Basic tips needed please

boner1

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For a Canon EOS Rebel T3I with 300mm IS zoom. Any tips/settings welcome for shooting aircraft departures/arrivals...so average 1000ft. THX

IMG_2773.JPG
 
Basic tip: keep your shutter speed high and pan with the aircraft. Try to keep your shutter speed at at least 1/1000 of a second. Keep that fast shutter speed even if you must increase the ISO from 100 to 200 or from 200 to 400. Aircraft are moving very rapidly and even though they might be 1000 feet away even a little bit of unsharpness due to too slow of a shutter speed will be noticeable if you have to do any cropping.
 
In addition to above have a go with continues shooting as you pan
 
Basic tip: keep your shutter speed high and pan with the aircraft. Try to keep your shutter speed at at least 1/1000 of a second. Keep that fast shutter speed even if you must increase the ISO from 100 to 200 or from 200 to 400. Aircraft are moving very rapidly and even though they might be 1000 feet away even a little bit of unsharpness due to too slow of a shutter speed will be noticeable if you have to do any cropping.
I took this yesterday at Long beach Airport before a Fleet Week flyover. All the other photogs got much sharper images! Can you simply explain ISO, and how to check/change it? THX
cag best.jpg
 
ISO on digital is more or less the equivalent of the light sensitively of film
On the top of your camera you will have a button marked iso press and use the wheel to change the setting
You can see the setting on the screen, if I am correct you have the t3i or 600d just be aware that the iso limit is 6400 and at that setting the image is going to be really grainy or in digital terms noisey
If you are still stuck pm me and I will see if I can help.
I would not recommend going much higher than iso 400 it would be nice to see the settings for the second image
The speed will Be more noticeable in a situation where the aircraft is flying across the field of view where as a head on or a tail end view the speed will not be so apparent.
As others have said look up panning and practice, hay you are digital so it’s not going to cost you in film,
Think about what, where, why
Like old time gunners try to lead , that’s be ahead of the aircraft when you shoot so that if your timing is a bit off the plain will fly into the frame and not out of it.
Whilst I understand that you are limited ... popular convention is that an image like yours moves from left to right.
With space for it to move in to a head of it, yep I know,,, but I have lost marks/points at competitions because of conventions like this
Edit would be interested to know are you using tripod or other support
 
ISO on digital is more or less the equivalent of the light sensitively of film
On the top of your camera you will have a button marked iso press and use the wheel to change the setting
You can see the setting on the screen, if I am correct you have the t3i or 600d just be aware that the iso limit is 6400 and at that setting the image is going to be really grainy or in digital terms noisey
If you are still stuck pm me and I will see if I can help.
I would not recommend going much higher than iso 400 it would be nice to see the settings for the second image
The speed will Be more noticeable in a situation where the aircraft is flying across the field of view where as a head on or a tail end view the speed will not be so apparent.
As others have said look up panning and practice, hay you are digital so it’s not going to cost you in film,
Think about what, where, why
Like old time gunners try to lead , that’s be ahead of the aircraft when you shoot so that if your timing is a bit off the plain will fly into the frame and not out of it.
Whilst I understand that you are limited ... popular convention is that an image like yours moves from left to right.
With space for it to move in to a head of it, yep I know,,, but I have lost marks/points at competitions because of conventions like this
Edit would be interested to know are you using tripod or other support
No tripod or support. The 1st pic i posted was in automatic months ago. The 2nd pic was in TV with shutter speed of 1200, which was suggested by another plane spotter. But, being months apart, different settings, and different skies make an impossible comparison. Note tho, is I've got really good and fairly bad pics in both settings! Oh, just noticed ISO is set for AUTO. Thoughts on that? THX!
 
That auto iso is prob 6400 which would explain the noise in the second image
 
A good general rule of thumb for shutter speed is 2x the focal length, or 1/600 for a 300 mm. Granted that might change depending on skill and circumstance. Low level jets on takeoff or landing are moving (give or take) in the 200 mph range. Only in emergency, over 60,000 ft, or in restricted military corridors does the FAA allow supersonic flights over land, so low level aircraft are generally not moving that fast.

As others have mentioned learning good panning technique will help more then anything. Just like wing shooting, start your swing well before your shot zone, and don't forget to continue the swing after you click the shutter.
 
Ok hi I have just got chance to get back.
Iso try 400 you can adjust the auto iso
Shutter speed the 600 to 1000
Have a look on line at the reviews for your lens, the info you are looking for is the sweet spot got that lens most are at about f8 the sweet spot is where the lens gives the best performance if you can help it you don’t want to be shooting wide open.
 
Ok hi I have just got chance to get back.
Iso try 400 you can adjust the auto iso
Shutter speed the 600 to 1000
Have a look on line at the reviews for your lens, the info you are looking for is the sweet spot got that lens most are at about f8 the sweet spot is where the lens gives the best performance if you can help it you don’t want to be shooting wide open.
I'll give that a try. THX again
 

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