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Archive 2015 · Shooting Airshows with D810

  
 
Weasel_Loader
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Shooting Airshows with D810


This will be my first serious attempt at airshow shooting. Still getting used to my new D810 and its autofocus modes. Can anyone give me their preferred autofocus mode for shooting airshows? I'll be using my 70-200/2.8VR2. I don't have any TCs and wondering if I should use crop modes or just shoot full frame and crop in post.

Airshow will be mostly prop aircraft (Chino Airshow, Ca in May).

Thanks for any advice.



Mar 31, 2015 at 12:01 PM
CanadaMark
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Shooting Airshows with D810


Group AF works very good for things like airshows.

I would use the following:

AF-C
Group AF (basically a closest subject priority mode, perfect for distant planes and has a big hit radius)
Custom setting A3 (Focus Delay): OFF
CH (Max fps)
Release Priority

Crop mode is exactly the same as cropping in post, but you get increased FPS and smaller file sizes which could be useful for airshows. Keeping the full frame will give you more cropping optionality in post, but at the expense of file size and FPS.

If the lighting is fairly consistent, I like setting a manual exposure for air shows because assuming you can't fill most of the frame with the plane at 200mm, Matrix will tend to expose for the sky and underexpose the plane, and spot will do the same thing if you accidentally hit the sky with it instead of the plane with the spot. I'd also shoot as low of an ISO as possible so you have the most leeway to bring up the shadows on the undersides of the planes if you so desire, or if lighting isn't cooperative.

Since the aircraft are mostly prop, you will want to experiment with shutter speeds such that you get a sharp plane, but motion blur in the blades, otherwise they look weird when completely frozen. A good opportunity to work on your panning skills! A shutter speed of 1/250 is a good starting point.



Mar 31, 2015 at 12:31 PM
Wrei
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Shooting Airshows with D810


I have mine set to continuous with back button focus, and spot metering. For props I will shoot 1/60 to 1/125 to get a prop blur. I use shutter priority for props. 70-200 will cause you to do a lot of cropping in post, but the D810 can handle it pretty well. You might consider renting the 80-400 for the airshow.

I was practicing panning after getting the D810/70-200 with this guy flying over the house at 200mm/1/80. Here is the original LR version:

http://www.rayswindlepix.com/img/s6/v138/p1087273767-4.jpg

Here is the cropped version:

http://www.rayswindlepix.com/img/s6/v139/p1087273741-4.jpg

I will add there are some pretty good Nikonians on the Mustang Air to Air thread in the City, Street, Architecture Forum who make a lot of great ground to air art and are willing to give great advice.

MA2A Thread Clicky

Edited on Mar 31, 2015 at 12:50 PM · View previous versions



Mar 31, 2015 at 12:44 PM
Weasel_Loader
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Shooting Airshows with D810


That's exactly the advice I was looking for. Thought of some of those tips and reminded me of others. I have a 3-stop ND that should be able to get my shutter speed down to 1/250th, along with about f/6 or f/8. Didn't think about my metering getting confused and will shoot manual as I'm sure it'll be a clear day with no changing light.

I'll have to experiment with shooting crop or full frame. Wished Nikon could find a way to black out the areas not used in crop mode. Not being used to shooting crop, I can see how I would forget using the crop frame.

I paid a little extra and got a sunrise photo pass for this event, so I'm pretty excited about getting some good morning shots of the aircraft on the ramp.

Thanks for the advice Mark.



Mar 31, 2015 at 12:49 PM
Weasel_Loader
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Shooting Airshows with D810


Wrei wrote:
I have mine set to continuous with back button focus, and spot metering. For props I will shoot 1/60 to 1/125 to get a prop blur. 70-200 will cause you to do a lot of cropping in post, but the D810 can handle it pretty well. You might consider renting the 80-400 for the airshow.

I was practicing panning after getting the D810/70-200 with this guy flying over the house at 200mm/1/80. Here is the original LR version:

http://www.rayswindlepix.com/img/s6/v138/p1087273767-4.jpg

Here is the cropped version:

http://www.rayswindlepix.com/img/s6/v139/p1087273741-4.jpg

I will add there are some pretty good Nikonians on the Mustang Air to Air thread in the City, Street,
...Show more

Thanks for the heads up Ray. When I got my D810, I thought about the 80-400, but since I shoot dirt bike racing and portraits more often than airshows, I went with the 70-200 (plus, I had previously owned the 70-200VR2 when I had my D700). Ideally, I could buy a TC, but my budget got blown out of the water when I needed to update my computer with my D810 purchase.



Mar 31, 2015 at 12:56 PM
Wrei
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Shooting Airshows with D810


Just read your profile . Gee, a BB stacker gettin' input from a nose picker! I was a maintenance production scheduler before I retired (combination USAF/ANG); mostly a crew chief/eng mech. Good luck with your shooting!


Mar 31, 2015 at 01:02 PM
CanadaMark
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Shooting Airshows with D810


Weasel_Loader wrote:
That's exactly the advice I was looking for. Thought of some of those tips and reminded me of others. I have a 3-stop ND that should be able to get my shutter speed down to 1/250th, along with about f/6 or f/8. Didn't think about my metering getting confused and will shoot manual as I'm sure it'll be a clear day with no changing light.

I'll have to experiment with shooting crop or full frame. Wished Nikon could find a way to black out the areas not used in crop mode. Not being used to shooting crop, I can see how
...Show more

In crop mode, there is a little square in the viewfinder that shows you the crop. I find it's very clear and is easy to use for framing.

If you set A6 (AF point illumination) to OFF, the camera will grey out the entire area outside of the desired crop in the viewfinder.



Mar 31, 2015 at 01:06 PM
Weasel_Loader
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Shooting Airshows with D810


CanadaMark wrote:
In crop mode, there is a little square in the viewfinder that shows you the crop. I find it's very clear and is easy to use for framing.

If you set A6 (AF point illumination) to OFF, the camera will grey out the entire area outside of the desired crop in the viewfinder.


I'll give that a whirl Mark. Thanks.



Mar 31, 2015 at 01:08 PM
Weasel_Loader
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Shooting Airshows with D810


Wrei wrote:
Just read your profile . Gee, a BB stacker gettin' input from a nose picker! I was a maintenance production scheduler before I retired (combination USAF/ANG); mostly a crew chief/eng mech. Good luck with your shooting!


There we go, a booger hooker callin' weapons loaders BB stackers. Did it for 20+ years and loved it. Now I piss off maintenance and work for Ops scheduling sorties and different configurations at Test Pilot School.



Mar 31, 2015 at 01:15 PM
Neddie Seagoon
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Shooting Airshows with D810


You might also consider renting something longer, a 400 2.8 for example. Couple local places here in LA to do that. That big glass can get heavy in a hurry humping it around a hot flight line, but it's a thought. Don't forget to bring something wide for static display shots. Love the Chino show, the noise, the NOISE!


Mar 31, 2015 at 03:49 PM
Weasel_Loader
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Shooting Airshows with D810


I'd love to rent longer glass, but I think I'll be fine using my 70-200. I will be taking my 14-24 and a 50 with me as well. Haven't been to Chino in about 10 years. I LOVE old piston noise too!


Mar 31, 2015 at 04:07 PM
Aloicious
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Shooting Airshows with D810


Weasel_Loader wrote:
This will be my first serious attempt at airshow shooting. Still getting used to my new D810 and its autofocus modes. Can anyone give me their preferred autofocus mode for shooting airshows? I'll be using my 70-200/2.8VR2. I don't have any TCs and wondering if I should use crop modes or just shoot full frame and crop in post.

Airshow will be mostly prop aircraft (Chino Airshow, Ca in May).

Thanks for any advice.


I've shot an airshow with a D800 and my 70-200, while it worked okay, the whole time I was really wishing I had more than 200. the airshow I shot was mostly antique WWII planes too so they weren't super far away or anything on their flybys. I found I was cropping to near 100% on many images which I'm not a huge fan of doing...you may want to consider renting something longer just for the show, perhaps a 80-400, or a sigma or tamron 150-600 or something. most airshows I've been to are outside in bright light, so you probably don't need anything exceptionally fast since you'll be stopping down anyways..

edit, just saw the others recommend renting too. so while a 400 f2.8 would be awesome, I don't think you'll need to go anything that fast. renting a 80-400 or 150-600 should be relatively cheap compared to an exotic supertele

Double edit- just checked lensrentals prices, renting a tamron 150-600 will only be $53 for 4 days rental compared to a 400 2.8 which would be $268. IMO even though your 70-200 is a higher class of lens than the consumer level 150-600, you'll get better end products with the 600 and being able to downsize some vs the 200 and going in at full 100% crop..but thats just my opinion.



Mar 31, 2015 at 10:58 PM
trenchmonkey
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Shooting Airshows with D810


Rent an 80-400G and come home smiling.
AF-C Group AF ISO 64 f8 > f11 for ze prop blur, done.



Apr 01, 2015 at 06:11 AM
1bwana1
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Shooting Airshows with D810


I recently had the chance to shoot the Blue Angeles at their Winter training in El Centro. Even though we were very close (hats blown off more than once), I was happy to have the reach of the Tamron 150-600 on my D810. I think you will absolutely want more than your 200mm.

I shot AF-C, Group Area AF, F/7.1 (lens plenty sharp here), and adjusted the ISO to maintain the shutter speed. I used exposure compensation to do minor adjustments depending on which direction I was shooting. Of course, no props on the Blues, but adjusting ISO will allow for controlling prop blur.

Even though the Tammy is often called a "consumer" lens, results are still good. Some samples below.





Taking off







Vertical dive







Solo Fly-by







Powering up for take off







Roll sequence




Apr 01, 2015 at 08:44 AM
Weasel_Loader
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Shooting Airshows with D810


Thanks for all the replies. I had maybe thought about purchase or rent a TC-20 for my 70-200VR2, but perhaps I should look into renting a Tamron 150-600 or Nikon 80-400.




Apr 01, 2015 at 11:40 AM





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