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MTB photography Article - UPDATE pt. 3

ianjenn

Turbo Monkey
Sep 12, 2006
2,998
702
SLO
Taking a few hours to practice panning will save you $400, get you a lighter lens and longer battery life. Mode 2 (pan mode) is pretty useless, even at 300mm.

At 400mm+ on a 2.8 supertele, Mode 2 IS starts to come in handy due to the weight that can make the lens jitter and wobble. A monopod can cup this out completely though. Although, I wouldn't use a monopod on a 70-200.

I have pretty shaky hands, and can smoothly pan with my 300mm 2.8 down to about 1/40th with mode 2 off. I have my selector taped to off so that it doesn't kick in accidentally (try panning in mode 1 to see why that sucks, ha).

I actually find it a bit annoying due to the way the IS can suddenly stop tracking and jump back to center.


Yeah still $400 isn't much a hand full of portrait shots will make that back. 1/30th handheld with the 200 is good for IS. Thanks for the info BTW! Ta save real money pick up a MAGIC DRAINPIPE for about $500 and get the 80-200 F2.8? No IS but very sharp!
 
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Nov 3, 2003
119
0
Virginia

WhoRyder

Turbo Monkey
Nov 28, 2007
1,834
0
NYC
BlueRidge, those lenses are two totally different lenses and Focal Lengths... the Tammy is a ZOOM lens and the Tokina is a Wide Angle Lens.

On a Cropped body (your Digital Rebel) the Tamron will be a 38mm (at the widest) while the Tokina will be a 31mm at the widest.... on a Full Frame body camera (5D, 1D, 1D MKIII etc) those lenses are True wide angle lens', so the mm's will be True mm's on full frame bodies cameras.

This is a good article about Cropped Body camera and full frame cameras:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/35_mm_equivalent_focal_length

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crop_factor

My Advice is read up more on photography before making a purchase. the Tamron would be best for DH, that Tokina is more for landscapes etc. The Tokina has a faster F stop which is great for those low light scenarios, and the Tammy is 3.5-6.3 it may be OKAY for lowlight, but i wouldn't know, never tested either lens.

But for DH the Tammy is better.
 
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ianjenn

Turbo Monkey
Sep 12, 2006
2,998
702
SLO
Thanks for the advice. I take a bunch of photos at downhill races. Sometimes I am on it, other times...I suck.
That goes for my racing as well, but that's another story. :biggrin:
I am getting ready to purchase a new lense...between these 2, which one would be better?
I am using a Canon Rebel XT, upgrading to a 50D soon.

Thanks again

http://www.tamron.com/B003special/index.html

or

http://www.tokinalens.com/products/tokina/atx116prodx-a.html


The 11-16 Tamron is an awesome lense by all accounts. With a crop camera like 20-40-50-Rebel it would work real nice. It is supposed to be very sharp! I have a 16-35 and it is on my camera 90% of the time for DH based shooting? Another option for a shorty is either the 17-40L or the Tamron 17-50 F2.8!
 

WhoRyder

Turbo Monkey
Nov 28, 2007
1,834
0
NYC
The 11-16 Tamron is an awesome lense by all accounts. With a crop camera like 20-40-50-Rebel it would work real nice. It is supposed to be very sharp! I have a 16-35 and it is on my camera 90% of the time for DH based shooting? Another option for a shorty is either the 17-40L or the Tamron 17-50 F2.8!
I didn't know Tamrom made a 11-16... lol

On a cropped body the Tokina would be nice, but he has to be close to the subject or crop in post processing....

with the zoom lens he can zoom in and have some fun from a nice distance, but i agree with you, that Tokina is an AWESOME lens.
 

WhoRyder

Turbo Monkey
Nov 28, 2007
1,834
0
NYC
here are mine 2 babies:





Come next summer i'll have the Canon 5D MKII, and a 70-200mm.... can't wait!

This thread is so Informative.
 
Nov 3, 2003
119
0
Virginia
Thanks so much for the info...I can compose a fairly good picture most of the time.
I just lack the technical knowledge, so this really helps...here a few I took during the 2008 Snowshoe series. The last one looks bad because I was having issues with light that day...







 

Transcend

My Nuts Are Flat
Apr 18, 2002
18,040
3
Towing the party line.
No offense, but you should wrap your head around exposure and shutter speeds before you make any more purchases. Those shots are mostly underexposed and extremely blurry.

Maybe this afternoon's article will help. :)

Notice the difference?
 

blue

boob hater
Jan 24, 2004
10,160
2
california
No offense, but you should wrap your head around exposure and shutter speeds before you make any more purchases. Those shots are mostly underexposed and extremely blurry.
Agreed - learn to shoot in manual before spending thousands on gear you find out you don't need/want.
 

pinkshirtphotos

site moron
Jul 5, 2006
4,827
521
Vernon, NJ
If you guys look at my flickr, would you say it would be appropriate for me to get a new camera? Thinking canon 40d with 18-55 lens, and a 100-400 lens for birds and automobile racing.
 

WhoRyder

Turbo Monkey
Nov 28, 2007
1,834
0
NYC
PSP you have the fundamentals down, but i ain't no one to speak either... i'm still learning and will eventually be where i wanna be By next season.

Reading, practicing and testing is Key!
 

WhoRyder

Turbo Monkey
Nov 28, 2007
1,834
0
NYC
Really informative....

Thanks for posting up.

I sometimes use the 580EX ii mounted on my camera (this is what i was referring to on the post)

Keep up the great work with these posts...

I'm going topractice Panning on cars from time to time to see if i can find that sweet spot... my lousy attempt at panning:

 

WODIE

Monkey
Jul 14, 2007
228
0
Inman/Clemson, SC
I've got a focusing question for yall. I'm using a Canon Xti with the kit 18-55 lens i got this summer but i dont have too much experience with it. I usually have it set on aperture priority at about f/5.6 because that allows me to take pictures in darker settings (in the woods) with a decent shutter speed.

Lets say that the majority of pictures i take are dirt jumps where the biggest problem i have 90% of the time is focusing. For instance if i'm taking pictures of a dirt jump with a tree blocking my view of any run in (or another high dj for that matter), how would i focus it so i could get better pictures? Auto focusing typically leaves my pictures blurred and i've tried manually focusing and get about the same results. It gets very frustrating for me to have a nice camera and not be able to properly use it.

Thanks in advance
 

dhrookie

Monkey
Jan 22, 2008
222
0
Obetz, OH
what about the guy(i.e. me) that can't afford the $3500.00 lens? was looking into getting a new lens in the spring for my cough D40 cough. just got into racing DH and photographing it this year, so I'm new and i don't know what to do! some pics i take turn out OK and others not so much. using the stock lenses the kit came with. i guess i need to read the book you wrote about. loving the articles BTW:cheers:.
 

roamingoregon

Monkey
Apr 10, 2004
250
0
Wilsonville
Fraser- Good article. A couple of comments.

I've always used the general rule:
ISO = detail and noise (higher ISO = less detail and more noise)
Shutter speed = stop movement (when not using flash,) and controls ambient light.
F-Stop = depth of field

When someone asks what setting you are using don't be offended or snicker- they may see you working and want to figure out the "look" you are going after. This will allow the other shooter to adjust his settings so he get's a much different look...

You always have good shots.

I'll add a topic for you to cover- storage and maintaining a database.
 

pinkshirtphotos

site moron
Jul 5, 2006
4,827
521
Vernon, NJ
what about the guy(i.e. me) that can't afford the $3500.00 lens? was looking into getting a new lens in the spring for my cough D40 cough. just got into racing DH and photographing it this year, so I'm new and i don't know what to do! some pics i take turn out OK and others not so much. using the stock lenses the kit came with. i guess i need to read the book you wrote about. loving the articles BTW:cheers:.
First things first, go see a doctor about that cold. Check out my flickr page, in my signature. All but 2 pictures there were taken with a d40, and nearly all with the 18-55 lens. IMO the D40 is an excellent camera. I have never seen it marketed as weather resistant but I have used it in some extreme conditions with absolutely no problems. Just to list a few incidents, shooting several snowboarding events in heavy wet snow (and 1 pond skimming event getting soaked), shooting downhill and getting so dusty the camera was brown at the end of the day, shooting in over 100* weather, shooting below 0* weather. I have shot in the rain, fog, sleet ect. I am sure you get the idea. The huge negative to the D40 is the lack of an internal AF motor. Your lens selection is limited to few keeping your AF capabilities. They must be "AF-S" lenses, and as you can see very few are low priced. This is one of the reasons I am upgrading my camera. Canon offers a better lens selection and more bang for the buck I have seen. I still love how a nikon feels in my hands but cannot afford the glass. If you want the full range of nikon glass save some money and upgrade to a d90.
 

davet

Monkey
Jun 24, 2004
551
3
what about the guy(i.e. me) that can't afford the $3500.00 lens? was looking into getting a new lens in the spring for my cough D40 cough. just got into racing DH and photographing it this year, so I'm new and i don't know what to do! some pics i take turn out OK and others not so much. using the stock lenses the kit came with. i guess i need to read the book you wrote about. loving the articles BTW:cheers:.

pick up a Nikon 50mm 1.8 fixed lens. You can find them for around $100 or less on ebay any day of the week. Super fast for taking shots in low light. Learn how to focus manually and learn the relationships between shutter speed and aperature.

I used that lens for 95% of my mtb shots for the past 3 years. Sometimes you need to get creative with your positioning being a fixed lens, but that's all part of learning.
 

dhrookie

Monkey
Jan 22, 2008
222
0
Obetz, OH
First things first, go see a doctor about that cold. Check out my flickr page, in my signature. All but 2 pictures there were taken with a d40, and nearly all with the 18-55 lens. IMO the D40 is an excellent camera. I have never seen it marketed as weather resistant but I have used it in some extreme conditions with absolutely no problems. Just to list a few incidents, shooting several snowboarding events in heavy wet snow (and 1 pond skimming event getting soaked), shooting downhill and getting so dusty the camera was brown at the end of the day, shooting in over 100* weather, shooting below 0* weather. I have shot in the rain, fog, sleet ect. I am sure you get the idea. The huge negative to the D40 is the lack of an internal AF motor. Your lens selection is limited to few keeping your AF capabilities. They must be "AF-S" lenses, and as you can see very few are low priced. This is one of the reasons I am upgrading my camera. Canon offers a better lens selection and more bang for the buck I have seen. I still love how a nikon feels in my hands but cannot afford the glass. If you want the full range of nikon glass save some money and upgrade to a d90.
nice man thanks for the info! the race shots you have on your flickr, are they shot with a remote flash? or on camera?
 

pinkshirtphotos

site moron
Jul 5, 2006
4,827
521
Vernon, NJ
all my pictures are on camera sb-600 flash, i just adjust where my flash points.

Don't pick up the old 50mm if you plan on only using it on a d40, wait till January and get the 50mm af-s. more money but having af is worth it. I am all for manual focusing but when there is no focus screen I see no point. With newer cameras they have really nice af systems.
 

WhoRyder

Turbo Monkey
Nov 28, 2007
1,834
0
NYC
OMG, this thread has me going out every night in the cold for picture practicing.... too bad no one with DH bikes were out:

Happy Holidays (i know my horizons are off, but is was COLD and WINDY as hell in the South Street Seaport Today)

Took a few pics and ran back home, FAST!

Seaport


2. Two Bridges


3. Tree!
 
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blue

boob hater
Jan 24, 2004
10,160
2
california
One thing about light meters - if you can't afford one right now, a gray card can definitely help dial in exposure if you're not using off-camera lighting. Most photo stores carry them. Flip on your spot meter, point it at the card in the lighting of the scene, and meter for that (we could get into attempting to use the zone system, but that's more for B&W).

Other thing about equipment...There's one new body out there that I will decry as pretty craptastic compared to the competition for professional action photography, and that's the Nikon D60 (as well as the just out of production D40/D40x and D80). For basic consumer stuff and still life they're fine, but the CCD sensors they were built with are blown away by more current Nikon CMOS and Canon CMOS sensors. If you're stuck with just ambient light in a darker situation, the noise the CCD sensor produces in exposures at higher ISO ratings (above 800 or so) makes them utterly worthless for anything but small web-sized images. Save your money and get a nicer Nikon (Like the D90 or D300) or pick up a Canon Rebel for about the same price.

In other words, take everything Ken Rockwell says with a car-sized grain of salt.
 
Nov 3, 2003
119
0
Virginia
No offense, but you should wrap your head around exposure and shutter speeds before you make any more purchases. Those shots are mostly underexposed and extremely blurry.

Maybe this afternoon's article will help. :)

Notice the difference?
No offense taken...I wouldn't have posted the pictures If I didn't want them critiqued.
You supplied the answers I needed as well. The articles posted are great too.
This is just the type of thread I was searching for, keep it coming and thanks again.
 

bikenweed

Turbo Monkey
Oct 21, 2004
2,432
0
Los Osos
I've been doing the panning thing with my p&s for awhile now. It works great! I take significantly better pictures with my p&s in full manual mode than even with my 20D, possibly because it's always in my pocket during every ride.

I'm usually at ISO 50, F2.6-3.5ish, at 1/80th to 1/125th, and I almost always use the flash. I've got a $200, 3.5 year old cheapie Canon Powershot a510. Somehow, it's got easy to use, full manual controls. ISO 50-400, flash has 3 different levels, shutter speeds from 30" to 1/1250th, and f2.6-8.0. Lately I've left it in full black and white mode, and seeing the world through the live view in black and white is a cool new perspective.

A few examples of my panning shots with the point and shoot:

Cloudy day, super low-light:


[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/23850274@N08/3036546265/"]


On a night ride, but made brighter with some photoshop:


In the forest:


Horribly backlit, but the flash saved the day:


In the woods, after the sun already set, and a good example of why ISO of 100 or higher on p&s cameras is hopeless:

[/URL]

It can get old doing just panners, but if you're having issues getting what you want, it's a great way to work around the limitations of a p&s. Plus, it sucks dragging a huge SLR out to the trails, and it's usually hard to pull out of the bag in time. The point and shoot lives in my pocket. Out and ready in 5 seconds.

Does anyone even make point and shoot cameras with full manual settings anymore?
 

Transcend

My Nuts Are Flat
Apr 18, 2002
18,040
3
Towing the party line.
I've been doing the panning thing with my p&s for awhile now. It works great! I take significantly better pictures with my p&s in full manual mode than even with my 20D, possibly because it's always in my pocket during every ride.

I'm usually at ISO 50, F2.6-3.5ish, at 1/80th to 1/125th, and I almost always use the flash. I've got a $200, 3.5 year old cheapie Canon Powershot a510. Somehow, it's got easy to use, full manual controls. ISO 50-400, flash has 3 different levels, shutter speeds from 30" to 1/1250th, and f2.6-8.0. Lately I've left it in full black and white mode, and seeing the world through the live view in black and white is a cool new perspective.

A few examples of my panning shots with the point and shoot:

Cloudy day, super low-light:


[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/23850274@N08/3036546265/"]


On a night ride, but made brighter with some photoshop:


In the forest:


Horribly backlit, but the flash saved the day:


In the woods, after the sun already set, and a good example of why ISO of 100 or higher on p&s cameras is hopeless:

[/URL]

It can get old doing just panners, but if you're having issues getting what you want, it's a great way to work around the limitations of a p&s. Plus, it sucks dragging a huge SLR out to the trails, and it's usually hard to pull out of the bag in time. The point and shoot lives in my pocket. Out and ready in 5 seconds.

Does anyone even make point and shoot cameras with full manual settings anymore?
There is a few kicking around, but they usually aren't great for one reason or another. G10 is a great camera with all manual controls, but is bulky and heavy. I am not 100% sure if the A series still has full manual, but they still do chew through AA batteries in a hurry.