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The Long Haul To Happiness

Posted 21/05/2011 - 08:49 Link
I've been doing a lot of bike racing photography lately trying out various lenses from manual primes to auto zooms, but what I started to realise is that I actually think my tecknique has come on leeps and bounds but as always I would prefer a second opinion. The first one is the Sigma 70-300 DG APO Macro and the second is a Soligor 200mm f3.5 I'm pleased with both, but as always your thoughts appreciated.


1/350th ISO 200 f11
Comment Image


1/500th ISO 100 at f8 (i think)
Comment Image
A poor life this, if full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare. W.H Davies
Edited by noddywithoutbigears: 21/05/2011 - 08:50
Posted 21/05/2011 - 08:59 Link
They are nice pictures it's just a shame that you've cropped them to tightly on the front wheel in my opinion.
PPGlink
Pentax K-5 with 18-50mm & 50-200mm Kit Lenses, Pentax 55mm f1.4 SMC DA* SDM Lens, Pentax DA 12-24mm , Pentax DA 35mm macro, Pentax SMC FA 77mm Limited, Pentax SMC FA 43mm Ltd, Pentax SMC F 50mm, Sigma 24-70mm, Metz 58 af-2
Posted 21/05/2011 - 09:06 Link
richardhurst wrote:
They are nice pictures it's just a shame that you've cropped them to tightly on the front wheel in my opinion.

Hi Richard
That is a deliberate crop on the front wheel to try and emphasise movement through the frame, when cropped centre they looked a bit static, but thanks for your comment, it may or may not have worked, lol.
A poor life this, if full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare. W.H Davies
DoctorJeff
Posted 21/05/2011 - 09:56 Link
No.1 for me - to get the best feel of action.
I assume that you could lighten it up just a touch to get the shadow detail up to match No 2.
Don't like the crop on the front wheel either - a crop too far?
Geoff
Water can wear away a stone - but it can't cook lunch
X-5
istDS
K2000
P50.
Lenses Digital: 50-200, 18-55 KAF: 28-80.
Lenses KA & K: SMC-KA f2.0, SMC-K f1.4, SMC-K f1.7 Tokina KA 28-70 , SMC Pentax 70-210 F4, Sigma KA 75-300 , Hanimex 500mm Mirror, and the Tamron Adaptall-2 stuff.
and then there's all the M42 kit, and the accessories ...
davidtrout
Posted 21/05/2011 - 09:59 Link
The crop is very tight which is good for getting close detail but I believe the racers need a bit more space to move through. Have you tried lifting the dark areas slightly to get more shadow detail?
Panning is an art which improves with lots of practise and your practise is certainly paying off.
David
MarkTaylor
Posted 21/05/2011 - 13:29 Link
noddywithoutbigears wrote:
richardhurst wrote:
They are nice pictures it's just a shame that you've cropped them to tightly on the front wheel in my opinion.

Hi Richard
That is a deliberate crop on the front wheel to try and emphasise movement through the frame, when cropped centre they looked a bit static, but thanks for your comment, it may or may not have worked, lol.

Standard cropping technique for moving objects is to leave a bit more space in front of the object than behind. It doesn't have to be much, just enough to make the object look like it has space to 'move into'. No more than a 3:2 ratio of 'space in front' to 'space behind', frequently less.

Of course if you do this your shots will look like everybody else's, which may not be what you're after.
My FlickrPentax K-5 • K-5 II • Sigma 8-16mm F/4.5-5.6 DC HSM • Tamron SP AF 17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di II LD ASL • SMC Pentax-DA* 50-135mm F/2.8 ED [IF] SDM • SMC Pentax-DA 55-300mm F/4-5.8 ED • SMC Pentax-DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL [IF] WR • Vivitar 100mm F/3.5 Macro AF • Metz Mecablitz 58 AF-2
Edited by MarkTaylor: 21/05/2011 - 13:32
Mannesty
Posted 21/05/2011 - 14:42 Link
I think both lenses, coupled with your technique, have produced very acceptable images and I'm both impressed and surprised at the results from the Soligor lens.

Just think how much better these images might have been with modern high quality glassware.

Is that a GPS antenna on the back of the bike in #1 ? He's not on autopilot is he?
Peter E Smith - flickr Photostream
Stuey
Posted 21/05/2011 - 14:45 Link
I'm inpressed too - I see you have found the Sigmas sweet spot being f11
K10D, K5 plus plenty of clueless enthusiasm.

My Flickr site link
Posted 21/05/2011 - 14:54 Link
I'd like to thank everybody for their constructive comments which as always I will take on board. Regarding the Soligor lens it is indeed sharp but can suffer terrible purple fringing in strong sunlight and high contrast areas, that is one area where modern glass outshines it's older breathren is the quality of the coatings which have come on leaps and bounds.
A poor life this, if full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare. W.H Davies
Edited by noddywithoutbigears: 21/05/2011 - 14:55

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