Hi.

[CMT]

I don't know why it's taken me so long to make this thread, given that I have been lurking and reading this wonderfully informative forum for a good long time now. My name is Chris, I have been interested in Photography since 1998 when I picked up my first digital camera, a 1 Megapixel Sony FD-91, and started shooting cars at the local autocross. I used to walk around with my pockets stuffed with floppy discs because that was the media it needed....those were the days.

I upgraded to a 5 Megapixel Sony DSC-F707, and was able to stop carrying all those floppies. My pictures also got a lot better, but the 707 is so good that it really was tough to take a bad picture, and I admit that I didn't learn very much using it. I still have this camera as a backup, and it always comes through when I need it.

Since I left college, my passion has been automotive photography. I worked briefly with a shop in Connecticut providing them with media support for their World Challenge Touring Car car effort. I shot with their D70, cutting my teeth on a real dSLR, started experimenting with various lenses, camera settings to control/achieve the motion effects I wanted, and finally, really learning the tenets of Photography that I missed using a point-and-shoot that did everything for me.

When I left the shop, I lost the D70. After shooting with a DSLR for the prior 6 months, and getting used to its speed, I couldn't go back to the 707. I was faced with the usual quandry - Nikon or Canon? I did not have any glass, so there was nothing to anchor me to Nikon, and I had the occasion to shoot a friends 1Ds MKII mated to a 24-70 f/2.8L, and I was hooked. I love that camera, but my budget did not allow me to go whole hog like that, so I bought a 20D and have been happy ever since.

That was about three years ago, and I have had time to explore my space with the 20D, and also get my hands on friends' cameras. I have a 5D on loan from a friend's collection that I took out to Santa Barbara to shoot a BMW-only enthusiast auto show, but I still use the 20D when I am at the track. I now live about 45 minutes from Lime Rock Park, and go there to shoot whenever there is a big race, or driver's event, so the 20D gets a pretty constant workout.

I don't have too many lenses, but the ones I have suit my needs perfectly. I recently sent my 17-85mm kit lens down the road to help fund my aquisition of the 24-70 f/2.8L, a lens that I have wanted since I first used it on the 1Ds waaay back in the day. I use an older 80-200 f/2.8L for track pics, as the cropping factor on the 20D gives me some great reach to get the shots I want.

Here are a few track pics. Forgive the watermarks, as they show the site that I was shooting for at the time:

Can you tell I am in love with this GT3 RS?

Thanks for checking out the thread!

 

[Alex_B]

welcome

nice shots

nice cars .. and so many of them German

 

[CMT]

When I was out in Santa Barbara, I shot a bit with the 5D coupled to another friend's 14mm f/2.8L. This lens is cool, and made a lot of shots possible that otherwise would not have happened. I didn't use it much at the show because I relied upon the 24-70, but I did take a few with the 14mm back at a friend's house.

 

[CMT]

welcome

nice shots

nice cars .. and so many of them German

Thanks a lot man!

It's one of my other afflictions. Between the Photography hobby, a passion for Horology, and my love of German cars, I remain in a state of constant brokeness.

The first time I shot with the 5D was immediately after a track day at Lime Rock. A friend, who is a big Porsche collector, had just received his new GT and I had the 5D thrust on me and was told to get some shots. Luckily enough the controls on the 5D are extremely similar to the 20D, with a lot more control over the ISO - I was able to get the "job" done without disappointing anyone.

I really like the 5D/24-70 combo:

 

[Mitica100]

Welcome aboard.