Formula One question

Anyone take any pics of F1 cars? The Formula one is back in Canada. Why they dropped it last season was stupid since the Montreal Grand Prix draws 300,000 on race day. I am hoping to attend the race.

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B. R. Foster

Yes, in Bahrain. A Practise session at Sakhir.

It's a whole new ball game. As I was not known to the "teams" and had no formal Passes etc. A guy came over and gave me the once over whilst talking to some one on the other end of his radio. He did not speak to me. He then just turned and walked away.

As for the cars, very loud (side wall, main straight)and a wee bit difficult to pan! Slower corners and head ons work better.

Regards

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When something goes wrong in the circus, they send clowns into the arena to distract the audience.

Did some at the British GP a coule of years ago.

I agree with K10D about slow corners and head on's being best - it was a nightmnare to try and pan on the straights.

I think personally that corners give the best shots as you get the cars at more interesting angles and sometimes with a wheel lifted etc. as they hit the edges.

I tried at the Le Mans 24Hour a couple of years ago with a Panasonic FZ7. Hopeless!!! kept to far away, to many heads, safety fences etc. etc. But I did enjoy the experience

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Barrie
Too Old To Die Young

http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/barrieforbes
https://www.flickr.com/photos/189482630@N03/

Not on the same scale as F1, but I'm going to the final round of the British Rally Championship in Yorkshire this weekend. Taking my son, but I will get some photos. ( Even if I have to tie him to a tree to keep out of my way )

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Getting there! Thanks to you guys

Pentax K10d, *istDL, Kit lens ( 18-55mm ), 50mm f1.7 lens, Tamron 70-300mm lens, Prinzflex 70-162 manual lens, Various old flashes.

There is also a track in Essex. I may try there next year when I am in the UK. I have never been to the Montreal GP, just glad its back. From what I konow, leaving Montreal would have ended F! as the drivers and manucaturers all wanted to race there. Advertising to over 300,000 instead of 30,000 means more money in the end.

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B. R. Foster

i suppose you haven't watched last montreal GP?
F1 left becouse of cra**y track surface - no one wanted to race there becouse of safety concerns and every one said that it was a joke not a race track

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K5D + sigma 17-70, 50mm f1.7, METZ 58 AF-1

Have fun at Montreal,as you know doubt know,it`s a car breaker of a circuit.
Don`t know about a circuit in Essex so you might want to check out www.britsonpole.com or www.bmrc.co.uk before you make your flask.
Was thinking of going to Castle Coombe for a club weekend this year but never made it,but then,would my Tamron 70-300 be any good?,I wonder.

Nic

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K10D,K20D
Pentax 18-55,Tamron AF 70-300,Sigma 150-500
Kenko 2X Teleplus MC7
AF 360 FGZ

I've used that lens at motorsport events (in fact its only real purpose for me is motorsport) and it's quite capable as long as there's some reasonably good light.

Keep it below the 300mm max (around 250 is good) and have it stopped down to f/8 and the results are suprisingly good.

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Joining the Q

Great tip as I plan on using my tamron this weekend! Thanks!

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Getting there! Thanks to you guys

Pentax K10d, *istDL, Kit lens ( 18-55mm ), 50mm f1.7 lens, Tamron 70-300mm lens, Prinzflex 70-162 manual lens, Various old flashes.

No problem.

I tend to go all the way out to 300 and then just back it off a little bit - that way I don't need to take my eye away from the viewfinder. It's a lens that doesn't like the extremes much but works rather well in the middle

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Joining the Q

Sigma makes a 100-300mm lens I have been eyeing. I will see if I can hire it for a week before I buy it.

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B. R. Foster

Thanks for the tip Hefty.

Nic

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K10D,K20D
Pentax 18-55,Tamron AF 70-300,Sigma 150-500
Kenko 2X Teleplus MC7
AF 360 FGZ

I echo what most people have said, slow corners and head on shots. But if you can afford it get a three day pass (ie pre qualifying, qualifiying and race day) normally there are less people around for the first two days so you have more chance of getting up close to the fences and barriers to get the pics and you can scope out good places and test different lenses

Then on race day just carry the bare minimum.

Regards
PaulM

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All cameras are equal but.....
Some are more equal than others

I agree that corners are best, I went to Silverstone for F1 races and used my 300mm mostly (on 35mm Camera) as i was generally photographing individual cars as the race strung out so much. I have also been to various other tracks for Car and Motorcycle races and managed a few good panned shots though i had an extremely high failure rate! The few good ones made it worthwhile. Though i would be less inclined to do so at something as prestigious as an F1 Grand Prix as i would want to make every shot count.
One thing i do remember was that there was an awful lot of waiting around as the cars completed each lap and them panic! As they roared into view i`d be frantically trying to compose the shot before they were gone in a moment.
Best of luck.

Regards - Pete