Sigma 150 - 600 Poor Airshow Results
- Thread starter trev864
- Start date
RAF Cosford Airshow?? most of the issues have been raised, f16 aperture will have slowed your AF down a bit, i generally dont go beyond f8 at airshows. 1/320th will still give you good prop blur
1/320th at f8
Thought so, i didn't go this year. Whenever i read about the best settings for airshows i continually read that AP is the one to use. I've never used it, its manual all the time for me in all photography situations
BackdoorArts
Senior Member
Take the camera with the lens on it, stick it at 1/250, go to a road where cars will pass by at over 50mph, put the lens at 400mm, set autofocus to AF-C with the maximum number of focus points, set the shutter mode to Ch, and start shooting cars as they go by. I suspect your keeper rate will be at most 10-15% in terms of sharpness. It's the way it is when you're panning.
Then do the same with the shutter speed at 1/1600 and see the difference. This will likely tell you more about how your focus mode is set.
Your 70-300mm is a baby compared to the size of the 150-600mm. Your front element is easily twice as far from the camera body and even farther when you zoom. The front element, therefore, has to move twice as fast on the Sigma than it does on the 70-300mm as you sweep, and that's going to take a lot more control.
Then do the same with the shutter speed at 1/1600 and see the difference. This will likely tell you more about how your focus mode is set.
Your 70-300mm is a baby compared to the size of the 150-600mm. Your front element is easily twice as far from the camera body and even farther when you zoom. The front element, therefore, has to move twice as fast on the Sigma than it does on the 70-300mm as you sweep, and that's going to take a lot more control.
Last edited:
The Sigma lens you are using is longer and heavier than your 70-300mm. Even though you supported your 150-600mm lens with a monopod, it's still gonna wobble. Therefore, if you factor in faster shutter speeds to account for the extra length and weight of the lens, you should be fine.
Do yourself a favour and forget f16.
Set the thing to f8. Use auto ISO and aperture priority. For aircraft against cloudy skies, overexpose at least 1/3 of a stop, maybe a bit more depending on the lighting.
Use the OS2 mode when you're panning, but change to OS1 when shooting straight. You have to keep switching between these two of course, but keep the OS set to 'ON'.
Shoot short bursts of 2-4 frames.
if you can, use back button focus. It really helps. Otherwise the camera loses the focus track each time you let the shutter release go.
Personally, I don't use a monopod because it gets in the way for fliers. I'm sure it helps when shooting straight, but you should be able to do that hand held anyway.
Finally, there's no comparison between your two lenses. Anyone can make a decent job of shooting the little 70-300. Swinging a heavy hitter like your Sigma is a different thing entirely!
Set the thing to f8. Use auto ISO and aperture priority. For aircraft against cloudy skies, overexpose at least 1/3 of a stop, maybe a bit more depending on the lighting.
Use the OS2 mode when you're panning, but change to OS1 when shooting straight. You have to keep switching between these two of course, but keep the OS set to 'ON'.
Shoot short bursts of 2-4 frames.
if you can, use back button focus. It really helps. Otherwise the camera loses the focus track each time you let the shutter release go.
Personally, I don't use a monopod because it gets in the way for fliers. I'm sure it helps when shooting straight, but you should be able to do that hand held anyway.
Finally, there's no comparison between your two lenses. Anyone can make a decent job of shooting the little 70-300. Swinging a heavy hitter like your Sigma is a different thing entirely!
Well I have experimented again with this lens at different settings. Still cant get the pin sharp shots I got with my Nikon 70 - 300 mm lens.
The attached
shot for example was shot at a shutter speed of 1/2000s and it's still not pin sharp...........Think it might be on ebay very soon!!
In comparison, this one was taken with my 70 - 300 at 1/1600s....
The attached
shot for example was shot at a shutter speed of 1/2000s and it's still not pin sharp...........Think it might be on ebay very soon!!In comparison, this one was taken with my 70 - 300 at 1/1600s....
Last edited:
There's a lot of vignetting there. This might just be a bad copy. Is there any possibility of you returning the lens for an exchange??
RocketCowboy
Senior Member
So the shot with the Sigma is shot wide open at f/6.3, where the 70-300 is stopped down to f/6.3 (from 5.6). Wide open may not be the best sharpness for this lens, and you could up your ISO (was 200 with the Sigma, 250 with the 70-300) so that you can bring the aperture down a little.
Well, I cannot seem to get a really close look at your pics because of the downsizing to post here, but from what I can see they look to be in focus.
if I was in your shoes, I'd go and shoot the lens under controlled conditions to see if it is capable of shooting sharp. Shoot at a road sign or something that's a good few hundred metres away, to simulate shooting the aircraft.
Take your other lens too, and test it the same way.
i got into a similar pickle when I got my D500. The shots looked better on my old 300s. But every so often, the 500 turned out a really pin sharp shot, so I knew it was up to scratch.
i changed a little in the settings and that helped a bit, but the truth is that I needed to improve my technique. I needed to try harder to get the best out of the new body- I was using the same lens.
Now that I've learned how to use the new camera, it's no problem.
if you test it on the road signs and it comes in sharp, you'll just have to practice with it. On the other hand, if your 70-300vr is sharper- flog the sucker!
edit to add: it's definitely a possibility that your particular lens is from or back focussing and that you can tune it in either with the cameras fine tune software, or Sigmas. Might be an idea to test before selling. Choose a target with things in front of and behind your focus target.
There's definitely something to be said for testing the actual lens you propose to purchase before taking it home. That's what I did when I bought me 50-500OS.
if I was in your shoes, I'd go and shoot the lens under controlled conditions to see if it is capable of shooting sharp. Shoot at a road sign or something that's a good few hundred metres away, to simulate shooting the aircraft.
Take your other lens too, and test it the same way.
i got into a similar pickle when I got my D500. The shots looked better on my old 300s. But every so often, the 500 turned out a really pin sharp shot, so I knew it was up to scratch.
i changed a little in the settings and that helped a bit, but the truth is that I needed to improve my technique. I needed to try harder to get the best out of the new body- I was using the same lens.
Now that I've learned how to use the new camera, it's no problem.
if you test it on the road signs and it comes in sharp, you'll just have to practice with it. On the other hand, if your 70-300vr is sharper- flog the sucker!
edit to add: it's definitely a possibility that your particular lens is from or back focussing and that you can tune it in either with the cameras fine tune software, or Sigmas. Might be an idea to test before selling. Choose a target with things in front of and behind your focus target.
There's definitely something to be said for testing the actual lens you propose to purchase before taking it home. That's what I did when I bought me 50-500OS.
Last edited:
hans.v.leen
Senior Member
Have hou tried the image stabilsator off because you use a monopod?
Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-G920F met Tapatalk
Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-G920F met Tapatalk
I see. That's a pain-in-the-ass for sure.
i thought you said it did ok for statics?
You know shooting one of these big lenses is a lot like shooting a rifle. You need to zero-in the sights.
If you cannot get sharp shots of static subjects when shooting carefully, try to fix it with the fine tune. If that don't work, get rid of the thing quickly. If it was new, swop it for another- if it was used, now you know why it was up for sale!
I've read online that it's not unusual for these to front or back focus.
i think the 50-500 OS is the best for Air shows. If Sigma make a 50-600 OS, that weighs the same I'd get one though.
ive been thinking of getting a 150-600 sport, and I might still because its reputably sharper than my lens. The reason I've not bought it is because what I've got is what works for me.
the newer lens is a lot heavier, and I use the 50end out of laziness at Air shows.
the benefit would just be that extra 100mm, and I bet I'd struggle like you have, with the damn thing!
i thought you said it did ok for statics?
You know shooting one of these big lenses is a lot like shooting a rifle. You need to zero-in the sights.
If you cannot get sharp shots of static subjects when shooting carefully, try to fix it with the fine tune. If that don't work, get rid of the thing quickly. If it was new, swop it for another- if it was used, now you know why it was up for sale!
I've read online that it's not unusual for these to front or back focus.
i think the 50-500 OS is the best for Air shows. If Sigma make a 50-600 OS, that weighs the same I'd get one though.
ive been thinking of getting a 150-600 sport, and I might still because its reputably sharper than my lens. The reason I've not bought it is because what I've got is what works for me.
the newer lens is a lot heavier, and I use the 50end out of laziness at Air shows.
the benefit would just be that extra 100mm, and I bet I'd struggle like you have, with the damn thing!