Action shot help

[mjime714]

Do you guys use digital cameras for action shots? The digital camera I have shoots great large shots, but is slower than a snail on crutches. what do you suggest, or use when you bash and take those big air stills?

Thanks,

Mike

 

[x_789]

Dude I love action shots nothing like the money shot one her face.. Oh poop wrong forum umm nothing nevermind...X

 

[mjime714]

Yeah, you need a really fast shutter for that one. Then your girl looks like this

 

[M@xximillion]

I suggest useing a regular camera and a scanner.

 

[NCNitro]

I use a Canon EOS 1n with a 70-300mm L series ultrasonic zoom. Use a high speed film (800) and fast shutter speed (at least 1/250, faster if possible). Shoot for a maximum depth of field, if your cameras auto focus is too slow then prefocus on an area, follow the truck and shoot when it hits the area you have prefocused on, with the maximum depth of field and prefocus you should be good to go.

 

[mjime714]

Thanks NCNitro for the tips. Ill use my A1 next time I go out.

 

[M@xximillion]

Originally posted by NCNitro
I use a Canon EOS 1n with a 70-300mm L series ultrasonic zoom. Use a high speed film (800) and fast shutter speed (at least 1/250, faster if possible). Shoot for a maximum depth of field, if your cameras auto focus is too slow then prefocus on an area, follow the truck and shoot when it hits the area you have prefocused on, with the maximum depth of field and prefocus you should be good to go.

Your in good hands mjime714, I have some of NCNitro's work.

 

[x_789]

Ok NC give us a little more info here. When you say maxximum depth of field Do you No zoom or much zoom? I want any pointers you have. My issue is that my camera dose not have a manual shutter speed so what I do is I dont use much zoom I take high resolution on digital cam with the highest qaulity then I just cut and crop what I want.

Anyway Super Picture man Lets here some of them free tips... X

 

[mjime714]

Originally posted by M@xximillion


Your in good hands mjime714, I have some of NCNitro's work.

I never once doubted that I would find the answers here. Lets hear all the tips we could get for photographing your rides, action or not.

When shooting your car at a stand still get down on the floor. I love worms eye angles. The lower you could get on the car, the better. Ill post examples tonight

Anyone with examples of their tips, post them up.

Mike

 

[KoRnKiD]

Originally posted by x_789
Dude I love action shots nothing like the money shot one her face.. Oh poop wrong forum umm nothing nevermind...X

ALITTLE TO MUCH INFO

 

[NCNitro]

Maximum depth of field refers to the amount of the photo that will be in focus. For instance if you take a portrait of someone you would want to use a shallow depth of field so that only the person would be in focus, not the background, the background would remain blurry. This would be acheived by using a lower f-stop i.e. F-2.8. If you wanted maximum depth of field with the foreground and background in focus you would use a higher f-stop i.e. F-16 or better The higher F-stop you go to the more of the pic will be in focus, the lower you go the less of the pic will be in focus. The amount of light and film speed will also determine how far one way or the other you can go with the aperture opening (F-stops)

 

[x_789]

Ok well this is gonna open a can whole can of worms. You assume I know what the hell an FSTOP IS ...X

 

[NCNitro]

The F-stop is the aperture opening

 

[x_789]

I see we are getting no where fast Now I have to ask WTF is athe aperature? X

 

[NCNitro]

OK. what kind of camera have you got?

 

[SkyMaxx]

I believe X uses the throw away kodak in a box.

Thanks for the tips. I'll have to try them on my non-digital camera. Ever shoot black and white at the track? Any demand for that?

I usually use my digital for quick turn-around time, but I have also had the problem of missing the action. My solution is to shoot about six feet in front of the truck or at a fixed location and bring the action to the camera's field of view. Either method has worked fairly well for me.

 

[NCNitro]

No I shoot everything on color slide, it can be changed to grayscale in photoshop if a black and white is needed. I do love black and white photography though, just not of racing.

 

[x_789]

Well I have a digital Fuji 2600 I got about a year ago. I have actually learned to time it buy listening to the way the vehicles sound and I just know when to do my shots. I just was wondering if I could do anything to get more infocus on moving shots since I have no shutter adjustment. http://fujifilm.com/JSP/fuji/epartners/bin/FinePix_2600_Zoom_Brobure.pdf X

 

[Candyman]

OK Nitro, I think I understand. F-stop is how big the aperature is. K. Got that. Therefore, given similar lighting and such, if you increase the F-stop, don't you have to shorten the shutter speed? When one goes up, the other goes down (like Christian's wife...) right?

 

[NCNitro]

Originally posted by Candyman
OK Nitro, I think I understand. F-stop is how big the aperature is. K. Got that. Therefore, given similar lighting and such, if you increase the F-stop, don't you have to shorten the shutter speed? When one goes up, the other goes down (like Christian's wife...) right?

Yes, or else your photo will be either under exposed or over exposed. An F-stop of 2.8 will allow more light to enter the lens but will also decrease depth of field. An F-stop of F-16 will allow less light to enter the lens and increase depth of field. You are right that by increasing the amount of light allowed into the lens you have to shorten the amount of time the shutter remains open, and vise versa, the less light allowed in the lens the longer the shutter must remain open for propper exposure. This can also be compensated for by changing film speed. 100 speed film requires more light, or a very long shutter speed in lower lighting conditions. Wheras 800 speed film requires less light, or can be used in bright light for very fast shutter speeds. You really need to use all three together properly, film speed, shutter speed, and aperture opening, to get the propper results of whatever you are shooting.