Lens for Air show

[alexkc]

Hi, going to Air Tatoo in July the biggest air show in the UK and looking to rent a telephoto lens as my longest lens currently is the panasonic 14-140 I doubt it will be long enough.

High on my list is the panasonic 100-400 due to the reach and the rental price but I will be shooting on EM5 MKIII so a bit concerned of focusing speed, has anyone used this lens on an EM5 MK3? How was the focusing, what setting did you use on the camera, i only recently got the EM5.

I will also be taking my panasonic GX9 but will use it for closer shots with my Pana 12-35 F2.8 or Pana Leica 12-60 F2.8-4 or maybe the Pana 14-140 choices...choices..still considering which one, to keep weight low.

I think that the Panasonic 100-400 is too big for the GX9 and the viewfinder is not good enough for me (Glass wearer) to use it with such a long lens, but open to suggestions has anyone used it with this lens?

There is also the option of the Olympus 40-150 f2.8 with 1.2 X teleconverter but it is more expensive so not my first choice or the Pana 50-200 F2.8-4 probably better than the 100-400 but is it long enough?

Suggestions and thoughts welcome.

Thanks

Alex

 

[KrisSkov]

Hi alexkc

I'm using the E-M5 mk III with the Pana-Leica 100-400 for more than a year and it have worked very fine.

On focusing speed I was able to catch some swallows in flight with it, and a plane should move much more steady and predictable. So my best idea is you will be fine with it.

I used a red-dot sight with it (olympus) and that is a charm, but you should be fine with the viewfinder for planes I think.

Br. Kristian

 

[Trevor Carpenter]

IF you are worried about focusing speed with the joint brands (I don't think you need to be), why not take an Oly 100-400. I don't think you will see much difference between the two 100-400s. The Panny 14-140 is a great walk about lens at the Air Tattoo although for some of the big static you may need something wider. Personally I have cut right back on static shooting at the show because it can be very difficult to eliminate people from the shots and I already accumulate far too many flying shots. Have you ever been to departures day, that can be a photographers dream.

 

[alexkc]

Thank you krisSkov, it is very encouraging to Know you have used this combination for some time with no problems, planes for sure are slower and bigger than birds so it should work very well.

Alex

 

[evetsf]

Given your choice of bodies I concur with using the EM5 for in-flight shots and the GX9 for static/on the ground work. I do a similar split between my G9 & GX9.

Which lens to rent will depend on how close you can get to the flight line. If you'll be close, the 50-200 will be fine. Farther away, you should opt for the 100-400.

I'm fortunate to have a small historic aircraft museum close by which flies much of their collection monthly during the summer. I can get close enough to the Flight line there that I seldom use the full-telephoto setting on my 50-200; most of my photos are at around 100-150 mm. Samples here:

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us.zonerama.com

Later this summer I plan on attending the Abbotsford International Airshow in nearby Canada. Even when in the "preferred" photo pit, I know I'll be farther away so I'll add a 1.4x teleconverter to the 50-200.

 

[alexkc]

IF you are worried about focusing speed with the joint brands (I don't think you need to be), why not take an Oly 100-400. I don't think you will see much difference between the two 100-400s. The Panny 14-140 is a great walk about lens at the Air Tattoo although for some of the big static you may need something wider. Personally I have cut right back on static shooting at the show because it can be very difficult to eliminate people from the shots and I already accumulate far too many flying shots. Have you ever been to departures day, that can be a photographers dream.

Thank you Trevor, Unfortunately the Olympus 100-400 is not available for hire so it is not an option.

Great gallery of birds shots by the way and really nice photos of Goodwood Revival festival. I have not been to this one yet, on my list next year.

Alex

 

[Martin Muehlemann]

Hi, going to Air Tatoo in July the biggest air show in the UK and looking to rent a telephoto lens as my longest lens currently is the panasonic 14-140 I doubt it will be long enough.

High on my list is the panasonic 100-400 due to the reach and the rental price but I will be shooting on EM5 MKIII so a bit concerned of focusing speed, has anyone used this lens on an EM5 MK3? How was the focusing, what setting did you use on the camera, i only recently got the EM5.

I will also be taking my panasonic GX9 but will use it for closer shots with my Pana 12-35 F2.8 or Pana Leica 12-60 F2.8-4 or maybe the Pana 14-140 choices...choices..still considering which one, to keep weight low.

I think that the Panasonic 100-400 is too big for the GX9 and the viewfinder is not good enough for me (Glass wearer) to use it with such a long lens, but open to suggestions has anyone used it with this lens?

There is also the option of the Olympus 40-150 f2.8 with 1.2 X teleconverter but it is more expensive so not my first choice or the Pana 50-200 F2.8-4 probably better than the 100-400 but is it long enough?

Suggestions and thoughts welcome.

Thanks

Alex

For jets, speed matters. AF-C is crucial. I'ld be concerned about the camera in first place and not about the lens.

Depends really on what you wanna do. You thinking on getting few nice snaps for yourself? 14-140 will do. My daughter had it for a while on the GX8. It worked. For my preferences, the quality was not enough.

The second advise from my side. Stay on the brand. DFD AF is generally not supported on Oly cams.

EM1.2, 40-150pro + TC1.4x + TC2x will server perfectly well. The 300 pro is an outstanding lens if you have two bodies to switch between very long range and shorter range. With one body, the zoom is a better choice.

If you are in the spotter area, then you might even be closer to the display line. Then less long lenses are welcome.

EM1.2 can be found basically new on the 2nd market at very affordable pricing. Better than an EM5.3.

EM1.2 + Oly 100-400 would be another good combo.

 

[JosephScha]

At an air show the planes will (sometimes) be closer to you than you may think. I went to an airshow a few years ago, with the Panasonic 100-300mm II lens It worked well.




Shutter speed was too fast, can't tell that the propeller is turning. Oh well.




Something you don't usually see, a mid-air refuel thing hanging out of the refueler jet.



I have many more, these are two from my gallery.

--
js

 

[Wu Jiaqiu]

At an air show the planes will (sometimes) be closer to you than you may think. I went to an airshow a few years ago, with the Panasonic 100-300mm II lens It worked well.


Shutter speed was too fast, can't tell that the propeller is turning. Oh well.


Something you don't usually see, a mid-air refuel thing hanging out of the refueler jet.

I have many more, these are two from my gallery.

at RIAT 600-800mm AOV is fine, depends where you are and what kind of shots you want to get

--
the computer says no

 

[amipal]

I visited RIAT in 2018 with a rented PL100-400mm lens, and looking at the shots that I processed, a majority were sub-300mm.

So I'd definitely consider the slightly shorter lenses in your decision if the heft of the longer lens is an issue.

RIAT 2018 shots: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmjr1XLs

Cheers,
Paul

 

[Jack Tingle]

I agree not to overdo focal length. When I was going to a lot of air shows with a 35mm film camera, The longest lens I had was 70-210mm. Acquisition and tracking was more of a problem than the actual photo. If I was going, I'd probably use my 75-300mm, but brake my tendency to shoot the longer lengths. Start at the short end and see.

 

[Leebristol33]

Hi. I’m going too. Love the air tattoo. Just a thought, I use an EM1 ii and lumix 100-300. Pretty cheap and works very well

 

[scphoto]

Alexkc -

I have used my Panny G9 with the PL100-400mm and an Olympus Red Dot Sight (RDS) for airshows. Here are two examples from last year's Salinas California show:




US Air force Thunderbirds




Stealth Bomber

For me personally, I find the RDS critical in tracking these fast moving jets. It allows me to follow the subject with a normal (no camera viewfinder)) field of vision and still shoot at 800mm equiv..

I would not recommend using the GX9 with a long telephoto lens. The GX9 continuous AF is greatly inferior to the G9 (and I think your Oly camera). The GX9 is really a travel & street photography camera. Note that the GX9 viewfinder is not over the center of the camera directly over the lens. It is off to the side which makes it difficult use the viewfinder for relatively fast moving subjects.

Good luck at the airshow ...

- Simon

 

[Jack Tingle]

Good pictures.

One quibble, that's a stealth fighter. Bombers are much larger aircraft.

 

[Wu Jiaqiu]

Good pictures.

One quibble, that's a stealth fighter. Bombers are much larger aircraft.

don't worry those bombers despite being big move and don't hover in a single position making getting shot of them highly possible, interestingly a long focal length can catch those pesky moving things turning so you end up with more interesting shots than of it passing above you, old hand at airshows btw, worse thing you can have a is a lens not long enough

--
the computer says no

 

[Trevor Carpenter]

Good pictures.

One quibble, that's a stealth fighter. Bombers are much larger aircraft.

The F35 drops bomb so it's probably perfectly reasonable to refer to it as a bomber.

 

[Wu Jiaqiu]

Good pictures.

One quibble, that's a stealth fighter. Bombers are much larger aircraft.

The F35 drops bomb so it's probably perfectly reasonable to refer to it as a bomber.

not seen one fly yet, seen one towed down the middle of the runway at RIAT though.... think it was the plastic fantastic version

 

[Jack Tingle]

Good pictures.

One quibble, that's a stealth fighter. Bombers are much larger aircraft.

The F35 drops bomb so it's probably perfectly reasonable to refer to it as a bomber.

That would apply to every USAF/USN/USMC fighter since the F104, except the F106. The owner chooses to call them fighters. Hence the F-designation.

 

[scphoto]

To those who responded to my airshow photos ...

What's the correct name? I called it a stealth bomber. Others thought it should be called a stealth fighter. The reality is that I don't know what exact model of plane it is. Sorry. I'll leave this question to the military airplane experts on our forum.

The photo with the bomb bays open isn't a particularly good shot. I posted it because it shows the level of detail that the G9 + PL100-400 can achieve even for faster moving objects.

I've made good use of the RDS for airshows. Here's a photo that I took back in 2006 with my Panny FZ30 with a home made RDS at the Watsonville (near Santa Cruz), California. Sorry ... but again I don't know what type of plane it is. I think it's a military trainer circa WWII ... or maybe not???




FZ30 at 420mm



--
- Simon

 

[Trevor Carpenter]

It's a Vultee BT13 I think