- This topic is empty.
Help choosing DSLR for motorsports
-
Hello everybody, I’m new to the forum and looking for some advice. I currently take photos with a Fuji FiniPix S8000fd. It has an 18x optical zoom and 8M pixels Fine or normal. I mainly take photos of rallys and the odd few drifting events. I am looking at buying a DSLR but I don’t know much about them and was hoping to get some advice. I have seen an entry level Canon EOS 1000D which is 10MP and comes with an 18-55mm lense. Would this be any good for my job? Any advice in this area would be appreciated as I cannot seem to find any useful old threads. Below are some pics which I have taken with the S8000, I find it hard to take them at the right moment though and most of my other pictures aren’t that good. I also find 18x zoom is ok, so something around that or a little more would suit me in a DSLR. Thanks for any help
Hi Paddy – it would depend on your budget.
Did you have a max spend in mind?
bren
brendancullen wrote:
Hi Paddy – it would depend on your budget.
Did you have a max spend in mind?
bren
Its only for personal use so I don’t want to go too mad on it when I do purchase, probably upto around the €600 mark
Hi again Paddy – and apologies for the delay.
Normally there is a flurry of answers for a query thread like this one.
For €600 – your options for a new DSLR & lens are fairly limited.
If i was you – and looking to photograph this subject – i’d look at one lens option – and 2 DSLR options.
LENS : The canon 55-250 consistently gets very good reviews for a budget telephoto lens in all magazines. Approx new – €200-220
http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/prod596.html
http://www.pixmania.ie/ie/uk/592701/art/canon/ef-s-55-250mm-f-4-5-6-is.htmlCamera : (Don’t get it with the 18-55mm kit lens)
Second Hand : Canon 450D – Body only – check http://www.adverts.ie and http://www.donedeal.ie
haggle to approx €350-400
New : Canon 1000D Body Only
http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/prod661.html
http://www.pixmania.ie/ie/uk/1281012/art/canon/eos-1000d-camera-only.htmlHope this helps.
brenbrendancullen wrote:
Hi again Paddy – and apologies for the delay.
Normally there is a flurry of answers for a query thread like this one.
For €600 – your options for a new DSLR & lens are fairly limited.
If i was you – and looking to photograph this subject – i’d look at one lens option – and 2 DSLR options.
LENS : The canon 55-250 consistently gets very good reviews for a budget telephoto lens in all magazines. Approx new – €200-220
http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/prod596.html
http://www.pixmania.ie/ie/uk/592701/art/canon/ef-s-55-250mm-f-4-5-6-is.htmlCamera : (Don’t get it with the 18-55mm kit lens)
Second Hand : Canon 450D – Body only – check http://www.adverts.ie and http://www.donedeal.ie
haggle to approx €350-400
New : Canon 1000D Body Only
http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/prod661.html
http://www.pixmania.ie/ie/uk/1281012/art/canon/eos-1000d-camera-only.htmlHope this helps.
brenThanks for the input. The budget can probably stretch a bit if required, I didnt really know what a suitable budget was for my job and don’t want to go too wild as its just a hobby. Will that lens be good enough for motorsports? And what to the 55-250mm stand for? Sorry I’m such a novice I presume its to do with zoom. Yes I was looking at possibly getting the 1000D or maybe a 550D, never consudered second hand as I’d be afraid of somethign happening it or being wrong with it, but its certainly an option. Thanks for the help
The 550D is a much better camera than either than 1000D or 450D. Its much more expensive too. €714 on pixmania for body only.
The 55-250mm zoom will be just perfect for cars that are a short-medium distance away, and in good daylight. If they are flying by just in front of you – you would need a shorter zoom range – like the 18-55mm.There are of course far superior ‘L’ class lenses – and far superior cameras – but the thread was “up to €800” budget – so i’ve answred accordingly.
If you could stretch to get the 550D go for it – then in the medium – long term add to your lens collection as budget allows. That camera will do you for years and years – and the lens collection you build up will last forever.
Grab a copy of “Practical Photography” magazine every month. In my opinion it’s the best one.
Bren
brendancullen wrote:
The 550D is a much better camera than either than 1000D or 450D. Its much more expensive too. €714 on pixmania for body only.
The 55-250mm zoom will be just perfect for cars that are a short-medium distance away, and in good daylight. If they are flying by just in front of you – you would need a shorter zoom range – like the 18-55mm.There are of course far superior ‘L’ class lenses – and far superior cameras – but the thread was “up to €800” budget – so i’ve answred accordingly.
If you could stretch to get the 550D go for it – then in the medium – long term add to your lens collection as budget allows. That camera will do you for years and years – and the lens collection you build up will last forever.
Grab a copy of “Practical Photography” magazine every month. In my opinion it’s the best one.
Bren
Sorry I got mixed up it was the 500D I was talking about, I saw it in a shop for €600 for the body only but pixmania have it for €603 with an 18-55 lens. No harm in getting that I suppose. I could get the 55-250 lens in a few weeks when I can afford it, it will be the summer now before there is any motorsport events anyway. Sorry for being such a novice I didnt know what features I would need in a lens, but if you tell me its the best one I will certainly be getting it. Thanks for your help and I will also be getting a copy of that magazine
Just a note, your fuji camera has an equivalent zoom of 27-486mm. 27mm is the wide end 486mm when you zoom in. Divide 486 by the 27 and you get your 18x optical zoom. On the canon 55-250mm if you do the same thing you get a zoom factor of about 4.5x. So just be prepared for the change in your range of shooting. If you took a snap of a car at full zoom on the Fuji and the car filled the frame. Expect it to only fill half the frame taken at 250mm on the canon, from the same distance. Then again the canon camera sensor has a crop factor of 1.6x so the 55-250mm will give the same picture as a 88-400mm on a full framed camera. Confused? I am.
Hi lads, I am about to buy the Canon EOS500D in the next day or two and it comes with an 18-55mm lense.
I was already advised to get this lense for taking motorsport shots:
http://www.pixmania.ie/ie/uk/592701/art/canon/ef-s-55-250mm-f-4-5-6-is.html” onclick=”window.open(this.href);return false;Just wondering if one of the ones below could be more suitable or any other one people would reccommend. Somewhere near the same price would be preferable and I plan to order tomorrow from another site, thanks for any help
http://www.pixmania.ie/ie/uk/3080/art/canon/ef-75-300-iii-f4-5-6-usm.html” onclick=”window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.pixmania.ie/ie/uk/3079/art/canon/ef-75-300-mm-iii-f4-5-6-l.html” onclick=”window.open(this.href);return false;
Both focal ranges should be fine, although I’m not a Canon person, so can’t say anything about the optical quality of either. I would have a look around for some reviews on the net, and make sure whichever you choose will do the job for you.
Perhaps some users here on PI have one of the above, and can give you some feedback, otherwise, you may find our review section here to be of use. Failing those, Fredmiranda.com is also a good place for user reviews of Canon lenses, or the likes of photozone.de for statistical reviews of lens performance.
Try googling for “motorsport photography” There are lots of specialized forums
I shoot with a Canon EOS 1000D. I’ve ordered a Canon 55-250mm IS lens, as it’s received some really great reviews . Here are a few of my shots, taken with the 1000D and the standard 18-55mm kit lens.
jrdn7 wrote:
I shoot with a Canon EOS 1000D. I’ve ordered a Canon 55-250mm IS lens, as it’s received some really great reviews . Here are a few of my shots, taken with the 1000D and the standard 18-55mm kit lens.
I have since purchased a 500D along with the 18-55 lens and the 55-250 lens you speak of, I have not gone to a rally yet but I was at a drifting event and was very impressed. Its a nice lens for the money, some nice shots there too by the way
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
