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Pan/Fast moving Shots?

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  • Pan/Fast moving Shots?

    A few times a week head down to the SFO AirTrain stations, primarily to practice pan shots of aircraft departing in front of the AA hangar off of the 28s. I've run into nothing but trouble. I play around with the speed settings but everything either comes out:

    Still
    [photoid=5988771]

    Soft
    [photoid=5989928]

    or blurry beyond editbility.

    Another problem I have run into is just general departure shots from this spot. I play around with the settings, but just about everything comes out blurry.

    This is about the sharpest shot I've managed from the spot, and it is still a bit soft and unsatisfying.
    [photoid=984415]

    For both types of shots, I found that the only way to occasionally get a decent shot is to use the action setting on my 350D Rebel XT.(The picture of the running man). But that setting either has the shots come out blurry or sub-par at best.

    Any advice is appreciated, and I'm heading down to SFO in maybe an hour to try and catch some of the European departures.

    Great thanks!
    -Chasen
    sigpic
    http://www.jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?userid=170

  • #2
    I don't know as well as some of the more experienced guys on here, but from what I can tell you, part of it is just practice and luck. I'd shoot in shutter priority, anywhere from 1/200 to lower. You probably want to start with a higher shutter speed and work your way down though. Burst mode always helps too. And one more thing: You probably want to have you sensor cleaned too. It's a bitch cloning 2,000 dust spots out, because they show up pretty good when you're shooting at 1/125 and F 20.

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    • #3
      Ugh, tell me about it. I pay $35 to have my sensor cleaned, and there are still 3 dust easily visible dust spots and no less than a dozen tiny ones! Didn't want to make the 35min drive back down to the camera shop to have them take my camera for an additional week to get those taken out. I'll use a cleaning kit on it and see what good that does. They're lucky I don't roll up and have Hampo shoot up the joint.
      sigpic
      http://www.jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?userid=170

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      • #4
        I believe on Canon its TV mode. As Jordan said start high and work your way down. And be ready to clone.



        "Sorry Goose, but it's time to buzz the tower!"


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        • #5
          Originally posted by sluger020889
          I believe on Canon its TV mode. As Jordan said start high and work your way down. And be ready to clone.
          Yeah, Canon is Tv mode if you want to control shutter speed. The lower you go, the nicer the effect but the more chance for messing up the entire picture. It's about luck and how steady you are and practice, I'm not the steadiest person though. Also, I imagine a heavier lens can help, my lens isn't too heavy so at times if it's windy the winds get a hold of the lens. Here is an example of a successful one at 1/30: http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1179663/L/

          The background is kinda bland though, they come out nicer with more stuff in the background.

          As for the dust spots, shooting at a lower shutter speed makes for a lower aperture which makes spots more pronounced. Photoshop CS3 has a count tool that I find handy to identify where dust spots are so I can clone/heal them out and not have to look for each one time and time again.

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          • #6
            Thanks, guys. Yes I use TV mode often as my favorite shots are long night exposures. At any rate, I'll try it out this afternoon, the good news is its windy, so the planes are using the 28s for departure, meaning I get pleanty of practice. The bad news is, its windy, so my camera is going to be flying all over the place.

            What is this "Count Tool" on CS3? To find dust spots I have to keep playing with the levels and literally put my finger on them so I don't lose them. A tool would be dandy.
            sigpic
            http://www.jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?userid=170

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Crunk415balla
              Thanks, guys. Yes I use TV mode often as my favorite shots are long night exposures. At any rate, I'll try it out this afternoon, the good news is its windy, so the planes are using the 28s for departure, meaning I get pleanty of practice. The bad news is, its windy, so my camera is going to be flying all over the place.

              What is this "Count Tool" on CS3? To find dust spots I have to keep playing with the levels and literally put my finger on them so I don't lose them. A tool would be dandy.
              It's on the side bar. Right click the eyedropper tool towards the bottom and then it brings up 4 things, select the one at the bottom that has 123. Then this is what I do. Create another layer, equalize it. Markoff the dust spots, then delete the equalized layer and then use the heal/clone tool on the spots you have marked off. Repeat this a few times to make sure you got everything. Sometimes you miss a few. But it's much faster than other methods of playing with the levels or what not as equalize brings everything out.

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              • #8
                I'll give it a shot, thanks.
                sigpic
                http://www.jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?userid=170

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                • #9
                  Like others have said panning is a combination of pure luck and ultra smooth hands... This is the best i have gotten and its at 125th

                  Panning isnt easy with the lens i use either.

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                  • #10
                    If you can get your hands on a lens with a panning mode, it will also help somewhat, though it's not perfect. This was with Canon's 70-200f2.8L IS (mode2):



                    I usually blast off 3 shots at a time, this was @ 1/80, f16.

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