Camera newby advice sought........Please.
Discussion
After another visit to LeMans with my phone.... Surrounded by mates getting fantastic pictures from there 'Big Dogs' I need to buy an camera and 'BIG DOG' lens....... So what is out there for a 'newby' who wants to take quality pictures of race cars at midnight, passing at a rate of knots with brakes a'glowing.... Your advice and knowledge is appreciated.....
PHOENIXUK said:
So what is out there for a 'newby' who wants to take quality pictures of race cars at midnight, passing at a rate of knots with brakes a'glowing.... Your advice and knowledge is appreciated.....
A. A lot of money .....B. A lot of practise ....
Possibly, one of THE most difficult things to photograph well in any sport!
Something that was suggested to me, on this forum as it happens, was that a big lens doesn't make you a good photographer or get you good photos - buy a decent base camera and learn your skill first before splashing out on expensive lenses without the knowledge or ability to use them.
It was sound advice and has probably saved me a stack of money on lenses that I don't, at this point, need.
I'm still using my D40 with an 18-55 and 55-200 VR and a Speedlight SB600 - still learning and no longer yearn for a big lens that I'd not really use. All relatively cheap and helping me learn - albeit s..l..o..w..l..y..
It was sound advice and has probably saved me a stack of money on lenses that I don't, at this point, need.
I'm still using my D40 with an 18-55 and 55-200 VR and a Speedlight SB600 - still learning and no longer yearn for a big lens that I'd not really use. All relatively cheap and helping me learn - albeit s..l..o..w..l..y..
CivicMan said:
PHOENIXUK said:
So what is out there for a 'newby' who wants to take quality pictures of race cars at midnight, passing at a rate of knots with brakes a'glowing.... Your advice and knowledge is appreciated.....
A. A lot of money .....B. A lot of practise ....
Possibly, one of THE most difficult things to photograph well in any sport!
PHOENIXUK said:
1-2 grand? Is that realistic?
Yes, that will buy you the kit you want. Go and have a play with the various camera bodies in your local camera shop. Go through all the menus and one particular brand will feel more natural / better in your hands. Then go home and buy cheaper on the net if you must. They will all produce similar results, but choose wisely between the brands because once you have invested your money it becomes a very expensive exercise to changeA lot of people buy a big camera and a big lens to go with it, and are then disappointed with the results because they don't know how to use it.
As long as you are aware that there is a learning curve to be mastered before you get the best out of your chosen combination, and don't get too disheartened at your first attempts, your budget will allow you to buy kit that is capable of producing the results you are after.
As long as you are aware that there is a learning curve to be mastered before you get the best out of your chosen combination, and don't get too disheartened at your first attempts, your budget will allow you to buy kit that is capable of producing the results you are after.
That's a fair assessment. It's not just the kit, but the skill in using it.
I've been into photography for a good few years now, and it was still a learning curve when I moved from a 40D to a 7D. Just in terms of getting it set up like I wanted it.
Practice is the key, don't buy the kit, turn up at a race meet and expect to nail brilliant shots from the off. Panning takes practice, you'll get there in the end, just stick with it and don't get fed up if you start off getting a few ropy pictures.
I've been into photography for a good few years now, and it was still a learning curve when I moved from a 40D to a 7D. Just in terms of getting it set up like I wanted it.
Practice is the key, don't buy the kit, turn up at a race meet and expect to nail brilliant shots from the off. Panning takes practice, you'll get there in the end, just stick with it and don't get fed up if you start off getting a few ropy pictures.
I only know about Canon gear, but I'm sure someone else can do a similar list for Nikon 
The obvious body choice for motorsport at the moment would be a Canon 7D, which costs about £1200 new, or about £900 - £1k 2nd hand, and something like a 70-200 f2.8 IS lens (about £1k 2nd hand, £1300 new).
However, you probably want to budget around £150 for a decent camera bag/backpack, some memory cards (Sandisk Extreme 8Gb are about £30 each), and at least one spare battery.
You will probably need another shorter lens for more close up stuff as well. The 24-105 IS lens covers a useful walkabout range (about £900 new), but there is a recent 15-85mm IS lens that is about 1/2 this price.
For longer range stuff, the above mentioned 100-400mm lens is a good bet, but you only really get the best results (focus speed) from this lens in good light, so it might not be the best option for midnight shots.
To come within the lower end of your budget, then I would recommend something like a 2nd hand 40D body (about £400 - 425), the newer version of the 18-55mm IS kit lens (about £70), and the 55-250mm IS lens (£170), some aftermarket batteries (2 for £10), £40 for memory cards and £40 - £60 for a camera bag and £200 for Adobe Lightroom to manage and process the photos (not sure if photoshop elemnts 8.0 is much cheaper, but Lightroom is easy to learn and use as a beginner - you can even download a free 30 day trial version). The advantage of this set-up is that it will be significantly lighter to carry around than the "pro" level bodies and lenses. The ultimate image quality might not be as sharp and noise free, but unless you are printing bigger than A3 then most people wouldn't notice a difference.
Once your technique improves and your results are better, then you could later upgrade the lenses and/or body when you have an better idea of the focal ranges you use most often etc.
http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/ is a good website to get an idea of the cost of both Canon and Nikon kit and accessories.
The obvious body choice for motorsport at the moment would be a Canon 7D, which costs about £1200 new, or about £900 - £1k 2nd hand, and something like a 70-200 f2.8 IS lens (about £1k 2nd hand, £1300 new).
However, you probably want to budget around £150 for a decent camera bag/backpack, some memory cards (Sandisk Extreme 8Gb are about £30 each), and at least one spare battery.
You will probably need another shorter lens for more close up stuff as well. The 24-105 IS lens covers a useful walkabout range (about £900 new), but there is a recent 15-85mm IS lens that is about 1/2 this price.
For longer range stuff, the above mentioned 100-400mm lens is a good bet, but you only really get the best results (focus speed) from this lens in good light, so it might not be the best option for midnight shots.
To come within the lower end of your budget, then I would recommend something like a 2nd hand 40D body (about £400 - 425), the newer version of the 18-55mm IS kit lens (about £70), and the 55-250mm IS lens (£170), some aftermarket batteries (2 for £10), £40 for memory cards and £40 - £60 for a camera bag and £200 for Adobe Lightroom to manage and process the photos (not sure if photoshop elemnts 8.0 is much cheaper, but Lightroom is easy to learn and use as a beginner - you can even download a free 30 day trial version). The advantage of this set-up is that it will be significantly lighter to carry around than the "pro" level bodies and lenses. The ultimate image quality might not be as sharp and noise free, but unless you are printing bigger than A3 then most people wouldn't notice a difference.
Once your technique improves and your results are better, then you could later upgrade the lenses and/or body when you have an better idea of the focal ranges you use most often etc.
http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/ is a good website to get an idea of the cost of both Canon and Nikon kit and accessories.
Edited by JohnS on Thursday 17th June 15:48
itsnotarace said:
Go and have a play with the various camera bodies in your local camera shop. <SNIP> Then go home and buy cheaper on the net if you must.
And then don't be surprised when you need an XYZ in a hurry on a Saturday morning before you go away and find that your local camera shop has gone bust and the anonymous box shifter on the internet can't deliver in time.Local camera shops are a goldmine, of gear and of expertise, you might pay a few pounds more but you easily get that back when you build up a relationship with them over time. As a guide a place I use leant me a Canon 100-400 for Le Mans free of charge, a £1200 lens for a week for free, would an internet shop do that?
markmullen said:
itsnotarace said:
Go and have a play with the various camera bodies in your local camera shop. <SNIP> Then go home and buy cheaper on the net if you must.
And then don't be surprised when you need an XYZ in a hurry on a Saturday morning before you go away and find that your local camera shop has gone bust and the anonymous box shifter on the internet can't deliver in time.Local camera shops are a goldmine, of gear and of expertise, you might pay a few pounds more but you easily get that back when you build up a relationship with them over time. As a guide a place I use leant me a Canon 100-400 for Le Mans free of charge, a £1200 lens for a week for free, would an internet shop do that?
Gassing Station | Photography & Video | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff