aircraft in the air

[harewood]

Hi, what would you consider the likely best settings for ground-to-air shots please? I use a Canon 650 with a 75-300 IS zoom for this. Thanks.

[Shadowman]

Hi, what would you consider the likely best settings for ground-to-air shots please? I use a Canon 650 with a 75-300 IS zoom for this. Thanks.

Before we had all these controls at our hands, we'd let the camera decide, it's only wrong fifty percent of the time.

[krispix]

This is an impossible question to answer without more data. Are you shooting airliners at 30,000 ft or Air Force jets doing acrobatics at ground level? Like any other subject the optimum shutter speed is relative to the speed of the object; whether it's coming towards you or across your path etc.

I wouldn't concern yourself with the aperture, let the camera take care of that, just worry about the shutter and if it's a fast moving subject make sure you pan with it and shoot at a fairly high shutter speed, say 1/1,000. Try a few test shots and check it out for blur.

[FrankMi]

Also, keep in mind that IF you are shooting propeller driven aircraft, you'll want a slower shutter speed or the props will look like they've completely stopped spinning.

[Geoff F]

Yes, and a lot slower as well.

For prop driven aircraft I like to keep the shutter speed within 1/200.

[harewood]

Thanks John, taking airliners landing / take-off plus airshow stuff so probably nothing higher than about 500 feet. Making my return to Farnborough next month after a 43-year absence. Tony

[harewood]

No mention of exposure compensation? Tony

[Dave Humphries]

No mention of exposure compensation? Tony

Hi Tony,

That's again a very open question, it depends whether the plane is against:
a) a blue sky and lit from behind
b) a blue sky and lit from your side
c) a cloudy sky, lit from behind
d) a cloudy sky and lit from your side

With the blue sky, you'll need less EC, maybe none or -EC if the plane is white or silver and front lit - e.g. b).

With c) you're probably going to get a silhouette unless you use a lot of +EC and even if you do that, you'll find that the edges of the plane will be all blurred and if it is a bi-plane with fine wire rigging, that will disappear. So I just don't shoot into the sun against a cloudy sky, the results just aren't going to work.

d) is again going to depend if they are dark clouds with a bright plane, or bright sunlit clouds and a dark plane.

Hope that helps - and welcome to the CiC forums,

[harewood]

Thanks Dave and Geoff, great help. Tony

[CaolIla]

No mention of exposure compensation? Tony

And, the need for exposure compensation is dependant on the the metering-method used.

[jcuknz]

Like a lot of these questions the answer should be the old adage "Suck it and See" and digital makes this a very real option with instant review and histograms. Helps a lot with the 50% that the camera gets wrong.

[krispix]

Thanks John, taking airliners landing / take-off plus airshow stuff so probably nothing higher than about 500 feet. Making my return to Farnborough next month after a 43-year absence. Tony

Hi Tony,
Farnborough is a mixed bag. Helicopters in hover and perhaps a Harrier just sitting in the sky. Or, a Eurofighter at 50 feet above the runway at just under Mach 1. The big jets (if I remember correctly) land at about 120 MPH and take off at about 140 MPH. Your selected speed will have to be adjusted the meet the circumstances at the time, but everything is announced on the PA so you'll have plenty of thinking time.
Enjoy