300rd - how good is the AF in real world on 5D II?

joger wrote:

you could of course only put the Camera under the cyclers and fire the Camera with hyper focal setting with the IR remote control.

Might work with strobes on stands as well, but No way. A camera on course would just be a target to run down. Me, I'm too much of a lump to run down, and they'd just ruin their run if they hit me. ha

I'm not sure that the hyper focal idea with a stationary camera would work for what I'm trying to do considering how close they will be, and the fact that they all jump different heights and take different lines. I haven't seen anyone do it. I've seen some big strobes on course (hand held by assistants and on stands), but nobody putting their cameras on the ground in the line of fire, so to speak.

Less dust in your eyes and more control over the right moment (seeing it coming from some feet distance)

I'll be eating dust. I can usually tell they are coming by the reaction of the crowd, and I do try and position myself so I can see them coming ahead of time somewhere on the track. I can't see them just before the jump though, because I'm down too low. Makes for some excitement. I've nearly been hit a couple of times by riders about to crash.

On the 1/250 second I am not so sure if I would get sharp images - normally I follow the path of the moving object and then the bicycle might be just blurred because it moved while panning the camera - surely a nice effect - will have to test that as well.

Admittedly 1/250th is not real productive because of the unpredictability of dirt riding. 1/320th is a little better. It captures a little bit of wheel spin, and occasionally a nice sharp rider in the process. 1/250th and slower will get some background streaking in a side pan of downhill racers. I always attempt a few 1/60th shots as well, but they usually don't work for one reason or another. My technique fails me at the slower shutter speeds.

Photographed in the past also moving motorcycles - that's also a really nice suet (old 300 f/2.8 rented)

I've thrown away more motorcycle images than I've kept because of the shutter speeds I typically use. I do the same thing with them as with bicycles. I do get one that looks OK now and again though.

I'd like to have the MkII version of the 300f/2.8, but I'm going to tough it out with the older one.

Enjoy your MkII(s).