Advice - Long Lens for Airshows (Nikon Fit) 300 or 400mm?
Discussion
Can I get your advice please?
I have a Nikon D5100 which I use on AE or P mode normally. I've just bought tickets for two days at RIAT which should be good being the RAF 100 Yr celebration.
My question then - what telephoto lens for the competent amateur? Ive a good wide-angle for static displays so Im talking specifically about telephoto. I see there are plenty of tamron and Sigma lenses at the 300mm max focal range for way below £500 but I wonder if it would worth investing in a 400mm with the associated price jump?
Advice gratefully received
I have a Nikon D5100 which I use on AE or P mode normally. I've just bought tickets for two days at RIAT which should be good being the RAF 100 Yr celebration.
My question then - what telephoto lens for the competent amateur? Ive a good wide-angle for static displays so Im talking specifically about telephoto. I see there are plenty of tamron and Sigma lenses at the 300mm max focal range for way below £500 but I wonder if it would worth investing in a 400mm with the associated price jump?
Advice gratefully received
When I had a crop-sensor body, my lens for air shows and motorsport was a Sigma 50-500
Not the best, or fastest, but it was decent value for money
I found that sometimes, even 500mm wasn’t long enough and as the flight-line and crowd-line get further apart, I’d suggest a Sigma 150-600 Sport would be a decent lens for air shows.
That said, I now use a Nikkor 200-500 which is definitely a step up from the Sigma.
I guess a lot depends on the resolution of the body and thus the ability to crop the image in post-processing
Not the best, or fastest, but it was decent value for money
I found that sometimes, even 500mm wasn’t long enough and as the flight-line and crowd-line get further apart, I’d suggest a Sigma 150-600 Sport would be a decent lens for air shows.
That said, I now use a Nikkor 200-500 which is definitely a step up from the Sigma.
I guess a lot depends on the resolution of the body and thus the ability to crop the image in post-processing
Nigel_O said:
I guess a lot depends on the resolution of the body and thus the ability to crop the image in post-processing
And how close you are to the action. I always used a 70-300mm for airshows; seemed fine on 35mm and would look longer on DX. Don't forget you can crop - cropping is cheaper than glass.The main problem with a long telephoto is if the aeroplanes come too close to fit in...
Simpo Two said:
And how close you are to the action. I always used a 70-300mm for airshows; seemed fine on 35mm and would look longer on DX. Don't forget you can crop - cropping is cheaper than glass.
The main problem with a long telephoto is if the aeroplanes come too close to fit in...
Yep, plenty of longer lenses on the banking at Duxford near the Land Warfare Museum fall silent at the best moments. Although if you want a photo of half a Hurricane, go for it!The main problem with a long telephoto is if the aeroplanes come too close to fit in...
OP: Go for as long a lens as you can afford otherwise you'll kick yourself for spending all that money getting into RIAT and then finding your pictures have been left wanting 
Your D5100 shares the same sensor as my D7000 and I'm finding that even using a Nikon 70-300, I've been left disappointed at the long at recent airshows. The reach limitation becomes apparent not so much when catching planes passing right in front of you but it's when they turn and bank away from the crowd gaining altitude and becoming an ever smaller dot in your viewfinder...
Cropping isn't really going to help you much here as the 16MP sensor doesn't give you a huge amount to work with compared to the output of a more modern 24 or 36MP sensor.
That's why I'm bringing a Nikon 200-500 to my two days at RIAT and swopping between my D7000 and D610 between the days to see which one it works best with
Will also have a 1.4x TC with me for a bit more fun, and my trusty Nikon 70-300 for slower planes.
Which days are you there OP and do you have any enclosure tickets?
Your D5100 shares the same sensor as my D7000 and I'm finding that even using a Nikon 70-300, I've been left disappointed at the long at recent airshows. The reach limitation becomes apparent not so much when catching planes passing right in front of you but it's when they turn and bank away from the crowd gaining altitude and becoming an ever smaller dot in your viewfinder...
Cropping isn't really going to help you much here as the 16MP sensor doesn't give you a huge amount to work with compared to the output of a more modern 24 or 36MP sensor.
That's why I'm bringing a Nikon 200-500 to my two days at RIAT and swopping between my D7000 and D610 between the days to see which one it works best with
Will also have a 1.4x TC with me for a bit more fun, and my trusty Nikon 70-300 for slower planes.Which days are you there OP and do you have any enclosure tickets?
Thank you everyone for your comprehensive replies and advice and to eltawater for the 'go big or go home' summary. My amazon shopping bag now has this sitting in it... waiting to see if any price reduction or deals pop up before RIAT
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00THP1A1C/ref...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00THP1A1C/ref...
eltawater said:
OP: Go for as long a lens as you can afford otherwise you'll kick yourself for spending all that money getting into RIAT and then finding your pictures have been left wanting
Your D5100 shares the same sensor as my D7000 and I'm finding that even using a Nikon 70-300, I've been left disappointed at the long at recent airshows. The reach limitation becomes apparent not so much when catching planes passing right in front of you but it's when they turn and bank away from the crowd gaining altitude and becoming an ever smaller dot in your viewfinder...
Cropping isn't really going to help you much here as the 16MP sensor doesn't give you a huge amount to work with compared to the output of a more modern 24 or 36MP sensor.
That's why I'm bringing a Nikon 200-500 to my two days at RIAT and swopping between my D7000 and D610 between the days to see which one it works best with Will also have a 1.4x TC with me for a bit more fun, and my trusty Nikon 70-300 for slower planes.
Which days are you there OP and do you have any enclosure tickets?
The issue with the 70-300 VR that I had was that on my D7100 and D750 is that it would hunt if you had a bland (note cloudy) background, otherwise it wasn't too bad. Have since replaced it (given that lens to my niece) as I reverted to a 70-200 Nikon, then just went ott and bought a Tamron 150-600mm as I fancied doing some wild life and it sort of covers me for air shows (its one heavy beast though).Your D5100 shares the same sensor as my D7000 and I'm finding that even using a Nikon 70-300, I've been left disappointed at the long at recent airshows. The reach limitation becomes apparent not so much when catching planes passing right in front of you but it's when they turn and bank away from the crowd gaining altitude and becoming an ever smaller dot in your viewfinder...
Cropping isn't really going to help you much here as the 16MP sensor doesn't give you a huge amount to work with compared to the output of a more modern 24 or 36MP sensor.
That's why I'm bringing a Nikon 200-500 to my two days at RIAT and swopping between my D7000 and D610 between the days to see which one it works best with
Will also have a 1.4x TC with me for a bit more fun, and my trusty Nikon 70-300 for slower planes.Which days are you there OP and do you have any enclosure tickets?
jj2908 said:
Thank you everyone for your comprehensive replies and advice and to eltawater for the 'go big or go home' summary. My amazon shopping bag now has this sitting in it... waiting to see if any price reduction or deals pop up before RIAT
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00THP1A1C/ref...
I'm no expert on Sigma stuff, but I always thought the 150-600 Contemporary is for stuff that didn't move particularly quickly, and the Sport was for stuff that was, well, sportier....https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00THP1A1C/ref...
I'd recommend renting the 200-500 if that's an option for you. It will be pretty much frame filling at times with a crop sensor and easily has the AF performance to keep up with fast jets.
This is with the D750 in crop mode...
RIAT 2016 - F35 by Chris Harrison, on Flickr
This is with the D750 in crop mode...
RIAT 2016 - F35 by Chris Harrison, on Flickrjj2908 said:
I have a Nikon D5100 which I use on AE or P mode normally. I've just bought tickets for two days at RIAT which should be good being the RAF 100 Yr celebration.
Other things to consider - possibly shoot in shutter priority so you can get control of prop blur etc, and make sure you've got a reasonably fast card to write to.Gassing Station | Photography & Video | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff