Silverstone F1 GP

Miss Mandy

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There's probably a thread about this already somewhere, but I couldn't find it.
I'm off to Silverstone for the F1 GP this year and as its my first visit I have no idea what to expect (not just photography wise).
I'll be taking my Canon 700D and I'm now trying to make a decision on which zoom lens to pair it with. I'm not looking to spend a lot of money as zoom is my least used tool. I've got a Canon 18-200 as my general all purpose lens at the moment, but I've heard that 200mm isn't long enough. I was thinking about buying a 55-250 STM which seems a great deal at £99 from Digital Rev, but I'm still not sure if that's enough. I could probably go up to about £300 on a lens, but as I'd hardly use it I thought that perhaps hiring might be a better option.
I'm planning on using Friday in particular and possibly Saturday as photography days and then just enjoy the race through my own eyes on the Sunday without the camera. I'm in the Vale stand which I've heard isn't too bad.

So anybody else going this year? Any top tips from anyone that's been before?
 
Where will you be sat/stood as this may dictate how much reach you'll need?

Renting lenses is expensive, it can actually work out cheaper to buy used and sell it again afterwards if you buy well.

If you want to buy then the Tamron 70-300mm is a good cheap lens, and most people say it's sharper than the Canon 70-300 is USM (non L version).

You could always hire a 300mm f4
 
...and a 1.4x Teleconverter (for use with the 300mm F4) - could also consider a Sigma 100-300mm F4 +1.4 TC
 
...and a 1.4x Teleconverter (for use with the 300mm F4) - could also consider a Sigma 100-300mm F4 +1.4 TC
The 300mm will be 480mm eq on the 700d and I would have thought that would be long enough, depending on where the OP is sat of course ;) I prefer motorsport shots where the car doesn't fill the frame.

BMW 3.0 CSL
Ferrari 250 GT SWB
Ford GT40
 
FWIW - I take some motorsport photos once a year when my old friend who races Formula Jedi comes to my local track, Snetterton. The Jedis hold the lap record at many of the smaller tracks averaging about 96mph. They are VERY hard to photograph well when moving at speed on the Bentley straight. They are much easier to capture at the corners but even then I struggled to get background and wheel blur.

My attempts are here, they're on M43 so my 45-150mm shots are 90mm-300mm full frame equivalent.
BRSCC Jedi Championship + others at Snetterton Circuit

Looking at Google for Vale you might be in the grandstand so quite high up and a long way from the track or lower down on the grass?
I would try and find out roughly how fast the cars are likely to be moving at that point to work out how likely it is that you'll be able to get a tight frame and pan at that point. It might be nigh on impossible, you might find that staying a bit wider and cropping after the fact but even then you're going to want some reach.
The 55-250 STM or you existing 200mm might give enough reach I would certainly have a good search through Flickr for similar pictures from Vale to give you an idea of what kit might be needed.
Search: vale silverstone F1 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

If you're not likely to use a long zoom again then I would have thought using your existing lens and perhaps a teleconvertor would make more sense, though a 55-250mm for £99 is pretty cheap.

BTW I think you're idea to shoot practice and qualifying and enjoy the race on Sunday is very wise. Otherwise you'll spend the race chimping or cursing missed focus, framing etc.
 
FWIW - I take some motorsport photos once a year when my old friend who races Formula Jedi comes to my local track, Snetterton. The Jedis hold the lap record at many of the smaller tracks averaging about 96mph. They are VERY hard to photograph well when moving at speed on the Bentley straight. They are much easier to capture at the corners but even then I struggled to get background and wheel blur.

My attempts are here, they're on M43 so my 45-150mm shots are 90mm-300mm full frame equivalent.
BRSCC Jedi Championship + others at Snetterton Circuit

Looking at Google for Vale you might be in the grandstand so quite high up and a long way from the track or lower down on the grass?
I would try and find out roughly how fast the cars are likely to be moving at that point to work out how likely it is that you'll be able to get a tight frame and pan at that point. It might be nigh on impossible, you might find that staying a bit wider and cropping after the fact but even then you're going to want some reach.
The 55-250 STM or you existing 200mm might give enough reach I would certainly have a good search through Flickr for similar pictures from Vale to give you an idea of what kit might be needed.
Search: vale silverstone F1 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

If you're not likely to use a long zoom again then I would have thought using your existing lens and perhaps a teleconvertor would make more sense, though a 55-250mm for £99 is pretty cheap.

BTW I think you're idea to shoot practice and qualifying and enjoy the race on Sunday is very wise. Otherwise you'll spend the race chimping or cursing missed focus, framing etc.

Isn't even a 1.4 TC on that lens going to require Manual Focus... ?
 
Isn't even a 1.4 TC on that lens going to require Manual Focus... ?
No idea, not a Canon person. I would think the depth of field at those kind of ranges is going to be quite deep though?
These were taken with a manual focus, push/pull zoom on a 6MP Pentax K100D - though I was much closer to the track, it's not impossible to do.
Lotus Festival 2010
 
FWIW - I take some motorsport photos once a year when my old friend who races Formula Jedi comes to my local track, Snetterton. The Jedis hold the lap record at many of the smaller tracks averaging about 96mph. They are VERY hard to photograph well when moving at speed on the Bentley straight. They are much easier to capture at the corners but even then I struggled to get background and wheel blur.

My attempts are here, they're on M43 so my 45-150mm shots are 90mm-300mm full frame equivalent.
BRSCC Jedi Championship + others at Snetterton Circuit

Looking at Google for Vale you might be in the grandstand so quite high up and a long way from the track or lower down on the grass?
I would try and find out roughly how fast the cars are likely to be moving at that point to work out how likely it is that you'll be able to get a tight frame and pan at that point. It might be nigh on impossible, you might find that staying a bit wider and cropping after the fact but even then you're going to want some reach.
The 55-250 STM or you existing 200mm might give enough reach I would certainly have a good search through Flickr for similar pictures from Vale to give you an idea of what kit might be needed.
Search: vale silverstone F1 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

If you're not likely to use a long zoom again then I would have thought using your existing lens and perhaps a teleconvertor would make more sense, though a 55-250mm for £99 is pretty cheap.

BTW I think you're idea to shoot practice and qualifying and enjoy the race on Sunday is very wise. Otherwise you'll spend the race chimping or cursing missed focus, framing etc.
You did well capturing moving subject with mirrorless :devil: :p
 
Thanks for the comments everyone. :)
My weekend ticket covers general admission on Friday and Saturday whereas Sunday is set seating. I'll be in the stand at Vale for that, about half way up and set back from the track. That's one of the reasons I think I'll do my shooting on Friday and Saturday, I'll be able to choose where to go on those days.
I hadn't thought of looking through Flickr for Silverstone shots, but I'll do that soon.
I've just taken a punt on the Tamron 70-300mm VC lens for £165 on eBay, I think it'll do what I need it to do without being too expensive and I should be able to recoup my money afterwards if I decide not to keep it.
 
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2lif0uv.jpg
 
2iqh1r5.jpg

2i8uaz6.jpg

These are some of the ones I took at the Belgian GP a couple of years ago using a D7100 and a Sigma 70-200 2.8. If you're sat in the public areas, cropping is pretty much essential as you're so distant that you'd need a monster lens to negate that. Also, one thing that is not even thought about until I was there is that all public viewing areas are fenced in & they're REALLY funny about allowing the public to use the gaps to take pics. Hence you can see some blurring on mine where I've focussed 'through' the fence. Good luck. It's quite a fun exercise:)
 
Thanks phookoo, nice shots there.
I have heard that about the fences and as a result I'm not expecting anything amazing from my photography. I'm not particularly good at the best of times, but I do enjoy it and as I may not get to go to a GP again I want to give it a fair crack.
The Tamron 70-300mm arrived yesterday and I think it will suit me just fine for the weekend. I'm camping there so I don't want to take too much with me, I think that along with my 17-50 will cover me for the weekend.
 
2iqh1r5.jpg

2i8uaz6.jpg

These are some of the ones I took at the Belgian GP a couple of years ago using a D7100 and a Sigma 70-200 2.8. If you're sat in the public areas, cropping is pretty much essential as you're so distant that you'd need a monster lens to negate that. Also, one thing that is not even thought about until I was there is that all public viewing areas are fenced in & they're REALLY funny about allowing the public to use the gaps to take pics. Hence you can see some blurring on mine where I've focussed 'through' the fence. Good luck. It's quite a fun exercise:)
Fences are a pain, but can be overcome and can be made virtually invisible. Having a focus limiter helps with AF. You can shoot some parts of Silverstone with a clean line of site IIRC.
 
I think a 70-300mm will be great, I went there with a 12MP FF camera and a 300mm lens and with a little cropping got some decent photos. The fencing can be a pain but depending on what angle you've got, if you use as much zoom as possible and focus on the car you can't see the fence in the final shot due to the shallow depth of field which is a bit weird, I was surprised at some shots I took at Silverstone came out with no sign of the fence.

As long as you've got decent storage and batteries, don't be scared to stick the camera on burst mode and take a ton of shots as you can easily bin the useless shots but give yourself a good chance of getting some nice sharp, focused pictures.

Also enjoy yourself :) It was a big effort for me to get to Silverstone (1000 mile round trip in an Automatic Toyota Yaris due to my own car dying at 11pm the night before, argh!) but it was fantastic, I love seeing the track on TV as it's all the more real now I've actually been there and seen it.

John
 
Good Luck . . it's never easy trying to plan before an event ( ie without having been there). You could try using that new lens at a roundabout to gain experience changing from wide-to-tele - within focusing limitations - possibly made worse if you are on AF . . . . these will all be hand-held I expect, so the weight of the rig is an issue. A lightweight monopod might be worthwhile, if only as a "Rest".
Your existing lens at 200 will be considerably easier to handle ( I'm guessing ), than a 300 - although the effect on DoF and the pesky fencing may win through. You didn't say what aperture it is at each end...
Whilst raising the shutter-speed helps keep the lens open ( less DoF) the lack of motion-blur could steal the visual "speed". Reviewing shots on a small LCD is not going to provide enough info. IMHO.
+++ You might try yr hand at a few Video-clips, as this will include the Audio too.

phookoo-
FWIW I found no issues with your pics as any shadows appeared to be speed-related ( until I read the Text) . . . . maybe you are comparing with very-clean shots, so there would be an obvious difference . . . . but presumably Miss Mandy just wants fun-days out . . . so the pictures are a welcome reminder/Bonus.


Is there any "Copyright" issue with any pictures taken by the Public - i.e. Entry-conditions "for private use only"....I wonder?



snerker-
I agree that "car plus space" makes a better shot - so a very expensive Big Zoom may not earn its keep.
+ why would a "mirrorless" be more difficult? - - surely the mirror-action time acts as a delay, requiring the photographer to press "prior" to the best point - This is particularly difficult for horse-events where the action is best at the top of a jump.... much less so for motor-cars, I'd think....is this because many believe a "Morrorless" is somehow inferior to a DSLR - surely not - it's the Lens + Sensor that matters (After the fool pressing the buttons).

Good Luck to all.
 
How about posting some of your pics Miss Mandy?

I haven't even looked at them properly yet! I've been so busy building up to the end of term yesterday that I've just not had the time. I'm sure I'll get round to it in the next few weeks though! :laugh:
 
I haven't even looked at them properly yet! I've been so busy building up to the end of term yesterday that I've just not had the time. I'm sure I'll get round to it in the next few weeks though! :laugh:
Damn lazy if you ask me ;) :p

Wish I'd have been there this year, would've loved to see a Lewis win then join the celebrations after. Hopefully he'll win next year as my very kind wife has bought me tickets for my 40th next year. Going for the full weekend, but on race day will be sat at club corner. Hopefully should see the last part of Stowe, Vale, Club and then the main straight. Might even see them disappear around the first corner.

On Friday practice I'll be hoping to get some track level shots whilst it's not too busy, then on qualy I'll just have to see how busy it gets. Race day I doubt I'll take any pics as I'm half way back in club and so will be above the cars, but you never know ;)
 
Slow off the Grid with that one... :D
 
"Boom! Boom!" ...or in this case "Vroom! VRoom!...."
 
Have fun guys
Wish I was going
Still ill be there for moto gp
 

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