Take-off shots!

Here is a few of my attempts with a Fujifilm S602 cmera some with the a 1.5 Tele-photo adapter lense.

Hi, sorry haven’t checked this thread for ages. The Fugi Film camera I have is the F601. It has 3x optical zoom I am not sure bout digital. I took a fantastic landing shot of a BA A320 which I will post later but T/O still beats me. Thanks anyway guys.

iv’e just upgraded from the s7000 because of shutter lag, the fuji’s a cracking camera for static shots, but i found it a complete pain in the proverbials for zoom and moving aircraft, however i have seen some amazing shots by other fuji users, so either keep plugging away or save up for a canon, like i did!!

Yeah, Save up for a Canon. I bought mine back in October 04 and at the time I was 13, with help off my mum and me saving up I was able to buy the Canon 300D and I can say it’s the best thing I have ever done!

iv’e just upgraded from the s7000 because of shutter lag, the fuji’s a cracking camera for static shots, but i found it a complete pain in the proverbials for zoom and moving aircraft, however i have seen some amazing shots by other fuji users, so either keep plugging away or save up for a canon, like i did!!

shutter lag?

Which Fuji Finepix?

Here’s one I took using my S5000, so it is possible:

Hi,

Does anyone have any bits of advice on getting good shots of aircraft taking-off or landing. Whenever I try I usually miss the thing alltogether. My camera is a Fugifilm FinePix and has a rubbish zoom, will this affect my ability to take good shots? :confused: 🙂

Appols if this is obvious, but remember to keep the camera moving while you squeeze the trigger! – it is a point often overlooked with any type of “moving” shot.

It is an entirely natural action by all of us to follow the target with the camera and then bring the camera to a dead stop as you squeeze off the pic.

The result is either a blur and/or half an aircraft!! or you can easily end up with a blank picture and no aircraft! – this is because you frame the pic just the way you want it – then stop – then squeeze the shutter off….. and in that split second the aircraft has partially or fully roared off out of the viewfinder, BEFORE you actually take the pic.

The trick is to practice with aircraft without taking pictures tho – switch the camera off / take film out and practice tracking the aircraft and concentrate on squeezing the shutter release all the way down WITHOUT any wobbling or stopping or stuttering of the tracking movement. Keep following the aircraft with the viewfinder for a couple of seconds AFTER you have squeezed the shutter.

Once it all comes together, it feels quite normal to do it that way and you should get less movement in shots or less aircraft hanging off the edge of pics.

Appols in advance if this is irrelevent to your problem, but it may be the answer.

Michael

if you have a ‘rubbish zoom’ you are unlikely to be able to photograph small aircraft, so for flying shots you will have a better chance with big ones. With take offs, you cannot be sure where the aeroplane will rotate, and they also climb out of range pretty sharpish but on landing you DO know where they will come, ie right over the end of the runway.

If so-called security measures allow it, install yourself at the end of a runway, with the sun behind you, if possible, and shoot away, after all, with digital, it will not be costing you anything. Digital cameras are very capable even in quite low light, so sunsets would add variety.

Don’t worry about looking like a spotter, just keep the hood up on your anorak, and nobody will recognise you!

begin practising with a short shutter time. 1/500th should do it for normal weather. Perhaps a bit less when the light is low. Also, do not try to get a full frame. Instead, go for a half full frame first, and build increase the size as you get experience.

Practise to keep you camera steady. If you live near a motorway you will find this a great way to practise. The cars may be much smaller and slightly slower, but they are much closer by making the process much the same as planes. Of course is you live near an airport you might as well go there, but not everyone lives close to airports.

For the time being, try to get full side-on shots. They are easier to get sharp as the depth of field requires little attention.

I have no experience with your camera so trial and error will be best, but usually keeping your F rating between F5.6 to F8.0 is best. For very good light keep it at 100ISO, for very bad light at 400ISO and 200ISO for everything in between. Do not ever go higher then 400ISO unless you are shooting night shots.