New lens, MX photos and some help please?

j-bo

Got my Canon 70-200 F4 and shot a ton of photo's at the biggest MX race to date in our area. I think I had some really nice pix and some have already sold (30 or so). I ended up shooting about 740 and I kept about 580 of them.

I really like the lens... When I 1st put it on, the weight was a big factor. After holding it for 2 days, I got steadier with it. I shot all on Av at ISO 200 and F4. Rebel XT. Below are some of the photo's.

The last shot.. I'm still having troubles with. I've tried using exposure compensation...+ .5, +1.0 etc.. and it just washed out the photo. I tried sport mode just for kicks, yucko.. I haven't tried manual mode yet, mostly cause I'm a sissy and scared too :huh The rider was very dark and I had to lighten it up waaaaay too much just to make him out and the photo looks terrible. I could probably spend more time on these type of photo's, but taking a gazillion it would take too long. Besides, a "good" photographer should be able to get a good workable shot without having to spend a long time PP'ing photo's! IMO.

I didn't try, but was wondering... if I pick out a dark object and compose that, then use AE Lock on it and then shoot the rider in the sky, would that do any better, in your opinion? I have to learn how to take those shots, as thats what the riders want to buy.

Any help is greatly appreciated!!!

EDIT: To add... I'm ready to go to a 30D! The XT is small and with the heavier lens, I had a cramped feeling after the 2 days. I stopped in the local photog shop and they had a 30D...wow.. big difference in feel! They also had a 70-200 2.8IS ( i wont buy an IS, simply because of the cost factor) and it weighed triple! How do people hand hold these things while shooting motocross? WOW!! I hope I can sell my XT for a good price to upgrade to the 30D.

gsgary

If you want to try manual what i do is set the camera to AV set F stop you want point at some grass half press shutter and note the reading and set the reading on manual try a shot check your histogram, if you see a bike with lots of white set the speed up one notch. On the last pic what metering did you have the camera set on ? if i'm on AV i use partial metering

j-bo

gsgary wrote:

On the last pic what metering did you have the camera set on ? if i'm on AV i use partial metering

Partial.

I should have said.. I do shoot in manual mode, just not in my motocross photo's.

I'll try your trick this weekend though!

My next thing, is how to shoot motocross at night!! I would suppose bumping the ISO up to 800 or higher would help in the autofocusing part. I probably should try manual focusing to the spot I expect the rider to be and try that too. I would have to assume that shooting in manual mode would be the ticket also.

Basically.. I think I'm answering myself. Practice and trial and error seems to cover it.

HarveyMushman

gsgary wrote:

On the last pic what metering did you have the camera set on ? if i'm on AV i use partial metering

Is "partial" roughly the same thing as "center-weighted" in Nikon-speak?

mercphoto

j-bo wrote:

I shot all on Av at ISO 200 and F4.

Why Av mode and not Tv mode? When I do motorsports its all about controlling how much, or how little motion blur a shot has. Av is about controlling depth of field, Tv is about controlling blur. Adjust ISO to get the aperture in the neighborhood of what you are wanting to have.

The last shot.. I'm still having troubles with. I've tried using exposure compensation...+ .5, +1.0 etc.. and it just washed out the photo... snip ... The rider was very dark and I had to lighten it up waaaaay too much just to make him out and the photo looks terrible.

Flash.

mercphoto

j-bo wrote:

My next thing, is how to shoot motocross at night!! I would suppose bumping the ISO up to 800 or higher would help in the autofocusing part.

ISO has absolutely nothing to do with auto-focus. I'm not sure how you came to this conclusion.

Manual mode. ISO to 800. Shutter to your flash's highest synch speed. Turn the hi-speed sync feature of your flash off. Put flash on TTL mode. Aperture to f/4 , f/5.6 at the most.

Seefutlung

mercphoto wrote:

ISO has absolutely nothing to do with auto-focus. I'm not sure how you came to this conclusion.

Manual mode. ISO to 800. Shutter to your flash's highest synch speed. Turn the hi-speed sync feature of your flash off. Put flash on TTL mode. Aperture to f/4 , f/5.6 at the most.

As a former press photographer I would never use a flash at a sporting event due to the possibility of the flash having some effect on a participant which would/could affect the outcome of the contest.

j-bo

mercphoto wrote:

ISO has absolutely nothing to do with auto-focus. I'm not sure how you came to this conclusion.

Me either? Brain malfunction. Should have read "help in the exposure part".

Av mode, as just about everyone wants a shallow depth of field and stopped action in their pics.

I tried some panning shots, which although not the best in the world, my friends all said... NAH to.

I would try all those flash tricks, abeit I haven't gotten that far yet to be able to purchase one.

Newb. sorry.

I'll be printing out all these suggestions and I appreciate the help!

gsgary

HarveyMushman wrote:

Is "partial" roughly the same thing as "center-weighted" in Nikon-speak?

Yes

gsgary

j-bo wrote:

Me either? Brain malfunction. Should have read "help in the exposure part".

Av mode, as just about everyone wants a shallow depth of field and stopped action in their pics.

I tried some panning shots, which although not the best in the world, my friends all said... NAH to.

I would try all those flash tricks, abeit I haven't gotten that far yet to be able to purchase one.

Newb. sorry.

I'll be printing out all these suggestions and I appreciate the help!

Try experimenting with different shutter speeds this one was shot at 1/60
http://gsgary.smugmug.com/photos/48163688-M.jpg

TylerW

j-bo wrote:

I would try all those flash tricks, abeit I haven't gotten that far yet to be able to purchase one.

Check with the track officials about flash usage. Popping flashes in racer's faces sounds like a good way to have your credentials revoked and you being ejected from the track. FYI.

mercphoto

TylerW wrote:

Check with the track officials about flash usage. Popping flashes in racer's faces sounds like a good way to have your credentials revoked and you being ejected from the track. FYI.

While it probably is good advice to ask the officials, I have yet to have any racer complain about flash. Karts or motocross. They all admit they see it, but also say its so brief that it impacts them in no way at all.

xtnomad

I can say that the last pics. problem is dust in the air. And there is not much that I have found that helps in post processing. I shoot almost all action shots with Apture priorty in Nikkon terms, it was a learning experance but now can grab almost any shoot I shot. As far as the big lense I use a tripod with only one leg down and the grips loose and have very good results. The other pics. look great keep it up.

judah

Hi J-Bo,
the first two are really good in my opinion. Very close, good contrast, good sense of "being there". The third is not as moving to me. As my frieng George would say, it lacks some pop.
Anyway, looks like you're doin' great!
Sorry but I can't help you out with your question. Just wanted to let you knwo I liked the first two shots. :