Camera for motorsport

[crocc]

Hi there,

I wonder if anyone could please give me some advice. I am a keen motorsport fan especially formula 1 and I am after a camera which will take some really great photos.

Currently I have an 80 quid (when new) 4 mega pixel Kodak which gives very predictable results (blurred cars, pictures of empty tracks and the occasional good picture which is so far away I struggle to see who is driving the car). I do realise that it’s not all the camera fault a large part will also be the operator!

I went to have a chat in my local independent camera shop and was told the following would get me some good results:

Canon EOS40D + 17.85LS

Canon 70.300 IS
I would then also need a case and memory card.

I saw the camera and lens, but it was all a bit of a foreign language. Am I being ripped off? I know nothing about this sort of thing. Please could anyone offer any advice or thoughts to help me?

Thanks in advance

Crocc

 

[Rogan]

hw much is he asking?

but that equipment sounds right if he's offering the right price!

depending on wich 70-300 lens he means

u shud be looking at just over $2000 ish?

 

[sultan]

The equipment is right. Will you be using this camera only for races? If so, skip the 17-85 and just get the 70-300mm. It's also great for portraits and other things that don't require wide angle.

Without the 17-85, it should be about $1500-$1600

EDIT - That is about 800-850 "quid" , when extra taxes are taken into account. Don't feel bad, Canadians also have to pay those taxes but the social services are worth it.

 

[timbearden]

If you want a camera for motorsports, then think of investing in a Nikon D300. It has capability of shooting to 8 fps. Better than the canon.

 

[sultan]

If you want a camera for motorsports, then think of investing in a Nikon D300. It has capability of shooting to 8 fps. Better than the canon.

About the D300 - if you can afford it, get it. It's simply the best there is, second only to is big brother, the D3. IMHO, it simple beats the 40D hands down in many ways.

 

[Rachelsne]

ok comparing NIkon to Canon you will always get on person saying nikon is the best and one person saying canon is the best-

take into consideration that you are what makes the pictures good, also investing on lenses is very important.

You really need to get a couple of magazines look at the cameras compare statistics, and look on amazon and compare reviews.
also consider checking prices online you will often find them cheaper, check resellerratings.com to make sure the online store is reputable and remember the rule: if the price is too good to be true then it probably is

P.S canon is the best

 

[Buszaj]

Well, at least the salesperson was correct in giving you the equipment list. Consider getting a refurbished/used 30D or D200, both fast cameras, 5fps for the 30D, not sure about the D200, probably the same though. One thing, you may find the 70-300 a bit soft on focus, but the reach is good, and on well lit days you won't have any problems. Oh, and for the D300, you need the additional grip to shoot at 8fps, normally it shoots at 6, still more than enough for motor sports though. One more thing, before you dive in and invest all this money, make sure you learn some basics about photography if you already haven't, it will help you take better photographs, and reap the benefits of your camera.



........darn fanboys.

 

[sultan]

ok comparing NIkon to Canon you will always get on person saying nikon is the best and one person saying canon is the best-

take into consideration that you are what makes the pictures good, also investing on lenses is very important.

You really need to get a couple of magazines look at the cameras compare statistics, and look on amazon and compare reviews.
also consider checking prices online you will often find them cheaper, check resellerratings.com to make sure the online store is reputable and remember the rule: if the price is too good to be true then it probably is

P.S canon is the best

Bah - the D300 kicks your 30D's and even the 40D's a**!

No seriously, it does.
-51 Point AF
-Brighter, more colour accurate and much higher resolution display
-Active D-Lighting
-8 fps continuous shooting (with battery grip)
-1005 point 3D Matrix metering
-(slightly) better high ISO performace
-100% viewfinder coverage

However, whatever camera you get (I don't really care actually), what really matters are your skills. If you get either a 40D or D300 and you still can't produce amazing images, as my sig says, something is wrong with you, not the camera.

 

[timbearden]

I wasn't trying to start a debate on which is better between the canon and Nikon. I only mentioned the D300 from experience and the ability to shoot 8fps. Yes as someone mentioned you have to have the grip to that. However, I'm not sure if exactly this is correct but I altered my D300 to shoot 9 consecutive pictures (in slightly over 1 second) without a grip. I just mentioned that camera because he was discussing motorsports. My experience is with both Canon and Nikon, and for motorsports I by far would use the Nikon over the canon.

I realize many people love their Canon's, and hate Nikon even though they never tried it. I'm not saying you can't take great photos with the canon. As mentioned it's the person behind the camera taking the pictures that matters most. However, once you've gained the experience with any camera, upgrading to something like the D300 will offer you a technical edge. As Sultan mentioned just a few specs that make the D300 better, I also agree with him.

Lastly, I realize that the camera has to fit the photographer. Which is why we live in a world with options. Most every one wants to get a BMW over a Honda. That said I believe most would buy a hasselblad if they could afford it. Still, I prefer quality over how it fits my hand. With the Nikon D300 I don't have to worry about that, because it fits quite nice.

 

[Atropine]

I don't think the guy at that local camera shop was talking bull. I've been to a lot of motorsport events all over Europe an all I can say is that appr 80-90% of the professional photographers use Canon. Some say it's out of tradition and other claim that the Canon lenses are better for that kind of fast action shooting.

And don't stare yourself blind on the fps, a lot of pro's don't even shoot in serial mode. They wait out the right moment and nails it remarkably often. I've had a lot of chances to study the big boys with their big white lenses.

I've tried both methods and I really can't say which I like the best. The sniper method is however to prefer if you don't want to check/process a ton of photos when you come home. Good motorsport action shots requires a lot of training and actually some warming up to do. I've noticed that the first shots of the day always are the worst. Once you loosened up a bit and gone through the movements a few times, the quality of the shots increases.

 

[Village Idiot]

Bah - the D300 kicks your 30D's and even the 40D's a**!

No seriously, it does.
-51 Point AF
-Brighter, more colour accurate and much higher resolution display
-Active D-Lighting
-8 fps continuous shooting (with battery grip)
-1005 point 3D Matrix metering
-(slightly) better high ISO performace
-100% viewfinder coverage

However, whatever camera you get (I don't really care actually), what really matters are your skills. If you get either a 40D or D300 and you still can't produce amazing images, as my sig says, something is wrong with you, not the camera.

Where's the roll eyes smiley.

Canon's 1D? Oh wait, spending $2000 on a camera vs, $1000, vs $7000.

I'm sure any camera can take great pictures, but can you?

 

[McQueen278]

I would bypass the two lenses he suggested and get a 40D with a 70-200 f/4 or f/4 IS if you can afford it. Much better lens for the application. The IS version has a panning setting which the other lenses do not, and it is a sharper lens. If you want to go crazy, get a 70-200mm f/2.8 IS so you can have a shallower DoF and another stop.

 

[elemental]

If you want a camera for motorsports, then think of investing in a Nikon D300. It has capability of shooting to 8 fps. Better than the canon.

Has anyone seen the maximum framerate for the K20D?



21 fps, though only at 1.6 mp. I assume it decreases with larger files, and have yet to see a figure for the framerate is at full resolution, but still, that's insane.

Sorry, I thought all you Canikon weirdos might appreciate that.

Also, don't forget that there are camera brands out there other than Canon and Nikon. If one of those fits your needs best go for it by all means, but make sure you make an informed decision. The K20D seems like a pretty good competitor to the 40D on paper, so I would check that one out.

 

[McQueen278]

Has anyone seen the maximum framerate for the K20D?



21 fps, though only at 1.6 mp. I assume it decreases with larger files, and have yet to see a figure for the framerate is at full resolution, but still, that's insane.

Sorry, I thought all you Canikon weirdos might appreciate that.

Also, don't forget that there are camera brands out there other than Canon and Nikon. If one of those fits your needs best go for it by all means, but make sure you make an informed decision. The K20D seems like a pretty good competitor to the 40D on paper, so I would check that one out.

A 1.6mp camera that can shoot 21fps is like winning the Special Olympics, the only thing better is not being in the Special Olympics.

In all seriousness though, it is a nice body in some ways. I've had the pleasure of playing with a friend's for a day, but when you want to upgrade nicer glass than a kit lens or an old K Mount, you are going to be FAR more limited than with Canon or Nikon. Thats why so many professionals shoot with a Canikon. I personally love my Olympus E1 way more than my 40D as far as the body goes, but it would cost me an arm and a leg to get close to my 10-22mm on the E1 and it still wouldn't be as wide or as sharp. In a nutshell it comes down to versatility.

 

[reg]

A 1.6mp camera that can shoot 21fps is like winning the Special Olympics

FACT: Some images are never larger than 2"x2" and don't leave newsprint.