Settings for fast airplanes

[Batfire2000]

Going to be taking pics at a rc plane field.
What is a good starting point for settings, I'm assuming manual mode ? And I'm confused on metering? Thanks, I'm very new to all this awesome hobby. Rebel T6i.

[cicopo]

One suggestion I make now that I don't think is in the article is to set your camera so that it's between f 8 & f 11 when zoomed out at the empty sky where the planes will be flying. This is done after picking the shutter speed you want to use by setting an appropriate ISO and as the day goes by you should re check this. The idea is to avoid having the camera end up in the high F stop numbers which show any & all dust on the sensor. It usually forces the camera to use an f stop very close to wide open on low passes with a dark background (usually trees) but in general works out nicely. 

Have fun & enjoy the event too. I consider it as getting to enjoy 2 hobbies at the same time.

[ScottyP]

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@cicopo wrote:

One suggestion I make now that I don't think is in the article is to set your camera so that it's between f 8 & f 11 when zoomed out at the empty sky where the planes will be flying. This is done after picking the shutter speed you want to use by setting an appropriate ISO and as the day goes by you should re check this. The idea is to avoid having the camera end up in the high F stop numbers which show any & all dust on the sensor. It usually forces the camera to use an f stop very close to wide open on low passes with a dark background (usually trees) but in general works out nicely. 

Have fun & enjoy the event too. I consider it as getting to enjoy 2 hobbies at the same time.

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Now that's a good piece of advice that comes from shooting this subject a lot. I wouldn't have even thought about aperture in terms of dust spots, but, now that you mention it, if you were shooting a blue sky at really small apertures you are begging to see dust spots. 

[Waddizzle]

Took my first swing at an RC show last weekend.  Some of the jet aircraft seemed to move faster than what the camera could focus, when they were flying almost towards me, for a head-on shot.  

Passing shots were near impossible to catch, no matter what I did.  I got my best shots during takeoffs and landings, and when they aircraft would turn around.  Some of the aerial stunts were easy to photograph, and some were not.

It was a variable cloudy day, with scattered showers in the forecast, although we saw no rain.  Because light was quickly changing, I used Manual mode, and set ISO to AUTO, which varied from 100 to 3200 as I varied shutter from 1/320 to 1/1000.

Most of the shots were at 1/500 and f/8.

[ebiggs1]

"Some of the jet aircraft seemed to move faster than what the camera could focus,..."

You need to learn how to pan.

[Waddizzle]

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@ebiggs1 wrote:

"Some of the jet aircraft seemed to move faster than what the camera could focus,..."

You need to learn how to pan.

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Please, explain to the class how to pan when the subject is a model jet that is approaching you at top speed.  I ask because that is what I was talking about.  

While you're at it, explain to the class how to pan when the model passes you at speed, covering a hundred yards in a 2-3 seconds, if not less.

[ebiggs1]

""A skill is developed through constant practice with a passion to improve, not bought.""

As a experienced RC photographer is fond of saying. Sorry if you find it difficult.  But if it wasn't just anybody could do it.

[Waddizzle]

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@ebiggs1 wrote:

""A skill is developed through constant practice with a passion to improve, not bought.""

As a experienced RC photographer is fond of saying. Sorry if you find it difficult.  But if it wasn't just anybody could do it.

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As I am so fond of saying, I find your posts to be offensive.  Your initial comment was designed to be an insult.

[cicopo]

i'm downloading my cards from today's big event but for jets (no prop blur needed) I recommend 1/1000 & faster & in general use 1/1600-1/2000 most of the time these days. This is a high speed pass (about 200 MPH) from a month ago using my 300 L IS on my 7D2

[cicopo]

Where was your jet event? Was it the New England Jet Rally? A few friends are attending it.

[Waddizzle]

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@cicopo wrote:

Where was your jet event? Was it the New England Jet Rally? A few friends are attending it.

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It was a week ago in the mid-Hudson Valley by the Hudson Valley RC club.  I probably have the official name wrong.  For what little I know about RC shows, I don't think it was a "jet event."  [The show was titled "Warplanes Over The Hudson"]

It was more like the local RC club put on a show, which featured all types of aircraft.  They had jets, props, and helicopters.  They even had an area where people could fly a virtual plane, and later on "fly" a real plane, with a real pilot acting as co-pilot.

@EOS 1D Mark IV, EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM - 1/400, f/5.0, ISO 100, @135 mm.

It was a heavily overcast when the jets were zipping about, which was when I first arrived.  I was still getting my exposure settings figured out, so this red jet was the very first one I photographed.  I was using a monopod.  I was using AI Servo mode with focus priority.

I quickly figured out that the monopod was not going to let me pan fast enough.  I think I was initially too close.  They were passing by at top speed at rather close range, less than 100 feet, for certain.  I would guess they were passing at about 3-4 car lengths away.