Shutter speed help please

nilagin

nilagin

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Neil
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I have a new digital camera (Panasonic DMC-FZ5) which has manual settings as well as auto. Can anyone give me some tips on what sort of shutter speeds I should be looking to use for Motorsport photos. Manual settings are all new to me so treat it as trying to explain it to a child (keep it simple) :D. I'm off to Brands Hatch tomorrow for the BTCC media day and would like to give it a go.
Thanks in advance.
 
For static shots - match the exposure to the focal length of the lens. For panning halve the speed to start but have plenty of memory and experiment and pick what works for you for next time. this is where the exif information is wonderful as we all intended to keep notebooks of our settings and it never lasted! Have a good day out!
 
I don't know what settings your camera has but if it has TV or shutter exposure setting, switch it to that and let the camera work out the correct F stop in relation to the shutter speed so that you get decent exposures. You can then concentrate on just taking the shots and altering your shutter speed manually.

For motorsport you should be looking at shutter speeds from about 1/125 upwards depending on the focal length as well. This should allow for some movement in the wheels and some slight blurring of the backgrounds if you are panning with the subjects. The best advice is to shoot and review at the loaction and alter the shutter speed as required, faster if there is too much blurring and slower for more.

HTH
 
What do you mean by focal length? I told you I was a child:D How green am I?:D
 
Focal length is the distance that the lens focuses on to the sensor. Long focal length is like a telescope - short is wide angle. As you zoom the angle of vision gets smaller or you seem closer to your subject.

Follow Steve's advice and you will get some good images of the day and give us something to share.
 
Focal length = the lens length - so a 18-55mm lens focused at say 25, 25 would be the focal length.
 
Fangman said:
Follow Steve's advice and you will get some good images of the day and give us something to share.
Click to expand...
I'll try:D
 
The reason I mentioned focal length is because the further away you are from the subjects the more you will zoom in to get the shots, it also means that if you zoom futher then you should also use faster shutter speeds as well.

It gets a little confusing but if you start at 1/125 and then review your shots, paying attention to the movement in the wheels and the blurred backgrounds (if you are panning) you will then be able to increase the speed (to get less blurring) or decrease the speed to increase it (and give the impression of speed)

Too fast a shutter speed will make your shots look like the subjects were not moving and to slow will make the whole image blurred (wheels and backgrounds are acceptible and ofter required).

HTH
 
I got this shot with my Nikon 5200 on it's sport setting (no manual overide), Inside Druids Hairpin, a small zoom is ok.
http://www.fordmondeo.org/forum/attachment.php?attid/15941/
But when taking photos of the cars coming around druids a longer zoom is required which is why I bought the panasonic.
On panning setting with the Panasonic I got this which obviously is blurred to say the least.
http://www.fordmondeo.org/forum/attachment.php?attid/15853/.
Getting the hang of manual use will obviously be an advantage, I'm sure you'll agree.:D
 
the first one is a good example of panning, but could be sharper and the second i'm afraid doesnt look in focus.

why not pop these pics up in the sharing or critique sections to get some good advice on what went right/wrong.
 
The second shot is quite simply a case of just being out of focus, from time to time you will get that with shooting motorsport. Nobody said it was easy and that’s why when it goes right and you get great results, you'll feel great.

I have just done a quick check on the model of your camera and it does indeed have a Shutter Priority mode available. It also has a large zoom (equivalent to 432mm) and Panasonics own version of image stabilization. To get anything like reasonable results at full zoom you are going to be needing shutter speeds up near 1/250 sec or preferably higher when panning and using the image stabilization. Using less zoom you can use slower speeds, but you need to watch for camera shake at slower speeds.
 
If you can go to the footbridge bridge over to the inside of the hairpin at Druids, set your camera in TV or shutter priority mode, set your shutter speed from 1\100th to no more than 1\250th. Panning from left to right getting the car in your view finder just before the tree on left, with a bit of practice you should be getting the cars as they hit the apex of the hairpin, and you should end up with some good shots but done be affraid to experiment. Above all else enjoy your day.
 
I'll be popping down to Brands with the other half tomorrow, might see you down there.
 
Cheers everyone. Keeping my fingers crossed for tomorrow then. Why did I get better results on sport mode than panning mode with the Panasonic. Would it be I need to get the camera ready before hand by half depressing the shutter button then taking the photo. would this give me better focus and less lag in taking the photos.
 
evilowl said:
I'll be popping down to Brands with the other half tomorrow, might see you down there.
Click to expand...
I dare say I'll be wearing a blue Stewart Ford Formula one coat. and spending lots of time deleting blurred photos from my memory cards. If you see me please help.:D
 
Take an umbrella as well - the weather looks great until lunchtime and then it's going to rain. Will pop over and say hi if I see you.
 
I'm not sure what settings are available on the FZ5, but if it's anything like my '30 then there is a scene mode especially for panning. It sets the shutter speed at around 1/125th and switches the image stabiliser so it only compensates for up and down wobbling. I've not tried it yet, so can't comment on it's effectiveness.

If I was you, I'd be setting the image stabilsation to mode 1 (always on) to help steady the shot in the viewfinder. Set the camera to Programme and pick a setting that gives you around 1/125th shutter speed. Let the camera sort the iso. That should give you decent blur and hopefully a reasonable depth of field. Use the 3point high speed focus setting if you have it and set the burst mode to high speed. If you're using a fairly fast sd card it should give you 3frames a sec ish which will help get a decent shot.

The focus on cameras like these isn't too fast, and once the shutter is half pressed it wont refocus on the subject if it moves so what you need to do is predict where the car will be when you want to take the shot, focus there and press the ae/af lock button. Then start tracking the car and when it reaches the point where you initially focused, press the shutter.

I'm not sure I've explained that very well, but it should at least give you a few ideas to play around with!
 
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