Photographing the Vulcan bomber in flight before it retires

[MrChips]

I'd say go to a shop and try out the Canon and Nikons as for me it was clear which one just felt better in terms of the ergonomics etc which is fairly important given that they can all take a decent picture.

I ended up with a Canon 550d and it's been great. Still learning!

I do have a 55-250mm lens that I haven't used for over a year so pm me if you end up getting a Canon as I would be happy to sell.

I need to get out and use mine some more. Completely off topic but this is my favourite pic i took quite randomly...

[rich888]

LC2 said:

Can we all join in?

Taken with a Canon 1100D and a cheap Sigma 18-250


Vulcan XH558 by Tim White, on Flickr

If I get to see her this year, I'll take a longer lens.

Edited by LC2 on Monday 8th June 20:36

Course you can, the more pics and recommendations the better.

As regards to "If I get to see her this year, I'll take a longer lens.", you had better get to see her this year because 2015 may well be the last year the Vulcan flies.

There really have been some gorgeous photographs taken of the Vulcan XH558 by enthusiastic and very talented Pistonheads photographers, and I really would like to be able to take a few half decent photographs myself whilst she is still flying to show to my kids when they get older. I missed out on taking any decent pics of Concorde in flight, so don't intend to make the same mistake with the Vulcan.

I spoke to a couple of keen amateur photographers yesterday who suggested the best place to take the pics might be at the end of the runway as she takes off and banks round, anyone care to comment?

MrChips said:

I'd say go to a shop and try out the Canon and Nikons as for me it was clear which one just felt better in terms of the ergonomics etc which is fairly important given that they can all take a decent picture.

I ended up with a Canon 550d and it's been great. Still learning!

I do have a 55-250mm lens that I haven't used for over a year so pm me if you end up getting a Canon as I would be happy to sell.

I need to get out and use mine some more. Completely off topic but this is my favourite pic i took quite randomly...

Thank you for the advice, will have a look over what Canon and Nikon have to offer, I know what you mean about the feel of the camera. Will also be trying out the Sony and a few other not so well known brands.

As for the off-topic pic, absolutely brilliant

Edited by rich888 on Monday 8th June 23:09

[Flying Penguin]

MrChips said:

I'd say go to a shop and try out the Canon and Nikons as for me it was clear which one just felt better in terms of the ergonomics etc which is fairly important given that they can all take a decent picture.

I ended up with a Canon 550d and it's been great. Still learning!

I do have a 55-250mm lens that I haven't used for over a year so pm me if you end up getting a Canon as I would be happy to sell.

I need to get out and use mine some more. Completely off topic but this is my favourite pic i took quite randomly...

There's a plane, though- not completely off topic.

[jmorgan]

rich888 said:

Course you can, the more pics and recommendations the better.

OK, ancient DSLR (350D) and a more modern Canon 70-300 with IS. Not an L series lens. Notice the excellent skills in framing........


Edit. JPEG from a RAW.

Edited by jmorgan on Wednesday 10th June 18:31

[Tony1963]

I took this one about three years ago at Wattisham airfield. Unusually I guessed the effect of the light correctly!

[Kermit power]

One thing I've noticed at "distance" events (most recently the World Rallycross at Lydden Hill) is that pretty much every single professional photographer there will be using Canon gear, unless one of the other manufacturers has started doing their long lenses in Canon L-style white?

[Tony1963]

Been that way since 1987 when Canon launched the EOS system. Its autofocus destroyed Nikon, and Nikon have only caught up in the last five to seven years. Legacy and familiarity mean most stick with which brand they're with. To be fair, Nikon were best for portrait and landscape.

[z06tim]

Another one for you, from Abingdon Airshow in 2011.

Using a Canon 500D and the EF-S 55-250mm zoom. It's not going to win awards, but it is a very usable sub £200 lens. I use it a lot for motorsport and trackdays etc, very rarely get to airshows these days. The Canon bodies have moved on a lot too.

A lot of people recommend the EF 70-300mm f4.0-5.6 as an entry level zoom lens too. I would have thought 250 or 300mm is more than adequate for the Vulcan.

I am very tempted by a sigma 150-600mm, but that thing weighs a couple of kilos, and as an amateur I don't think I could justify the cost!

[Flying Penguin]

z06tim said:

I am very tempted by a sigma 150-600mm, but that thing weighs a couple of kilos, and as an amateur I don't think I could justify the cost!

Bit off topic, but Tamron 150- 600 is an alternative. Camera & lens 3,5kg. You'll get used to the weight!

[StuH]

Love the Vulcan! Went up for the tour and talk at Robin Hood Airport as a treat for the old man on his birthday a few weeks back (He worked with the Vulcan back in his RAF days). A fascinating day up close with 558.

A pic of mine also taken at Abingdon in 2011 with my old 7D and 70-300 DO

[droopsnoot]

Cloudy at Cholmondeley yesterday, but still a great sight. Sigma 50-500.

[rich888]

bobs4c said:

If you know when and where you are going to take the Vulcan photo, you could hire a good quality lens for that event, plus a couple of days to practice. Buy a body to get familiar with it and the kit lens, then choose the lens to hire - more choice if Canon or Nikon I suspect.

Bob

TheRainMaker said:

Buy the body you want, then hire the lens

Thank you both for the tips about hiring a lens for the day, and I know this might sound like a daft question, but I didn't know you could hire lenses and cameras on a daily basis, I'm based up in Nottinghamshire so any suggestions as to where to hire from would be greatly appreciated.

Alternatively have been viewing the used Nikon and Canon cameras available from MPB Photographic and am now going round and round in trying to decide which configuration will be best!!!

Oh and before I forget, the steady stream of Vulcan pics posted on this thread have been fantastic, keep up the good work guys.

[bobs4c]

I've used lensesforhire - very helpful and versatile - 3 days, or whatever you want really

Bob

[PurpleTurtle]

Not much too offer by way of photos (I need to dust off my D500 Nikon) but thanks for posting this thread, I didn't know 558 was dueto retire after this summer, so have a long weekend booked in for the Eastbourne Airshow. My son, 17wks old tmrw, won't understand or remember, but he'll have seen it in flight (or slept through the lot!)

[Paul Drawmer]

I took a drive to Wellesboune yesterday afternoon.
Parked on the roadside at the top of the runway.

If the Alfa fan is on here that I chatted with - good day to you.

Exifs on Flickr. Canon 400D 90-300 zoom (I'm learning slowly!)

v3 by Paul Drawmer, on Flickr

V2 by Paul Drawmer, on Flickr

5581 by Paul Drawmer, on Flickr

I also saw this:
H2 by Paul Drawmer, on Flickr

H1 by Paul Drawmer, on Flickr

[Riley Blue]

Don't expect it always to turn up - I was at Bicester yesterday where it was due at 4:15. At 5:30 we were told it had left us out and buggered off to Weston Super Mare...

[Paul Drawmer]

It appeared at Wellesbourne at 16:28.

[Riley Blue]

Interesting that it should have arrived at Wellsbourne two minutes early after missing out its first scheduled fly-by at Bicester. I'm not too bothered as I shall be at RIAT but a lot of people were very disappointed yesterday. Instead, a good sport of a Spitfire pilot put on an impromptu display instead of flying directly back to base - but there was a 'Vulcan' of sorts at Bicester, a 1904 Vulcan car...

[williredale]

Riley Blue said:

Don't expect it always to turn up - I was at Bicester yesterday where it was due at 4:15. At 5:30 we were told it had left us out and buggered off to Weston Super Mare...

It arrived at Weston just after five. I wasn't going to go but at 4:20 jumped in the car and headed down there. I only grabbed a couple of photos because I'd forgotten to change the batteries in my camera.

[jonny33]

the vulcan missed its display at Bicester because of a delay at takeoff from doncaster. The Army plane suffered a puncture on landing and had to be inspected before taxiing to a stand.

It was a full power take off to try and make up time