Airshow advice (Final question)

[Hagar]

How about metering? Shall I try and keep that on partial metering ensuring the sky is quite bright? Any need to go to the other metering types at all?

It will be interesting to see other opinions on this. I've been given all sorts of advice on different settings. Some worked & some didn't, not for me anyway. I think the best way to find out is to experiment. That's where a digital camera has a big advantage over film. It doesn't cost anything to try it. Hence my advice in an earlier topic to practice before the event at your local airfield where it doesn't matter if things don't work out.

I don't think a big air display is the best place to experiment with settings. On the day stick with what you know works for you. I look forward to seeing your photos.

[machineman9]

I think Cosford is one of my local airfield (and that's about an hour away!)

I can try and find some birds flying around or something, that's probably my best bet. Not a whole lot flies over here and even less of it when I am near my camera.

[Hagar]

I think Cosford is one of my local airfield (and that's about an hour away!)

Not quite what I meant. Manchester is less than 1 hour's drive from Crewe. It's spotter friendly & has a good viewing area. http://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/manweb.nsf/Content/ConcordeViewingPark

There's also a nice little airfield at Ashcroft just up the road. Might be worth checking out. http://www.ashcroftair.co.uk/page1.htm

[DarkOdius]

As for general shooting is it popular to shoot props with Time Priority and jets with Aperture Priority? On a good day is 1/160th good for props or what would you suggest? I'm used to shooting fully manual but I am sure I've read people using those two modes for those two uses.

Anything up to 1/320th should still give you prop blur.

Always take plenty of shots & don't be too disappointed with the results. If you get one or two decent ones during the show you're doing OK.

As Doug has mentioned about the shutter speed, Also try around 1/400th for the props/helicopters.

Take a couple of spare battery's with you and also something to wipe the lens with.

I think Cosford is one of my local airfield (and that's about an hour away!)

I can try and find some birds flying around or something, that's probably my best bet. Not a whole lot flies over here and even less of it when I am near my camera.

Cosford would be your closest Military base and Its a close call between Manchester & Liverpool as there both well within an hour's distance when Driving.

[machineman9]

I never knew about Ashcroft.

According to Google Earth, Manchester is about 52 mins away, Liverpool is about 1hr 8 mins, Cosford is about 58 mins away and Shawbury is more like 40 mins away.

So besides from Ashcroft, Shawbury is the most local and the others are of negligable separation as traffic can make them all a pain to get to.

[machineman9]

One battery grip, 4 more batteries and 16GB more memory later, I think I'm ready to go practise at Cosford this weekend 


I hope the weather stays nice, but earlier I was able to get an easy 1/320th second nice exposure and made it up past 1/1000th second shutter speed whilst keeping an exposure compensation of +1 stop, so nice and bright and lovely looking photographs of a lampost. It's not too far off what I'll be shooting is it?  (in theory, not literally!)

[Rifleman]

I know this may sound trite, but the most important thing you have with you at an airshow is your camera.....the bag and accessories are secondary.....you can keep the bag on one shoulder and it should be fine and not a problem if it even goes behind your back.....most are padded anyway, but now for the most important item.....I never use a neck strap.....always use a wrist strap and keep the camera in hand - it's always ready to shoot, is always in your mind and safer, and just in case you bend over to look at something, you can be assured that it won't be the first sound you hear banging into the object of your interest.....
Any swinging camera which makes contact this way will always (by the laws of Murphy) be led lens first, into a situation you never intended but forgot about for one second too long and now you have to deal with the consequences ......wrist strap and never neck strap !

I know it makes eating ice cream and holding drinks a little more interesting, but did you come to the airshow to eat or take home memories in your camera.....in any event, have a good time and bring us along with the posted images, once you return...........thanks in advance.......

[machineman9]

That is a good point you make. I'm not sure about the 'quick draw' method as I'm fairly quick to bring the camera up as it is. It's certainly not too far to go to grab it as it's close to my body.

As for lens damage I do keep a clear filter on my lenses and I have a lens hood on the telephoto which, in the unlikely event of dropping the entire camera, should hopefully protect the glass. I usually walk with the camera slung downwards and keep a hand on it because I really don't like people bumping into my equipment... I'm quite protective of it.

All I can hope for is the nice weather now.

[machineman9]

Final Question

Go for 1.5FPS RAW
or
Go for 3.0FPS JPEG


Quality vs Quantity. What would you reccomend?