're trying to sound something. Patronising? I definitely get your point though ... I must shoot like I'm drunk nearly all the time I guess *shrug*

badgerbaiter said:
when i need to set the exposure myself because the camera cant do it or gets tricked by something (i.e. car headlamps shining head on) then i just use the * button to preset the exposure.
Click to expand...
... or a bright white car in bright sunshine (rare I know) or windscreen reflections, or ...
Surely using the * button to preset the exposure is exactly the same as manually presetting it? Why am I in the wrong for mentioning that I do it and ... oh nevermind.

badgerbaiter said:
My main problem with manual exposure and manual focus is the if something happened that you werent expecing (like the leader of the race barrell rolling) then chances are you arent going to catch it.
Click to expand...
I can't recall anybody in this thread even mentioning manual focus so I don't know why you keep bringing that up, but as I'm the only one who mentioned anything other than servo focus it's fair to assume that you're attributing that tip to me.
I use the * button to pre-focus before panning - because I know every shot is going to be at the same spot. It takes away another variable and makes life easier. If something happens elsewhere my thumb is over the * button and I immediately have servo focus back.

Matt might decide half way through the day that trying to keep focusing all the time is hard work and wonder if there's an alternative. All I've done is let him know that there is. My bad.

As for something else happening while you're "stuck" in manual exposure - 100 yards up the road is very likely to be lit pretty much the same. Even if there's a cloud on its way in you're very unlikely to be so far out that you end up *missing* it. Certainly not "chances are" levels anyway. Most of the time it's your shutter speed that's wrong and if you're in Tv mode you're just as stuffed.

I'll shut up now. Sorry for the hijack but I was made to feel that I needed to defend my post, mostly because it was misquoted. :-/ I agree that Matt would be best keeping to the basics, so just point that out rather than rubbishing what I said and making stuff up that I didn't say. That said, I do think that a lot can be gained by experimenting with different settings - especially over the course of a full days racing - and that knowing what direction to head in, and what other people are using, gives you a head start.

If I still sound like a wierd drunk noob then fair enough :) I'll keep my bad advice and photos off here in future.
 
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