What shutter speed?

merv

merv

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Mervyn
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I was photographing bikes on Sunday with a 300 lens with 1.4TC. I remembered being told for panning to use a slow shutter speed, maybe 1/125 or 1/160 sec. What about the rule that the shutter speed should not be less than the inverse of the focal length ie for a focal length of 420mm (300 lens with 1.4x) the shutter speed should be at least 1/400 or thereabouts. This then means that the motion blur of the background is reduced. Any thoughts. merv:bang:
 
That rule is to reduce blur / improve sharpness. So if you can rest the camera on a bean bag or tripod you can ignore it I would have thought?
 
When you're panning those rules aren't as important as your need to show the motion in the bike (if that's your aim). So I wouldn't worry too much about the inverse focal length rule.
 
The inverse rule is designed to help prevent soft photos caused by camera movement during a 'static' hand held shot. As you will be moving the camera in a panning shot, the inverse rule doesn't really apply.
 
Your shutter speed should in theory be higher than that - 300mm x 1.4 TC x 1.5 crop factor = 1/670sec. That is to reduce camera shake. But you need to reduce the shutter speed to introduce motion blur, and with that combination you can't have both.

That's why panning is such a skill. Mode 2 IS helps a lot, or whatever the Nikon VR panning setting is. I think pros usually use IS/VR and a monopod for this kind of thing.
 
Thanks. From talking to other togs, the 300 f4 lens is a popular lens for bikes and planes but the NIkon one is not VR. I can certainly use whatever shutter speed is necessary to combat handshake but as you say, the blur in the background is reduced or even eliminated.
:bang:
 
Panning can be made easier with the use of a monopod For any decent backgroundmovement with a 300mm you will have to use under a 250th less than this is better but depends totally on the speed of the subject
 
Hi I was at Mallory track day last week with my son and he bought the CD off the pro photographer there of him on his bike, I can't post these as they are copyright but they are superb. Shots of my son on his bike at speed were taken with a 500mm canon lens, ISO 400, and 200sec at f6.3.
At Darley Moor a few weeks ago the pro there with 30 years experience was telling me he often drops down to 160 sec when panning with a 300mm lens, of course it all depends on the speed of the bike. I have found that a passing bike at about 70mph will need a shutter speed of below 400sec to give blur to the bike spokes and background.
Takes a lot of practice though to get it right.
 
I usually try to get down to 1/80 shutter speed when panning with a 300mm lens.:):thumbs:
 
Thanks guys - looks like the inverse law is out the window and I'll just have to get out and practice panning. merv:bang:
 
merv said:
Thanks guys - looks like the inverse law is out the window and I'll just have to get out and practice panning. merv:bang:
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Yep and you don`t need a VR lens to pan.
 
yes merv best bet is to practice but personally i dont care if the pics arent technically perfect just that the look ok to me (am a racing fan more than a photographer) and usually use a shutter speed slightly higher than the focal length as it gives me a much higher success rate.
 
HoppyUK said:
That's why panning is such a skill. Mode 2 IS helps a lot, or whatever the Nikon VR panning setting is. I think pros usually use IS/VR and a monopod for this kind of thing.
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That isn't what mode 2 is for. Mode 1 detects panning motion, mode 2 is for shooting from a moving platform such as a car or boat.
 
cyclone said:
That isn't what mode 2 is for. Mode 1 detects panning motion, mode 2 is for shooting from a moving platform such as a car or boat.
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Mode two cuts out IS sensitivity in the direction of movement, only allowing correction of shake at right angles to it. Stops the lens trying to correct for panning movement. It swaps from vertical to horizontal according to which way the camera is orientated.
 
rules are made to be broken :)
 


Taken at 1/200 sec. Panning isn't just trying slow shutter speeds, thats makes up about 20% of achieving a good shot, panning technique, i.e. the action of a smooth pan is the main stumbling block. Personally, yes you can pan at 1/80, 1/100, 1/125 sec for 160mph bikes, but you'll get perfect blur and a very soft bike (unless you've homed your panning skills), if your happy with this then fine, I've seen these pan shots and personally think they would be sitting in the waste bin on my computer, I prefer a sharp, detailed bike shots, still with the motion blur that people crave, but at slightly higher shutter speed, say minimum 1/200 - 1/320 sec because I know I'll achieve a good shot.

Merv stick to a range of 1/200 - 400 depending on the speed of the bike.
 
HoppyUK said:
Mode two cuts out IS sensitivity in the direction of movement, only allowing correction of shake at right angles to it. Stops the lens trying to correct for panning movement. It swaps from vertical to horizontal according to which way the camera is orientated.
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I don't know how your Canon IS lenses work, I don't use them.
Merv shoots Nikon with VR, I know how that works and it's the way I said, not the way you have said twice.
 
cyclone said:
I don't know how your Canon IS lenses work, I don't use them.
Merv shoots Nikon with VR, I know how that works and it's the way I said, not the way you have said twice.
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I said IS, very clearly, you responed to that post with a different comment, but did not state VR. Not once.
 
cyclone said:
I don't know how your Canon IS lenses work, I don't use them.
Merv shoots Nikon with VR, I know how that works and it's the way I said, not the way you have said twice.
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You don't need VR or IS for action photography, you need a smooth pan and the correct shutter speed.
 
This was shot at 1/80 F7.1 and ISO400. I would definately agree that it's about having a smooth panning technique and knowing what you want to be the main focal point. Other than that it's just practise lol :)


 
a 1/100 sec pan, but it was just abit of fun at the end of the day at Cadwell
IMG_9314copy1.jpg


You need a smooth pan and the correct shutter speed for the lens at the end of the day to get consistently sharp clear shots, @ shutter speeds of 1/80 or 1/100 sec you won't achieve that for bikes.
 
HoppyUK said:
I said IS, very clearly, you responed to that post with a different comment, but did not state VR. Not once.
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You said IS/VR. I didn't say VR no, Merv's question relates to VR as that's what he shoots.

pete.rush said:
You don't need VR or IS for action photography, you need a smooth pan and the correct shutter speed.
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Not sure why you quoted me for that? I'm not the one that brought up VR or IS.
 
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