Ray Swindle wrote:
Is this what you are referencing Douglas? Looks like they are buying a whole squadron of F-4s.
Starfighters International (a Kennedy Space Center-based company), is in the process of acquiring twelve ex-Republic of Korea Air Force F-4 Phantoms as of May 2025 for FAA registration and potential private operations, though their primary focus is research and space launches rather than airshows.
Yes, I think it's that company. Thanks for the link! Hopefully we will see one in the sky here next year.
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Danpbphoto wrote:
That Turkish F4 with colors is fantastic!
Dan
I have a few more Hellenic AF F-4 and Gripen from my trip to Belgium in Sept.
Here is a free but marvelous online magazine from the Belgium-based Aviation Photocrew, incredible video footages and photograph. I flew with them a couple times.
Douglas L wrote:
Yes, I think it's that company. Thanks for the link! Hopefully we will see one in the sky here next year.
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I have a few more Hellenic AF F-4 and Gripen from my trip to Belgium in Sept.
Here is a free but marvelous online magazine from the Belgium-based Aviation Photocrew, incredible video footages and photograph. I flew with them a couple times.
kwbarnes wrote:
Are you referring to the Collings Foundation? You can see some of the work being done on the F-4 on the Diesel Thunder Aviation You Tube channel.
I think I saw somewhere that they are also on Rumble
I don't think it's the Collings Foundation, but interesting videos nevertheless. It's Starfighters International, as shown in Ray's link above. They also own airworthy F-104 Starfighter. One of their F-104s actually did a A2A for Aviation Photocrew at the Sun N Fun event in Florida in April this year.
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Danpbphoto wrote:
Just fantastic photography Douglas!
Dan
Thank you Dan!
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Ttown Aubie wrote:
Fabulous shots Douglas.
Thank you!
It will be almost 6 months before the next airshow I am planning to attend.. Next year, when it's practical, I may try shooting still photograph and video simultaneously in two cameras mounted on a dual gimbal head, with the 400-800mm lens on one camera for still, the 200-600 or 100-400 (still debating which) on another camera for video. I have never shot videos at airshows with cameras, except my phone. I don't want to miss getting still shots if I have only one camera and am shooting video with it. It will be something like this setup. Will see how it works. Will try it first for bald eagles at Conowingo.I have seen a few guys doing this for eagles.
Interesting setup, Douglas. Are you trying to compete with the Japanese tourist who shows up at the dam every year with three superteles on a bar mount??
Douglas L wrote:
I don't think it's the Collings Foundation, but interesting videos nevertheless. It's Starfighters International, as shown in Ray's link above. They also own airworthy F-104 Starfighter. One of their F-104s actually did a A2A for Aviation Photocrew at the Sun N Fun event in Florida in April this year.
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Thank you Dan!
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Thank you!
It will be almost 6 months before the next airshow I am planning to attend.. Next year, when it's practical, I may try shooting still photograph and video simultaneously in two cameras mounted on a dual gimbal head, with the 400-800mm lens on one camera for still, the 200-600 or 100-400 (still debating which) on another camera for video. I have never shot videos at airshows with cameras, except my phone. I don't want to miss getting still shots if I have only one camera and am shooting video with it. It will be something like this setup. Will see how it works. Will try it first for bald eagles at Conowingo.I have seen a few guys doing this for eagles....Show more →
Geez a lou Douglas! Looks like some kind of mounted "cannons" ready for action!
Hope it works out for you!
Great looking setup!
Dan
That will be a very interesting experiment Douglas. Wonder how the focus tracking will behave on the one you aren't looking through? Better have spotters right and left or you will be taking out photographers as you pan................
The weather and my schedule has prevented me from really putting the X2DII to work, but a little time with it at the hangar the other day told me a lot about what this camera is going to be able to do..........the bokeh is remarkable. One thing that I was concerned about was the 35-100E's ability to get me in my Canon 85/1.2 territory as far as depth of field. I didn't expect it to mimic that paper thin DOF, nothing matches the 85/1.2, but the 35-100E is more than respectable.........and this is at f4.
Remarkable IQ in these, Jim. However I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that his gaze in the last shot with the camera has a hint of "cold, dead hands" aura to it - keep an eye on that Blad, my friend
On a more serious note , I'd be curious to get your thoughts on whether the advances in AF precision and sensor advances (such as dual pixel AF) offset a reduction in MPs. For context, I have two R5 bodies and was deliberating on getting an R6 mk iii for an astro conversion, but in looking at the specs of the R6 iii in terms of AF and video capabilities, I'm now wondering if it wouldn't make more sense to send in one of the R5s for that conversion. If the AF is that much better, then I think I'd be happy with the results of the R6. I'm not printing anything huge or doing anything on a commercial basis.
The AF is great on the R5, subject lock on and tracking was a problem with fast moving subjects, but it is a great camera. I haven't done any astronomy photography so I don't know how those weaknesses might affect your efforts there. The R6III is a great camera and the AF system should be equal to the R5II which is pretty much flawless. If you don't need that fast AF for your Asto stuff, I think you are on the right track.
Hi Jim,
thanks for your response. I use a manual focus Zeiss wide angle for the astro stuff, so no fast AF there. My intention is to mount the R5 on a rotator and use low ISO, stopped down a bit, and long exposures. The better autofocus would be for birds and other in flight objects. I'll stop by my local shop on Tuesday to see if they have an R6 iii.
. Next year, when it's practical, I may try shooting still photograph and video simultaneously in two cameras mounted on a dual gimbal head, with the 400-800mm lens on one camera for still, the 200-600 or 100-400 (still debating which) on another camera for video. I have never shot videos at airshows with cameras, except my phone. I don't want to miss getting still shots if I have only one camera and am shooting video with it. It will be something like this setup. Will see how it works. Will try it first for bald eagles at Conowingo.I have seen a few guys doing this for eagles.
