Shooting my first Rallycross, need tips/advice.

[Chad Truss]

I mainly shoot stills of cars, and I have done some car to car rollers as well.....

I have been invited to attend a Rally Cross because some people I know will be racing in it and they know I have wanted to try shooting one of these. If you don't know what a Rally Cross is, it's basically an Auto Cross in a snowy, muddy, field. It's a very short and tight course.

The event is durring the day in a field.

It's quite a drive, so I am looking for tips on how to shoot the cars durring an event like this so I don't drive all the way down there to end up with hundreds of shots that completely suck and nothing I can use.

My gear:

Nikon D80
50mm f1.8
18-135mm f3.5-5.6

If there is a better lens for this, please recommend it. There is a place locally I can probably rent it from.

So I am looking for technique advice, camera setting advice, and anything else you are willing to throw my way. If you need more info, please ask away.

Thank you in advance for the help.

[Jacob Leveton]

Rent the Nikon 80-200 F2.8. I wouldn't shoot motorsports with anything less than an F4 constant lens (like the canon 70-200).

[Chad Truss]

I would need a zoom like this to help with panning shots?

[Dave Verna]

I'd recommend the Nikon 70-200 VR - It's the younger brother to the 80-200 - has silent wave motor, for faster AF then the 80-200 and VR - the administrator here John Thawley has an excellent tutorial about panning I suggest you read,

http://www.johnthawley.com/journal/2008/8/18/the-pan-shot-taking-control.html

Dave

[Chad Truss]

I have ready some of JT's articals. I was hoping there was something in there about pannin, I just haven't had a chance to look for it yet.

I can rent the 70-200 VR lans as well at the local camera shop. I'll call them and reserve it.

[Dave Verna]

I've had panning success with the 18-135 you have - ( i also have a D80) under perfect conditions

If you have bad lighting you will definitely use the 70-200 - let alone the optics are night and day compared to the 18-135

[Chad Truss]

WOW, JT's artical on pannin was a GREAT read.

I assume I set my cameras AF mode to that one where it refocuses on the subject as it moves?

And I also have access to a 55-300 Tamron lens. I'm sure the Nikkor 70-200 has much better optics.

I assume the lighting will be bright. We will be out in a field and Minnesota winters are bright.

[John Thawley]

FYI, while it's always nice to have a fast lens, for the purpose of panning it's a bit of a moot point. If you're getting the shutter speed down where it belongs, I find the opposite to be the challenge. Sometimes, certainly in bright light, a neutral density filter will help keep you at wider apertures. On a good bright day, if you want to get down below 1/60th or so, you could be banging up against f/22 or better. I'd prefer to use the lens a little more open than that. At f/22 you start getting a pretty good idea of how dirty your sensor is and on some lenses you may start to see fringing...

Just a thought.

[Bill Jurasz]

And I also have access to a 55-300 Tamron lens. I'm sure the Nikkor 70-200 has much better optics.

I assume the lighting will be bright. We will be out in a field and Minnesota winters are bright.
It will have much better optics for at least three reasons. One, as a general rule, Nikon will be a better lens than Tamron (exceptions are few but do exist). Two, as a general rule, zoom lenses greater than 3:1 start trading off image quality for convenience. A 55-300 is nearly a 6:1 ratio, and spreads that wide are just harder to manufacture. Thirdly, the 70-200/2.8 is one of Nikon's best lens (ditto for Canon).

If you're going to be in bright sun take JT's advice about a neutral density filter. I'd get a two-stop filter. And don't confuse this with the graduated neutral density filter. :)

[Chad Truss]

I'm hoping to be able to get my shutter speed down around 1/100sec.

I'm going to practice tonight by going to a Metro Transit parking ramp and panning cars on the highway next to it. Like your article, I need to practice my swing.

I have a few ND filters (non graduated) I just hope one of them is the same size as the 70-200 lens. Odds are no, but we will see.

[Chad Truss]

Things are looking up......

Weather indicates clouds and snow. lol

[John Thawley]

I'm hoping to be able to get my shutter speed down around 1/100sec.

I'm going to practice tonight by going to a Metro Transit parking ramp and panning cars on the highway next to it. Like your article, I need to practice my swing.

I have a few ND filters (non graduated) I just hope one of them is the same size as the 70-200 lens. Odds are no, but we will see.

You won't need ND at 1/100th.

[Chad Truss]

Thank you to everyone for the advice.

I am practicing my swing tonight and hopefully I will come out of the event on Sunday with a few good photos.

[Chad Truss]

I'm pumped for this now.

The recommended lenses were already reserved for this weekend, but I am still able to get my hand son that 55-300mm I mentioned. That is better than nothing.

I'll probably try practicing this with my 18-135mm lens as well just to see Iif I can do it.

Weather says snow, clouds, and 32 degrees. I look forward to a wet ground, and some mud slinging by WRX's and EVO's.

[Dave Verna]

WOW, JT's artical on pannin was a GREAT read.

I assume I set my cameras AF mode to that one where it refocuses on the subject as it moves?

And I also have access to a 55-300 Tamron lens. I'm sure the Nikkor 70-200 has much better optics.

I assume the lighting will be bright. We will be out in a field and Minnesota winters are bright.


you want your AF to C ( continuous) you also wany DYNAMIC Zone AF settings -

Click on this link -

http://www.nikondigitutor.com/eng/d80/index.shtml

Click on " Solutions for various shooting situations"
Click on - " Moving Subjects "

the first movie explains Dynamic AF

[Chad Truss]

Wow! I wish I knew about this place sooner. There is so much info here.

Thanks.

[Steve Stein]

Panning cars on the highway isn't like the track. Plus if you're up on an overpass and banging away on the camera a cop will probably show up and ask what the hell you're doing. 9-11 pretty much took care of that.

Still, practice doesn't hurt. I can't wait until Sebring to get back into it. I figure after 4 days I should have one or two shots worth posting :)

[Chad Truss]

I have been hassled by the police many times shooting cars.

One time I was shooting near an Air Force Base. I had 4 cars in a parking lot up the road from where I was shooting. A Policeman rolled into the lot where the extra cars were waiting for me and they talked the officer into putting me in the squad car. Of course I know nothing about this.

So the policeman comes down the hill, flips on the lights. I am very polite as he jumps out of the car and makes me put my hands on the hood. He spouts some crap off about homeland security and tells me I have to go downtown. I said "Are you serious?!?!?"

My subject car driver just stood back and started giggling as I was put in the back seat. Then the officer drives up to the lot where the others are waiting and the prank unfolds.


Yes, I have delt with the police quite a few times. 9 times out of 10 they just rolled up to make sure I wasn't doing something bad, then they either drive away without even stopping the car, or they get out and ask a few questions. And then sometimes I get the police officers that like to hang out and watch for a bit.

It's all good.

[Chad Truss]

Well, I went to the Rallyx and it was a blast!

I shot over 1000 photos trying out panning for the first time. I went through and deleted the obviously poor shots while I was there and ended up coming home with about 350 shots.

Then I got home and realized I shot them all at ISO 800! F*^K!!!!!!! Forgetting a setting like that further cementing my status as an ameture photographer.

Some shots worked out really well, the car was sharp, the background blurry, but all the photos have so much noise in them.... I am so disappointed.

I'll have them all gone through by this weekend. I'll post up a few of the ones I thout were best.

[John Thawley]

Well, I went to the Rallyx and it was a blast!

I shot over 1000 photos trying out panning for the first time. I went through and deleted the obviously poor shots while I was there and ended up coming home with about 350 shots.

Then I got home and realized I shot them all at ISO 800! F*^K!!!!!!! Forgetting a setting like that further cementing my status as an ameture photographer.

Some shots worked out really well, the car was sharp, the background blurry, but all the photos have so much noise in them.... I am so disappointed.

I'll have them all gone through by this weekend. I'll post up a few of the ones I thout were best.

Note to self:

Preparing to shoot -

This applies to every situation... I "developed" mine because I'm in and out of the media center all day shooting different "sessions."

Make yourself a checklist... mental or otherwise.

Default the camera back to your basic settings BEFORE going out to shoot or leaving the house etc. Check ALL settings BEFORE you set off.

You can learn this from pilots. They run down their list EVERY TIME they fly.

Reset the ISO to 100. Make sure you're at +/- 0 EV, set to AI Servo focusing, burst shot, TV mode (in my case), set your preferred focal point, check metering mode, of course, check batteries, insert memory card and reformat.

The point is, establish a "neutral" starting point for your shooting session and run it down every time. EVERY TIME. skip it once and I guarantee you'll goof up.

JT

[Chad Truss]

I really need to do that. I am so pissed.

Are there any good noise reduction programs or precesses out there. Some of these shots really did end up pretty good for my first panning attempt, but there is just too much noise for them to be as crisp as I like them too.

[John Thawley]

I really need to do that. I am so pissed.

Are there any good noise reduction programs or precesses out there. Some of these shots really did end up pretty good for my first panning attempt, but there is just too much noise for them to be as crisp as I like them too.

I use Noise Ninja ... BUT... do you really need it? You're going to lose detail.

How bad can they be at 800 IOS?

JT

[Dave Verna]

I recall your shooting with a D80 - I've shot at ISO 800 before and if your exposure was correct you should have no issues with noise.

[Jeff Kapic]

Post some up. Let's see what they look like.

[Chad Truss]

I'll post a few tonight.

I suppose the noise isn't extreme, but it noticable.

[Derric Slocum]

it cant be that bad, i used to shoot up to iso800 with my old D50 and i could live with it. the D80 should be at least as good.

[Bill Jurasz]

I think people tend to get a little too worked up about noise. If your images are good and strong, they'll live through a little noise no problem. If they aren't strong then it doesn't matter how clean they are.

[Chad Truss]

Here are some examples.

These aren't the greatest, they are just the first few I came across where the car was even remotely crisp.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3391/3342040714_4d0f1c6253_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3594/3342040240_9149ef98a2_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3348/3341206125_8ff843c954_b.jpg

And if you go to my flickr page you can see the full-size versions. These are not processed past some cropping, and some minor contrast and white balance tweaking.

[Chad Truss]

Oh, if you didn't know how to get to my flickr page.....

www.flickr.com/photos/ctruss53

[Derric Slocum]

the ones here look fine, will have to take a look at your site and see how they look full res.

[Chad Truss]

I'm starting to think that as well.

Maybe I am being over sensative to the noise. It's not as horrible as I thought. Maybe it was more because I was pissed that I shot all these at ISO800 when I could have done them at 100.