Taking pics while car is moving, cheap best buy cameras

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J_enko
I am finally going to an drift event with a camera and I want to take pictures like these



_MG_4582.jpg



know they won't take pictures of that much caliber but will they come out decent .

Theres two kinds i can use my moms and dads

moms
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...t&productCategoryId=cat15197&id=1099393037199



dads
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7030116&type=product&id=1099394930588


and theres a 3rd that is 35mm Minolta Maxxum 7000 AF SLR
What should i bring??
 
I love Sony... And their cameras are, IMHO, really really good... If I were you, I'd take the Sony, take the res down to around 1600x1200 which speeds everything up quite a bit... And unless you need print quality, 1600x1200 should do just fine..

Of course - If I was going to a drift exhibition, I'd take our Canon EOS 5 and shoot plenty of 35mm films ;) Then afterwards run the negatives through the film scanner...
 
If I were you.. I wouldn't take both.. Those are digital cameras wich have lag while shooting.. So if you focus and shoot, the pic will be taken 2 seconds later.. I use the Nikon D70 and the D100.. They are both digital cameras but it's 'Mirror Reflex' so it shoots like a analog camera..

Ok take the Sony..

But all those pics, like you want to take, are taken with professional cameras.. My D100 with standard lens set me €1300 back, those professional guys have lenses wich cost like €2000.. So imagin ;)
 
If it's bright enough out, then just up the shutter speed. I don't know if your camera has manual options like my cybershot, though.

Auto-cameras are for the birds.
 
if those two are your only choices, take the Sony. Despite my personal boycott against their digital imaging division (long story), their cameras run fast and take great pics.
 
franz
are those expensive digital SLR lagging as well?
Click to expand...
There is a lag, but it's so minimal that you'll never notice it - almost instantaneous I should say. It's nowhere near as bad as the lag on point and shoot cameras.
 
emad
There is a lag, but it's so minimal that you'll never notice it - almost instantaneous I should say. It's nowhere near as bad as the lag on point and shoot cameras.
Click to expand...

Not with a Canon EOS 1D there isn't...

It's as fast as our Canon EOS 5 and will take about 25 shots with .2 second interval. It's an awesome camera - So is the price unfortunately..
But after having had the opportunity to use one, I'll never be able to accept less. Hence my resistance towards buying a new digi cam, even though the EO says she'd like one...
 
Minimum lag can be fatal though.. I have a D100 and D70 (Nikon..) and those are focussing sooo quickly and have like no lag.. I also have a Sony P12 and if I focus it takes too long and when I shoot it also takes to long becaus I don't have the exact moment I wanted..

Tomorrow NL Drift Series at Zandvoort YAY!! :D
 
umm im not a camera wizard, but i did take these shots (and more, just showing 2) at Road Atlanta's Formula D event with a $160 ish Canon A400, so its far from an expensive digital camera :P

truenosmall0xf.png

s2000small4cw.png


A small auto correct on photoshop after uploading them helped a little too, but not required
 
all you need is a high ISO film (400 is what i use for stop motion pictures), and a fast shutter speed, that is if your using film. and it really shouldnt matter what camera you use to take these images, the best camera isnt going to make you a great photographer.
 
When you have fast moving cars, like these, you can't really have shutter lag. I've tried taking pictures of autocrossing events with a P&S that had shutter lag and its horrible. You need to learn how to time everything so the camera can focus and then take the picture while the car is still in the frame.

In these outdoor, bright and sunny conditions, you'll have more than enough light to expose whatever media you throw at it, so the ISO and shutter speed shouldn't be too much of an issue. It's the time it'll take the "point 'n' shoots" to focus and snap the picture that will kill you.

I would take out the film SLR and learn how to use it, it shouldn't take too long. Shoot a few rolls of film, and then take it to the competition!

Good luck!
👍
 
I'd go with the Minolta film SLR. Use Manual focus (If your lens has it, all Minolta AF lenses I've used have) and exposure (Switch the dial to "M", once again if your camera has it) modes. Before you do a set of pictures, play around with the camera and find the right focal length and exposure settings. Depending on the speed of the cars, shutter speed should probably be between 1/125-1/500 (just estimating, go test with an experimental roll of film beside a street just to make sure). If you set everything to manual on a camera, it tends to reduce shutter lag time, in my experiences, anyway, so if the digicams have manual focus/exposure, you could use those as well.

It is difficult to attain a sharp car/blurred background shot like the first one you posted because you have to move the camera with the motion of the car, which can be difficult to get right.

Argh!
Well, I've just noticed the date on your last post was awhile ago, but I've already typed this up, so I hope it helps someone.
 
I'm not sure you are going to get what you are hoping for with a point and shoot camera.

Sorry, drifting isn't my thing but the stuff I do shoot still comes out real well. I apologize for the image dimensions:
_IGP1529.JPG

_IGP1555.JPG

_IGP4251.JPG

_IGP3931.JPG


I'm using the Pentax *ist DS digital SLR http://www.dpreview.com/news/0409/04091304pentaxistds.asp and my lens choices are: either the stock 18-55mm lens that comes with the camera (when I'm close enough to get away with those short zoom levels), a Vivitar 70-300mm, or a Phoenix 650-1300mm lens.

All of my online pictures are here: http://gcrall.miller-motorsports.com/images/
 
240Z
...It is difficult to attain a sharp car/blurred background shot like the first one you posted because you have to move the camera with the motion of the car, which can be difficult to get right.
Click to expand...
What you describe is used with a relatively slow shutter speed. I did a school assignment at 1/60 of one second and followed my friend's car with the camera.

It's also possible to use a very wide open aperture to attain this result. A large aperture (small number) makes the depth of field shorter.

Get the aperture setting wrong and certain parts of the same car can be in & out of focus. Ex: The nose of the car is in focus, the cowl starts fading, and by the time you see the roof and everything behind, they're out of focus. Get the setting right and the whole car is in focus, but the background is blurred.

It would be interesting to see your results from the event, can you show us?
 
63AvantiR3
What you describe is used with a relatively slow shutter speed. I did a school assignment at 1/60 of one second and followed my friend's car with the camera.
Click to expand...

Yep, forgot to put that in.


63AvantiR3
It's also possible to use a very wide open aperture to attain this result. A large aperture (small number) makes the depth of field shorter.

Get the aperture setting wrong and certain parts of the same car can be in & out of focus. Ex: The nose of the car is in focus, the cowl starts fading, and by the time you see the roof and everything behind, they're out of focus. Get the setting right and the whole car is in focus, but the background is blurred.
Click to expand...

Yes, but to get the motion effect (sideways blurred background) you have to follow the car.
 
63AvantiR3
I'm not sure you are going to get what you are hoping for with a point and shoot camera.

Sorry, drifting isn't my thing but the stuff I do shoot still comes out real well. I apologize for the image dimensions:
http://gcrall.miller-motorsports.com/images/ALMS 07-16/_IGP1529.JPG
http://gcrall.miller-motorsports.com/images/ALMS 07-16/_IGP1555.JPG
http://gcrall.miller-motorsports.com/images/ALMS 10-15/_IGP4251.JPG
http://gcrall.miller-motorsports.com/images/ALMS 10-14/_IGP3931.JPG
I'm using the Pentax *ist DS digital SLR http://www.dpreview.com/news/0409/04091304pentaxistds.asp and my lens choices are: either the stock 18-55mm lens that comes with the camera (when I'm close enough to get away with those short zoom levels), a Vivitar 70-300mm, or a Phoenix 650-1300mm lens.

All of my online pictures are here: http://gcrall.miller-motorsports.com/images/
Click to expand...

You should apologized for those monsterous watermarks, they ruin the image.




The best would be to use the SLR in manual mode. As most people said, to stop motion you'll need to get the fastest shutter speed possible. Don't be afraid to shoot at a lower aperture to be able to bump up the shutter speed, but you shouldn't have to if it's bright outside.

If you want to get that motion affect, throw the camera in a slower shutter speed; anything under 100 should do it. Manually focus the camera to a spot on the track where the car will be passing, and then the focusing ring alone. Wait for the car and follow with your camera, when it passes that spot "click", while still following. It takes some practice but pays off.
This was taken at f11, 1/100
DSC_0136.jpg
 
antihero
You should apologized for those monsterous watermarks, they ruin the image. ...
Click to expand...
Uh, I do:
thumbnail size
th__IGP0000.jpg

clicking on a thumbnail nets this result
_IGP0000.JPG

The reason why I put my copyright information over the pictures is so people don't just take the picture and do what they want with it. I shot the pictures, the public is privileged to see them, and I have the right to put my copyright information on them so that my work doesn't get stolen. I could just as easily take them down and not share.

What prompted me to start doing it? Some guy on the NASA (National Auto Sport Association) forum downloaded some of the pictures I shot of the 'American Iron' cars and posted them without a link or credit as to who shot them.

Again, sorry. I just do it to protect myself.
 

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