Is Olympus 45mm fixed lens OK at Goodwood FOS?

Hi all.

Planning a trip to Goodwood FOS this year. I have an Oly PM2 body and 17/1.8 and 45/1.8 lenses. I plan to use 17mm for close shots, and 45mm to capture action from the distance and occational "isolated details" shots. I want to travel as light as possible (and this set is probably the lightest one possible), but not sure if 45mm will be enough. I do not mind cropping, but if a tele zoom is a must there, then I would start looking for one. Being on a budget, a used Panasonic 35-100, 45-150 or 45-200 would do (all "4-5.6" here; 2.8 is beyond my reach), but if I get enough encouragement for going with 45mm, I would be very glad to save and keep to my original plan

BTW, instead of splashing 200 euros on a slow zoom, I might consider a backup body instead, in order to avoid swapping lenses. Again, not sure how fast the action from close to far changes there.

starkus wrote:

Hi all.

Planning a trip to Goodwood FOS this year. I have an Oly PM2 body and 17/1.8 and 45/1.8 lenses. I plan to use 17mm for close shots, and 45mm to capture action from the distance and occational "isolated details" shots. I want to travel as light as possible (and this set is probably the lightest one possible), but not sure if 45mm will be enough. I do not mind cropping, but if a tele zoom is a must there, then I would start looking for one. Being on a budget, a used Panasonic 35-100, 45-150 or 45-200 would do (all "4-5.6" here; 2.8 is beyond my reach), but if I get enough encouragement for going with 45mm, I would be very glad to save and keep to my original plan

BTW, instead of splashing 200 euros on a slow zoom, I might consider a backup body instead, in order to avoid swapping lenses. Again, not sure how fast the action from close to far changes there.

It's a few years since I did the Festival of Speed but you definitely don't need too much zoom, at least compared to what might be useful at the revival or any other event on the motor circuit.  However I personally think 45mm might be cutting back a step to far.  I'd aim to be able to do a 100mm if needed.

starkus wrote:

Thank's. Then which one is more likely to give better image quality: Panasonic 35-100 or 45-150? Asking about those "slow" ones Long end performance and focus tracking are most important for my case.

I can't comment but I'm sure someone will

Unless the OP is content always to shoot cars side on, I'd advocate zooms rather than primes, simply because the vehicles will be heading towards/away from him or her, and doing it far too fast to allow for lens changes.

Given that the event takes place out of doors and in summer, fast optics aren't essential. One option I'd consider is the Panasonic 14-140 mk2. I've used mine to good effect at airshows, which present a similar challenge of fast-moving subjects requiring rapid changes in focal length.

I visited Goodwood Revival last year, and was glad I glad my 14-140 with me for the trackside shots, not necessarily for the long-end of the lens, but definitely for the versatility to quickly adapt to the situation.

My album on Flickr.

Cheers,
Paul

I was just there last year with my m43 gear and used my 12-35 and 35-100, and for getting shots of the cars on track, there were times where I found the 100mm not enough. I would take one of the mid-range zooms (40-150/45-150/45-175) to provide a bit more reach, but still having enough of a wide angle.

Here's a link to my Flickr album from last year's event (link to album).

starkus wrote:

Thank's for comments and examples. Nice pics. Did not get the impression that 100mm was too short, but got me convinced that 45mm would really not make it

As an alternative, I thought of buying a used 75/1.8. I do not mind cropping in post-process and missing some wide-normal-long flexibility. Maybe better to have a high (or super ) quality lens which I could sell later for the same amount or use it myself if I love it, rather than sticking to mediocre zoom which will collect dust on the shelf or give me hard time trying to sell it. But again, if action changes so fast at FOS that swapping lenses will be too cumbersome, I then will have to look for a second body for a 75... Or just take a deep breath, take 45-150 and call it a day.

Hey, no problem. I'm glad to help because I was scouring the internet for the same type of information last year, so any questions you have about what camera/lenses to bring to the event, or questions about the event itself, feel free to ask me.

Honestly, within a grouping I don't think there's enough time to change lenses between cars. Sure, you can do it between groupings, but that's typically when you move around the hill. If it's possible, I recommend two cameras, with a different lens on each camera. It makes it much easier (when I went last year I used both of my GH4's, and was very happy to have two cameras with lenses mounted on them).

I still think you're going to run in to issues cropping with a 75mm in certain situations. Things are generally quite tight in the paddock, so unless you only want to pick out details the 75 may not be the right lens (but if you have the option of using two bodies, then the 75 on one body with a normal zoom on the other would be ideal for browsing around the paddock IMO).

If you don't think that you're going to be using one of the cheap mid-range zooms after the event then that's fine. I would start looking for a good deal on a used copy (my preference would be the 45-175 PZ because it's a fixed length and a bit sharper than the competing lenses, but the Oly 40-150 R can be had for a steal), use it during the event, and then sell it once you get back home. It'll likely be cheaper than renting one, and I think it's worth it for the reach. The ideal lens would be the 40-150 PRO, because it gives enough reach over the 35-100, yet still maintains the f/2.8 aperture.

As I mentioned above, if you have any questions at all don't hesitate to ask. I guarantee that you'll have a great time, and I'm very jealous that you're going (I can't wait to make it back there).

If on a budget then I would get the Oly 40-150 R f4-5.6. It's a fantastic lens for the money (way better than the price tag would suggest) Everyone with m4/3 should have one! I got mine new for less than £85 from an eBay seller with stock in the UK.

starkus wrote:

I'm planning to use my PM2+17mm in the paddock, and then "something" by the track or for details. Seems likely that this "something" will depend on what deal I find in the used market.

I had the 14-140mm mounted on my GM5, occasionally switching to the PL25mm for crowd shots. And then my GH3 had the 100-300mm attached - that was for the airshow and longer track shots.

Cheers,
Paul