Panning

[JDub]

Well after some failed attempts to pan at a mountain bike race a couple weeks ago with my Sigma 70-200, I gave it another shot yesterday using my 50mm 1.8 prime lens. I found that my panning was much improved. I think the 70-200 is just too big and front heavy to pan on the Digital Rebel without a battery pack to offset the weight.

However, the lightweight 50mm seemed to be a great lens for getting pan shots for me. I had about a 50 - 60% success rate. I also found that shooting continuously seemed to help, even if you hit all 3 or 4 shots you can pick the best.

Anyway, here is one of the pics I got from the weekend. This is the only one I have access to here at work, I'll upload some of the other good ones tonight. Thanks to all who helped me get things dialed in on the pans.

I used ISO100, 1/40 shutter speed in TV mode with no flash since I was in the open. Also, I would use Manual Focus and focus in on the ground where I expected the rider to come through, eliminating the chance I wouldn't be able to get/keep a focus lock.

[Photo-John]

I wanna see it, I wanna see it! But there's only a red x.

[JDub]

I wanna see it, I wanna see it! But there's only a red x.

Darn Pbase....

Not sure what happened, but I took the pic and uploaded it to my server and fixed the link. Should be there now for sure.

[devoninbred]

Nice image it is the one from your PAD dont worry i cant hot link from pbase either not that i am worried. I think you need to alter the setting to change the sutter speed 1/40 at f/13 is a little slow, idealy you would want to open the aperature up to raise the speed.
I did quite a bit of cyclo cross this winter and found this was the best way even in the low light!

[JDub]

Nice image it is the one from your PAD dont worry i cant hot link from pbase either not that i am worried. I think you need to alter the setting to change the sutter speed 1/40 at f/13 is a little slow, idealy you would want to open the aperature up to raise the speed.
I did quite a bit of cyclo cross this winter and found this was the best way even in the low light!

Yep that is my PAD from PBase for yesterday. I have a couple of better pans but got home late and that was the first one I came across.

I typically shoot with high shutter speeds, but for the corner pans I intentionally force a slow shutter speed (which closes the aperature) so I get the blurred background effect.

[JDub]

Here are two others that I snapped yesterday. You can see in the first one, the guy is really dirty from a fall off a jump earlier in the race. I thought they turned out pretty well, comments appreciated.