Thread: Motorbike racing photography

Originally Posted by Yorkshire_Jon

I agree with the rest of the stuff you say, but... Id be very surprised if above is true. Even on the fastest USM L series Canon lenses the camera still won't take a shot until the AF says its in focus. ....

J

Jon,

I can't say I looked it up in the handbook so you could be correct. From my experience I have never had the sports mode, which shoots continuously while you hold the trigger, give a hint that it is shooting at a different frame rate. That in itself is not proof as it may be that the first shot can be delayed but I just have not noticed it.

Originally Posted by Bushie

Ron, a thought bearing in mind I've never used it, but does the 100D do focus trapping (or catch in focus) ?

Basically set the focus point and press the shutter, it doesn't actually fire though until something is in the frame and in focus.

I thought about that on the weekend. Actually, I could have checked. I have downloaded the K100D manual in PDF onto my iPhone just so I could always have it on me.

I think the *istD had it so I assume the K100D does. I'll check.

Originally Posted by p38arover

It does have sports mode - I haven't used it. I have been using Tv (shutter priority) for this work. I'll try sports mode. I have tried continuous mode but I didn;t use it last week end.



Yes, that's why I was panning using the tripod (too hard to hand-hold a long lens). Again, I was using the approach or retreat of the bikes to reduce the apparent speed of the bikes. Also, my position in relation to the track, i.e., less than a metre from it, meant that side-on shots of the bikes were out of the question owing to bike speed.

I like the ones where you have maximised your advantageous position next to the track.

Like this one



and



as Arturo says a bit of PP and you get a bit more crisp if that's what you're after.

I dabble in this professionally and even with bleeding edge gear, it's still an skill which only comes with perseverance, lots of mistakes, plenty of time rethinking shots and some luck sprinkled on top.

There was a comment about the Canon L USM lenses not allowing the shutter to fire without AF confirmation. It's not actually a function enforced by the lenses. My 1DMk4 has 4 settings in the AF system, two of which allow the user to fire the shutter regardless of what the AF is doing or saying, the other two give priority to AF tracking. I can't speak for other models since this is the only one I use for fast moving targets.

Ron, the advice with the slow moving corners is good for lots of reasons. With offroad bikes, so much of the good stuff happens into and out of corners. Panning is absolutely critical with ANY shutter speed unless they're coming straight at you or departing on the same path. Be creative with your composition. Try things that don't initially seem promising.

There's nothing stopping you shooting if your AF isn't up to catching speeding bullets. Preselection of focal point and timing will allow you to take surprising pictures with basic gear.

Also, great things can happen right up close. I was only about 5 or 10 metres from this guy if memory serves. Corner speed was down to less than 80kph but I was really swinging through and around the corner.



With patience and some careful trials you can go very slow indeed with shutter. With shots like this it's rare that you can capture everything in focus, but in so many shots the movement ads drama to the moment. Anyone who rides knows what this feels like. Bike working hard, tunnel vision looking through the corner but a mind full of serenity.



I do mostly offroad stuff. I find it way more challenging, especially the rally events where the there's only one chance to get the shot and the fast guys are always at the front. There's no chance for a trial run!

Cyril Despres at the Australian Safari last year before he left the event.



Here's Jacob Smith who came second to older brother Todd. Jacob was riding with a broken foot. Rod who came third had a broken hand. They're tough cookies.

I forgot to add, one of the things that I LOVE about the higher end Canons and Nikons is that it's possible to operate the AF with one button so the shutter button only takes the shot (or meters and shoots if you're using AV/TV modes). This means I can start and stop the AF anytime without upsetting the metering. It's probably less of a concern for your track work since there are fewer instances of shadows and more consistent light.

Great shots, Macman. The type to which I aspire. With the road bikes, one can even see the detail in their leathers.

Do you shoot hand held or with a tripod/monopod?

Even with a monopod I find it difficult to steady a 300mm lens. I usually end up with the lens resting against a post.

Originally Posted by MacMan

I forgot to add, one of the things that I LOVE about the higher end Canons and Nikons is that it's possible to operate the AF with one button so the shutter button only takes the shot (or meters and shoots if you're using AV/TV modes). This means I can start and stop the AF anytime without upsetting the metering. It's probably less of a concern for your track work since there are fewer instances of shadows and more consistent light.

I can set the camera so the AF is done via the Menu OK button on the back of the camera thus separating it from the shutter button.

Originally Posted by slug_burner

I like the ones where you have maximised your advantageous position next to the track.

<snip>

as Arturo says a bit of PP and you get a bit more crisp if that's what you're after.

Wakefield Park is a bit better than Eastern Creek for me.

Re PP, I'm really not that well up on it so I really don't know what to do.