Advice on shooting flying aircraft.

Hi Rob,

Interesting advice and comments here. I visit RAF Valley quite often when I go to Holyhead, especially the Cymyran end. I find it a good place to get close up shots of the aircraft when they land or when taxiing. These are from last October, with a 55-300 and a K5 and probably on TAV.







And this with the Sigma 150-500.




It was grey that day!!!

I find both quite good, except that the Sigma is heavy to handhold, but then I'm no expert.

Hope that helps,

Cheers,

Howard

Should have been T/AV mode ... that will teach me to read my posts correctly before letting the world loose on my ramblings

Hi

The main reason I sold my 55-300 was -although it was a great lens - point it at anything likely to move and it had disappeared by the time it focused!

I have the Sigma 120-400 and 150-500, they both work well for aircraft but personally I prefer the 120-400. The main reasons being it is slightly faster, smaller and lighter making it easier to hand hold pointing at the sky for long periods.

Here are a few from Sunderland back in 2011 using the Kr and 120-400. I missed it last year but will be back with the K5 this year - may take the K5 + 120-400 and Kr + 150-500 - one set for props - the other for jets!

















Carl

Some very nice shots on this topic guys

Sorry I can't help on the advice on this topic

That's brillient shots, how did you get these please? I love the Bournemouth airshow, last year I went everyday.

I find that single shot AF works better than servo AF (I use an old Sigma 70-300 APO Super from my film days). Even then there are times where manual focus has it's place (like when panning across the back of someone's head!).

As has been mentioned before, stationary props don't look good (helicoptor rotors are harder still). I prefer to use manual metering having taken a reading of a suitable mid-tone, a bright white cloudy sky needs a lot of exposure compensation otherwise and with digital it's easy to check you're in the right ball park.

If you're at an airshow, there will be other photographers with step ladders and monster lenses, shooting 'round' them can be problematic sometimes.

They can sometimes be a bit rude and snooty as well.

Sorry, somehow missed the rest of this thread .. didn't mean to ignore you.

All done on my K-5 with a Sigma 50-500mm OS (mostly at 500mm)
Camera settings are usually T/av mode, spot metering, 6fps mode, f8-f11 (depending on shutter speed), af.c single point and then shutter speed varies : 1/160th (or slower if possible) for the Chinook, 1/180th for normal helicopters, 1/250th for prop planes and as fast as you can manage for jets. All taken handheld, tripods and monopods are next to useless at airshows.

I usually do the Thursday and Friday at the show itself and then Saturday and Sunday when it's really busy I go over to the airport and sit at the end of the runway.

I always take my small set of step ladders .. (just 2 steps) because they are handy to sit on and allow me to position myself in places others can't see from so I'm in no ones way and I can get shots from somewhere a bit different.

More cracking shots on display here, very well done all.

Mike. Am I correct in that you use Tav mode, setting the shutter and aperture manually and iso auto or just Av mode?

Any ideas if altering the in camera program line function to sport mode benefits in any way as I currently have it set to auto?

Menu option 3, 5th option down Program line.

Howardj... Thanks for the RAF Valley tip. Will defo head up there sometime soon as it's not too far away and possibly tie in with some landscape hopefully.

This

To be honest I leave the program line function on auto as well, I have never got to grips with that menu .. I should really I suppose.

Another approach to aircraft shots: link The full res images are worth a look.

As is obvious in this thread, good shots are achievable with the correct approach. Does the equipment make a difference?

Best regards

That's cheating the engines are all switched off and the
propellers aren't turning

Or is it just that Nikon and their photographers know
nothing about aircraft photography

(In their defence it does say Still Images )

-

That's OK Mike, have you seen what they are doing to the Imax on the seafront?

Drove past today .. not a lot left now thankfully

Have they started on the walls? They are going to put a leisure thingy there.