Deep Purple

I have a NIKON D80 with the "standard" lens NIKON NIKKOR AF-S DX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G EDII

What do i need to shot good "in air" RC plane photos ?
http://www.nikonusa.com/template.php?cat=1&grp=5

XX-200 lens sufficient ? XX-300 Lens ?

Maybe this is a must: Vibration Reduction (VR) Lenses

Beginner ... ...

Jim Schwagle

My Feedback: (1)

I have a 70-300 VR on my D80 and find it extremely difficult to focus on a moving object past 150 or 200mm. My 18-135 seems to work best. Enough zoom to get a pretty decent shot as the plane flies past but I can still focus with no problems. The longer lenses seem to be slower to focus and you have a harder time keeping the plane in the field of view, too. You could go for the 70-200 f2.8 but that will set you back a substantial sum of money. The 55-200 might be the ticket, combining zoom and lower cost, with a slightly smaller aperture and consequently slower shutter speed. If you are able to focus manually 'cause you know how far away the plane will be when it flies by, focus speed won't be a problem. Remember, at 10 Megapixels you can get a decent amount of enlargement after the fact, and still have a nice pic. Shoot in RAW and you can work on the photo later. You have all kinds of options.

P.S. It's a great camera isn't it? I love mine.

This pic was taken with the 18-135...

Deep Purple

Thanks Jim i must buy a better zoom lens later ... maybe a XX-200 VR lens

Thanks for the tip about RAW, i do som experiment on this now, erlyer i think this was for the pro only ...

Yes this camera is fantastic - i like it !!!

Try to learn more on the D80 this winter ...

Tigger N. Bennie

I'd suggest purchasing the Nikon 70-200mm VR F/2.8 for several reasons. Some of the better photos are when there is "quality" light, which means just before the a short time frame either as the sun rises or as the sun sets. And a slow lens will not focus or waste too much time "hunting and seeking" trying to focus. Myself, I started with an inexpensive Sigma 70-300 but realized I needed a faster lens right after I tried to shoot action indoors and when shooting R/Cs as the sun started to set. Now, I use two of several lens the most--a Nikon 17-55mm F/2.8 and a 70-200mm VR F/2.8. At times, like today, I added the Nikon 1.7x teleconverter to the 70-200mm which pushes it out to a 340mm at the cost of somewhere between 1-1.5 F-stops.

Here's a sample R/C jet photo from last week.



Here's a full-size plane photo taken today with the Nikon 70-200mm F/2.8 and the Nikon 1.7x T/C--I could have still used a longer lens.

iflynething

Go up to the 2x converter Just kidding

I am using the 18-135 on my D80 and am not pleased with how close i can get. I did use a Sigma 50-500 and was super super happy with the recent shots I got of Thunderbirds a couple months ago.

I think the 18-135 is a decent lens being 7.5 times zoom but definately the 70-300/55-200 or that 70-200 2.8 would be great but it's hella expensive.

~Michael~

Tigger N. Bennie

I also own a Sigma 135-400 APO, but I didn't bother to take it with me to Aviation Nation since to me, the focus is very slow.

Firebird25

Key in all of this, is having a lens with high light gathering capability, like the f2.8 70-200mm VR. I use both the 70-200mmVR f2.8 and the 80-400mm VR for this type of activity, but for obvious reasons prefer the 70-200mm. Still, there's a lot you can do with increasing ISO and as such go for higher shutter speeds. There are other less expensive lenses that will do the trick, like the 18-200 VR etc. It all depends on distance to subject and size of the subject. Smaller RC aircraft are not the easiest critters to catch in action! It takes practice.

In my particular case, using the High Speed Crop capability of my D2X, I decrease the FOV by 2x and get a FOV as if 200mm was 400mm.

PS Vibration Reduction takes care of any movements you introduce when holding the camera, it does not take care of fast moving objects. Only shutter speed and panning will do the trick.

Tigger N. Bennie

I haven't had very many problems taking photos of R/C aircraft--unless it's in the dark.

This guy was just coming in for a landing.

Firebird25

Nice image!

iflynething

That's pretty nice of the helicopter

~Michael~

Tigger N. Bennie

Thanks.

dan4466

My Feedback: (68)

Heres what I use on my Nikon D-50. A steal for the price. I took these at Joe Nall this past May. I think the photos prove my point. All were taken at 250 to 300mm.

http://www.adorama.com/NK70300AFGU.html

wild-bill

I'd love to have this lens. I have the old 300mm f/4. It has the screwdrive focus instead of the AF-S. The AF-S's have faster autofocus performance. It's not a zoom, but it's an awesome lens. If you're at a track where you can't get close, then 300mm may not be enough anyway. You'll just have to crop like I do. That's why I would rather have this one than the 70-200 VR-not enough reach. If the planes are fairly close when you shoot, then a shorter lens will do. But if they're farther out, then you'll need 300mm and then some. As long as there's enough light outside,(and there will be unless you're shooting near dawn or dusk) you will get fast enough shutter speeds that you won't need VR(vibration reduction). I think the lens is over 1000usd new, but worth it. But KEH.com is a very reputable place to buy used camera gear. I've shopped with them several times.

http://www.nikonusa.com/template.php...productNr=1909

Tigger N. Bennie

That's when the teleconverter comes in handy--the 1.7x will push the 70-200mm out past 300mm at the cost of 1.5 F-stops.

wild-bill

Does the teleconverter degrade image quality or autofocus performance?

dan4466

My Feedback: (68)

Your auto-focus will not work with it. I notice no difference in image quality with mine. Maybe if I made a really big enlargement I might. I should say it will try to focus, but wont be able to because of the f-stop changes (something like that) due to the converter.

Tigger N. Bennie

You will loose some light, so it would be like shooting with a slower lens--which is probably the norm since most people probably don't own an F/2.8 large zoom lens, especially since Nikon's 400mm F/2.8 is new.

However, I'll let you judge since I'll post a photo (a panning shot) that I took from a parking garage five stories up and another aviation photo (not to mention the aviation photo posted earlier that was also taken with the 70-200mm VR and the 1.7x teleconverter). If you visit my website, there is one photo from a "night" baseball game where the runner is sliding into home and both he and the catcher are lying on the ground around home plate--I did remove the T/C after that shot. There are also more Grand Prix photos on my website from ground level, including the pit area though those were taken without the T/C.





You must NOT own the same teleconverter that I own--AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II. What brand of TC, which model TC do you own, and what lens are you trying to use it with? If you are trying to use the same TC-17E II with an already SLOW MOVING and less expensive Nikon 70-300mm f/4-5.6G AF Telephoto Zoom-Nikkor, I could see why it would be difficult to focus and even more difficult using the lesser and older 2x TC. Consequently, that is why I parked my slower Sigma 70-300mm and moved up to a much faster Nikon 70-200mm VF F/2.8--much easier to take quality photos both indoors and in low level lighting situations. I've only kept the slower and less expensive Sigma 70-300mm because of the "macro" feature.

http://www.nikonusa.com/template.php...productNr=2151

There is also more information on Nikon's website regarding the differences in the teleconverters, both manual focus teleconverters and auto-focus teleconverters. Here's one place to start:

http://www.nikonusa.com/template.php?cat=1&grp=5

dan4466

My Feedback: (68)

I have a Quantaray 2x DG (made by Sigma). It is the Nikon 70-300mm f/4-5.6G AF Telephoto Zoom-Nikkor that I use it with. Like you said it has such a hard time focusing with the 2x that its easier just to manually focus. Now I see they have a 2x AF listed.

Tigger N. Bennie

I could have picked up a used Nikon 2x in LA for $60.00; however, I knew there was a reason that they were selling Nikon 1.7x's while the 2x's were on the shelf. Either way, it's a good idea to check the compatibility charts since the T/Cs will not fit all lenses and/or may limit certain features.

Firebird25

http://www.nikonians.org/cgi-bin/dcf...rum=DCForumID8 Here you can find a pdf of a chart of all the nikon teleconverters and how they fit on various nikkors

fanoffive0

That is the same lens that I am using on a Nikon D70. Here is a picture I took with it at the same event.