I will shortly be heading to Singapore to watch the formula1 and catch up with friends. I enjoy good photos but am very much an entry level amateur. I currently have a Canon 650d with the kit lens but it fails miserably at taking nice shots at distance (or I do). I have used a 70-300 lens in my youth on a film canon which I enjoyed using. As the f1 will both be in the dark and probably far from where I can get to I need suggestions. Don't want to spend that much as I doubt I will get huge value from it. I have looked at the Tamron zoom lens with ultra sonic focus but is only f4. Contemplated a 100mm prime but not sure the zoom is enough. Experience and thoughts welcome. Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
I think to get maximum reach with little outlay the usual suspects are the Tamron and Sigma 70-300 lenses. You will be limited to f5.6 at the long end IIRC and from my experience images start to become noticeably softer beyond 200mm. I recently went to Silverstone and managed to break my Tamron 70-300 a few weeks before. That left me with nothing longer than 90mm in my bag so I went shopping and looked at all manner of options up to the Sigma 150-500. In the end I went for a Pentax 55-300 that was on offer. I'm no pro so expensive gear is out of the question and I concentrated instead on practising my technique with my modest gear. I would largely offer the same advice. https://www.flickr.com/photos/pentax_phil/sets/72157651932160412 If you want a step up from the entry level Sigma and Tamron 70-300's you can look at these: £188 Canon EF 75-300mm f4-5.6 III Lens £219 Canon EF 75-300mm f4-5.6 USM III Lens £249 Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 SP Di VC USD Lens - Canon Fit £368 Canon EF 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM Lens (£318 - claim £50 cashback) You're still limited to f5.6 at the longest end so I don't know how you'll get on during a night race. But honestly unless you are willing to spend big bucks I don't think you'll ever ideally find a lens that's as fast and as long as you want. Pick something within your budget, practice and work with what you've got.
Thanks, I was slowly coming to the same conclusion. My main hope is that as the race is floodlit it should at least help. I will probably also pick up a monopod to help with jittery shots! If anyone has any of the listed lenses for sale second hand then I would be interested. Thanks.
veato speaketh the truth. Two things that cost money in photography (especially when taken together): telephoto lenses, and fast lenses (small f-numbers). I had my sights set on the Canon 200mm f/2 a while back, and it's £5K. My mate has the Canon 70-300mm and it's a very nice lens for the money - good optical quality and fast AF, but of course the aperture isn't really great for indoor shooting. When I did indoor stuff I almost always used the 70-200mm f/2.8, which is not a consumer grade lens but many consumers have it. Have you considered mirror lenses? You can get great reach with them for very little money; the compromise is optical quality and aperture, but these are not the most important considerations if you are not earning money with your images!
I had a quick look on Mifsuds and they have the following used lenses: Sigma 70-300mm F4/5.6 DG OS - £179 Canon EF 75-300mm F4/5.6 III - £89 Canon EF 75-300mm F4/5.6 III USM - £99 Also Amazon have the Canon EF 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 III Lens new for £155 and the USM version for £189
Have you thought about hiring a decent fast lens? It'll be quite cheap in comparison to the cost of the flights and accommodation! http://www.lensesforhire.co.uk/product/canon-ef-70-200mm-f2.8-l-is-usm You might even be able to hire a lens in Singapore, this will be cheaper as you'll only be hiring for the days you need it rather than the entire holiday.
The gf and I both have Canon EF 70-300mm on our slightly old DSLRs, and while we feel they're great cameras and great lenses I wouldn't be hopeful in getting decent images using this kit for races... at great distance... in the dark.... with fast moving subjects. Are you sure you want to do this? You could just use the gear you have to take some 'I was there' type pics or focus on crowd reactions and interesting vignettes. Don't try and get decent telephoto action shots as you'll likely as not end up disappointed. Better to get a dozen sharp wide shots and watch the action than it is to get five dozen motion blurred shots and spend half the race trying to balance iso, shutter speed... and a camera on a monopod. If you're going to watch the race then watch the race. If you're going to take photos then do it with the right gear from the right location. Just my tuppence.
A 70-300 might get some decent pit-lane action IF you can get into the grandstand opposite. That area is floodlit throughout the race, and you can practice by focusing on the pit crews until the speed-limited cars pull in. As confidence builds through the race, you might feel up to trying for the checkered flag.
As nice as a long telephoto sounds, everyone there with a DSLR will be thinking exactly the same thing and taking exactly the same shots of the cars on track. If I were you, I'd take a shorter, more practical lens (or even better, a decent compact camera) and try for more creative pictures rather than just frame-filling car-on-track pics. Carrying less gear means you'll probably enjoy your day more too.
These are all valid points. I tend to take my camera but do prefer to enjoy the moment than fiddle taking a 1000 photos. I fully expect my photos to be holiday snap quality not autosport material. I think I will pick up zoom lens just to allow a better range of photos as access restrictions are all over the show. Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
