Looking at getting back into Motorsport Photography
Discussion
I don't think you need a big heavy pro full frame body for motorsport, especially as an amateur. Focus speed/accuracy and consistency is more important than ultimate sharpness for lenses too really.
I use a Nikon D7200 with a few different lenses for rally photography - most often swapping between the 18-140 kit lens and Sigma 100-300 f4 (which is probably my favourite) depending on distances. Sometimes a wide angle (Tokina 12-24 in my bag) on the inside of a corner, occasionally the Tamron 150-600 if I'm a long way from the action but I'm generally too close for that to be the best option.
I used an 80-200 f2.8 for a while, lovely lens but I found it was often a bit too 'in-betweeny' for rally - not wide enough when they got closer and not long enough when they were further away. It was the older AF-D version which was a bit slower focussing too.
I use a Nikon D7200 with a few different lenses for rally photography - most often swapping between the 18-140 kit lens and Sigma 100-300 f4 (which is probably my favourite) depending on distances. Sometimes a wide angle (Tokina 12-24 in my bag) on the inside of a corner, occasionally the Tamron 150-600 if I'm a long way from the action but I'm generally too close for that to be the best option.
I used an 80-200 f2.8 for a while, lovely lens but I found it was often a bit too 'in-betweeny' for rally - not wide enough when they got closer and not long enough when they were further away. It was the older AF-D version which was a bit slower focussing too.
Edited by GravelBen on Monday 9th November 02:43
Nikon D7200 is my weapon of choice for motorsports.
Lenses: Sigma 150-600 contemporary is astoundingly good. Vital for places like Silverstone / LeMans but useful everywhere really. Plus, you get a work-out when you cart it round
It's also very good for shooting through chain-link fencing which has blighted most of the good vantage points.
You'll need a monopod though.
Sigma 10-24 for pit/paddock stuff
Kit lens for everything else. I sometimes use the Sigma 105 as well.
Shoot RAW, fettle in Lightroom.
I've recently had some stuff shot on all of the above (not motorsports) applied to 96-sheet billboard ads and amazed at how well the images stood up to the enlargement.
Lenses: Sigma 150-600 contemporary is astoundingly good. Vital for places like Silverstone / LeMans but useful everywhere really. Plus, you get a work-out when you cart it round
It's also very good for shooting through chain-link fencing which has blighted most of the good vantage points.You'll need a monopod though.
Sigma 10-24 for pit/paddock stuff
Kit lens for everything else. I sometimes use the Sigma 105 as well.
Shoot RAW, fettle in Lightroom.
I've recently had some stuff shot on all of the above (not motorsports) applied to 96-sheet billboard ads and amazed at how well the images stood up to the enlargement.
A lot will depend on what type of motorsport you're interested in.
For example, you can get a lot closer to the action on rally stages than you'll ever manager at a national or international circuit. Increasing safety measures mean you'll be a long way from the track, so a long lens (500mm +) is desirable. If you want to see over the catch fencing, you'll probably have to use a grandstand, which puts you even further from the action.
By the time you're using 500mm, you'll need a pretty fast shutter speed which can be difficult to use if you have a camera body with insufficient ISO range.
You'll also need a decent panning technique for side-on shots (which isn't easy with a 500mm lens on a chunky body) or a bloody good autofocus for head on shots. Obviously, the faster the car, the harder it gets to grab a sharp shot.
Having said all of the above, it's great when it all comes together and you get a great shot
Gratuitous golden hour shot from LeMans 2018 - the LMP1 was doing about 160-180mph at this point. 380mm - 1/640 - f5.6
Toyota LMP1 #8 by Nigel Ogram, on Flickr
For example, you can get a lot closer to the action on rally stages than you'll ever manager at a national or international circuit. Increasing safety measures mean you'll be a long way from the track, so a long lens (500mm +) is desirable. If you want to see over the catch fencing, you'll probably have to use a grandstand, which puts you even further from the action.
By the time you're using 500mm, you'll need a pretty fast shutter speed which can be difficult to use if you have a camera body with insufficient ISO range.
You'll also need a decent panning technique for side-on shots (which isn't easy with a 500mm lens on a chunky body) or a bloody good autofocus for head on shots. Obviously, the faster the car, the harder it gets to grab a sharp shot.
Having said all of the above, it's great when it all comes together and you get a great shot
Gratuitous golden hour shot from LeMans 2018 - the LMP1 was doing about 160-180mph at this point. 380mm - 1/640 - f5.6
Toyota LMP1 #8 by Nigel Ogram, on FlickrReally depends on what you want to achieve. A post a little further up mentions 500mm, I've been shooting motorsport for 15 years and I'd say 90% of my images are < 200mm!
DSLRs are plentiful and cheap on the used market now as many photographers move to mirrorless, a D7200 (£500 for a good used one somewhere like mpb.com) and then the world really is your oyster in terms of lenses with another grand to play with. Nikon 200-500mm (again used on mpb) if you want lots of reach, or a 70-200 2.8 if you want a blazingly quick shorter lens. You'd rarely be equipment limited with something like that.
Practice is way, way more beneficial than throwing many at kit. I went to a few events with an Canon 1100D and Tamron 70-300mm (total cost, £150) and whilst they aren't my cleanest shots, it worked well enough: https://www.flickr.com/photos/harry_s/albums/72157...
The Sigma 100-300mm f4 was mentioned earlier, that was/is an absolute peach of a lens and there has been little like it since. Find a decent one of them and you could build a decent system for less than a grand.
DSLRs are plentiful and cheap on the used market now as many photographers move to mirrorless, a D7200 (£500 for a good used one somewhere like mpb.com) and then the world really is your oyster in terms of lenses with another grand to play with. Nikon 200-500mm (again used on mpb) if you want lots of reach, or a 70-200 2.8 if you want a blazingly quick shorter lens. You'd rarely be equipment limited with something like that.
Practice is way, way more beneficial than throwing many at kit. I went to a few events with an Canon 1100D and Tamron 70-300mm (total cost, £150) and whilst they aren't my cleanest shots, it worked well enough: https://www.flickr.com/photos/harry_s/albums/72157...
The Sigma 100-300mm f4 was mentioned earlier, that was/is an absolute peach of a lens and there has been little like it since. Find a decent one of them and you could build a decent system for less than a grand.
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