Any advice on photographing fast cars on a race track welcome

[Steve5D]

Some great shots in this thread.

I've always kind of wanted to try shots like this but have never given it an honest go.

Do you guys use continuous focusing, or do you try to kind of set focus for a certain distance and wait for the vehicle to pass through that "zone"?

I use AI Servo. Seeing as both the car and my camera are moving as I pan, I just figure that's the best way to do it.

I see you're in Ontario. Toronto, maybe? Anywhere near Mosport? I've shot there before, and you can get great shots from the fence line...

 

[lightmuncher]

All has been said - But what hasn't been said is that when panning and when you take the shot, don't stop when you press that shutter, you carry on and if poss take another shot, but I expect you would have your menu set on continuous shooting. But it is important, do not stop when you press that shutter continue following the vehicle

 

[Steve5D]

All has been said - But what hasn't been said is that when panning and when you take the shot, don't stop when you press that shutter, you carry on and if poss take another shot, but I expect you would have your menu set on continuous shooting. But it is important, do not stop when you press that shutter continue following the vehicle

Excellent point. I guess I just take for granted that someone would continue shooting...

 

[pab]

I was pretty far away, and no big zoom. Just some cars that do 320mph in the quarter mile. Only had a few seconds to get the shots!

 

[sharon167]

Thanks everyone. I have written some notes so if I go blank on the day i can check my settings as a starting point and let's hope I do you all proud. I will post some pics after Sunday and look forward to your feedback, good or bad.

 

[bhop]

Some great shots in this thread.

I've always kind of wanted to try shots like this but have never given it an honest go.

Do you guys use continuous focusing, or do you try to kind of set focus for a certain distance and wait for the vehicle to pass through that "zone"?

I've tried both... The zone focus method works pretty good at smaller apertures, and when there are a lot of cars on track, you don't have to wait for the focus to hit the subject. I think that's how I got the Evo shot I posted.

 

[runnah]

Stay out of their way?

 

[sharon167]

Think this maybe a silly question but would having the vibration reduction switched on the lens help or cause problems when panning?

 

[Steve5D]

I was pretty far away, and no big zoom. Just some cars that do 320mph in the quarter mile. Only had a few seconds to get the shots!

Man, you should've left that one alone. The fake blur kinda' ruins it...

 

[Steve5D]

Think this maybe a silly question but would having the vibration reduction switched on the lens help or cause problems when panning?

Turn it off.

VR (or IS) is designed to minimize the effects of the camera moving at a slower shutter speed when you're trying to keep the camera as still as possible. When you're panning, you're going to be intentionally moving the camera, which is the exact opposite of what you want to do when using VR or IS...

 

[Steve5D]

Thanks everyone. I have written some notes so if I go blank on the day i can check my settings as a starting point and let's hope I do you all proud. I will post some pics after Sunday and look forward to your feedback, good or bad.

Looking forward to seeing what you come away with!

 

[JackPhotography1998]

You can pretty much use most lenses (the ones that come with nikon cameras are fine) you can use an iso of about 400 so the light reflections off the cars don't under expose your photo and a shutter speed of about 1/400 to 1/600 and a aperture that makes the image look good (not under exposed or over exposed) and that should get you some good photos if that not works change your shutter speed and compensate with your aperture till you get your result

Jack M'crystal Photography

 

[sharon167]

Thanks for that.

 

[Steve5D]

You can pretty much use most lenses (the ones that come with nikon cameras are fine) you can use an iso of about 400 so the light reflections off the cars don't under expose your photo and a shutter speed of about 1/400 to 1/600 and a aperture that makes the image look good (not under exposed or over exposed) and that should get you some good photos if that not works change your shutter speed and compensate with your aperture till you get your result

Jack M'crystal Photography

A shutter speed in that range is going to freeze the wheels, and give no motion blur...

 

[sharon167]

Race day at Thruxton has now been and gone. Even with all the advice it was still difficult to get some good shots but I have to say it was great fun trying to do so. I took 1,000+ pictures and am currently going through the joy of deleting the empty track, car bonnets, bumpers, peoples heads and just blurry cars, which are a lot. Guess that's to be expected.
I have loaded a few onto my flickr page (sharon 167) but haven't worked out yet how to link them on this forum yet but as soon as I do, I look forward to the feedback.
Many thanks for the help everyone.