Which way to go?

A couple months ago I took some photos at a flat track motorcycle race and even though there were some fairly decent keepers like the one attached below. I know that they could have been better, but not sure if it is something like I have reached the limits of my D5000 or I need a better lens.
I used my 18-55mm, but the results stunk, so I put my 55-300mm lens on and was getting better shots.
The track had the corners lit up with mercury street lights and I had to wait until the rider came into the lights to take the picture.




Specs:
Manual Mode
f/4.5
1/125sec
ISO -3200
Exp Bias +3
Focal Length 55mm
No flash & Auto White

Due to the high ISO, the pictures are real noisy but these settings were the only combination I could come to and be able to get a good exposure without blur.

Which reasonably priced lens ( less than $500.00 ) would work best for this type of shooting?

There is a reason that sports photography is one of the most (if not the most) expensive thing to shoot - you need lens speed and reach along with a body that allows for excellent high ISO shooting and high FPS. This is all doubly true for the tortuous scenario you were shooting with (high speed motorcycles and low light while trying to freeze the action with a clean looking file).

The short answer is that there really isn't a reasonably priced lens that will do everything you need it to do for $500. In poor lighting, etc. you'll need a constant aperture 2.8 lens and you pay for speed.

Perhaps your best solution is to look for a used, older, constant aperture tele lens - if you expand your budget a bit maybe a used 80-200 2.8 (or ask the racetrack to race during the day! )

Another alternative would be to take pictures of trees. They don't move so much, and you probably won't catch them racing dirt bikes at night!

Just a thought.

Pete you're too funny!

It's best to not encourage him Darlene.

Bluenoser, Would this get me where I am trying to get to?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...e=UTF8&me=&qid=1320121042&sr=8-1-fkmr1&seller=

If it was on my Christmas list would I be happy?

Personally I think the result you posted above is pretty darn good myself.

I think to get where you're thinking you're going to need 3 or 4 stops and even with a prime that is big bucks let alone talk about fast zooms.

And Canon stuff is just out of the question period...LOL

KWJams said:

Bluenoser, Would this get me where I am trying to get to?

Amazon.com: Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8 SP XR Di LD Aspherical (IF) with Built-In AF Motor for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras: Camera & Photo=

If it was on my Christmas list would I be happy?

Click to expand...

That's actually a very nice lens. A couple of my friends have it (and I've read many reviews as well) and they swear by it. It will certainly have the speed requirement however it's a bit on the short end as far as teles go but if you can get close enough then you'll be okay. I'm not sure what the AF is like on that lens but many/most 3rd party lenses tends to AF a tad slower than Nikon branded lenses but it shouldn't be a major concern.

A guy I follow at another forum uses it 99% of the time for his low-light/concert work and gets some great results with it. That lens is an excellent value and you'll certainly notice a difference in low light performance.

PS. I agree with Eye-level - the shot you've already posted was not bad at all - especially considering the circumstances!

That is what I wanted to hear. I do not want to end up with an expensive lens that will not do the job I am asking of it.

I was noticing that the shots I caught that night rarely were more than 100mm so an 80mm would keep me right in that zone. This one was at 65mm and the subjects were right on the edge of the mercury lights.



No cropping or post processing done on this one. It's right out of the camera.
Some good bar banging between these two riders that night.

KWJams said:

Bluenoser, Would this get me where I am trying to get to?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...e=UTF8&me=&qid=1320121042&sr=8-1-fkmr1&seller=

If it was on my Christmas list would I be happy?

Click to expand...

I have the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8. This is the lens I use instead of the lens that typically comes with Nikon kit products. I've been very happy with it, and use it for MMA photography. It's fast and does a great job capturing action, even in low light.

That said, I don't think that I would use it for motocross.

You need an f/2.8 in the 200-300mm zoom range for the best results. I'm afraid that's going to blow your $500 budget out of the water, unless you get lucky on eBay. Even with a good lens, you're going to be restricted to capturing riders as they near the lights. Shooting fast action in low light is a difficult task, even with the best equipment.

I love the way the lighting works on these images! Very dramatic!

Thanks Anthony, It sounds like a slightly used Tamron would be the right lens. The night time flat track races and night time motorcycle hillclimbs that I have been taking pictures at have very limited lighting. The hillclimbs have portable construction lights placed on the hill to light up obstatcles and that is about it. With the naked eye you can follow the bike up the hill or around the track and what I found is that it works best is to find a spot and pre-focus and wait for the subject to come into the light.

Here is an example of a night time hillclimb were I just pre-focused on a lit up spot where the rider would land from a jump. I was standing on the outside of dirt berm that they had to land the jump and then do a 90 degree turn away from me.
Looking at the EXIF info on this I was at 210mm focal length so I will need to hit the Lottery it looks like.



Thanks Eduard, I was amazed at how well the colors popped in the light I was working with. The track was on private club grounds away from city lights so it was pitch black beyond these corner lights so that added a lot of the drama. Usually races like this take place on horse tracks with grand stand lights washing out the surrounding darkness.

You beat me to it but I was gonna say "zone focus and you don't have to worry about how fast the AF is..."

Been doing some research on the 28-75mm Tamron and looks like it will not work well with my D5000.

This lens is compatible with APS-C (1.5x crop factor) cameras such as the Nikon D5100, Nikon D3100 and Nikon D7000. However, this lens won't auto focus on cameras such as the Nikon D5100, Nikon D3100 and Nikon D5000 that are lacking focus motors.

Click to expand...

KWJams said:

Still looking and may have found a used lens that may work but would like to get some opinions first if possible.
Would a SERIES E NIKON NIKKOR 100mm f/2.8 LENS get me where I need to go?

Click to expand...

Ken, the lens will mount but not meter. You can actually use Pre AI, AI, AI-S, and E lenses....but they will not meter. Your AF, AF-D and AF-G.....they all mount and meter on your D5000, but they have to be AF-S or AF-I lenses as they have the built in focus motors.

Ken...go to this link: Nikkor Lens Information by Thom Hogan Scroll down a bit and you'll see the chart. Enjoy.

Thanks Jack,
The price was in the ball park but I wasn't sure what I would have to do without with an E series lens.
Here is the lens I was looking at.
NIKON NIKKOR 100mm f/2.8 AIs LENS FM2 FE2 D300 D700 D3 D40 D60 D3000 D5000 D200 | eBay

Get this one instead if you are going to go with the Series E...

75-150MM 75-150/3.5 NIKON SERIES E ZOOM/146275 | eBay

Well maybe not that particular one...

Thanks Eye, I'm not really looking for an zoom lens. Just looking for faster lens for low light action. I can always get closer.

Ken - considering the type of camera and your budget, I think you are better off with the new Nikon 85mm f1.8 "G" lens. If you can move-in a little closer, it will help you lower the ISO a bit. All other zooms are more expensive unless you get a bargain "used" lens with AFS.