Aviation Need your aviation help

[Michael Centofanti]

I have had my R5 for 4 years and 6 months ago bought the RF 100-500 but for awhile my aviation just does not look sharp from other photographers that I have seen, what am I doing wrong? Should IS be switched off when over 1/2000th? It was a 108 degrees outside so am I expecting too much?

1) AF-1 photo was FL 450mm - Auto ISO400 - 1/2000th - F/7.1 - Electronic - Crop/aspect ratio 3:2 (is this the issue) - Case 4 with Eye detect sect to Vehicles - Metering Mode Evaluative Metering

2.) Fighter Jet photo was FL 500mm - Auto ISO400 - 1/1600th - F/8.0 - Electronic - Crop/aspect ratio 3:2 (is this the issue) - Case 4 with Eye detect sect to Vehicles - Metering Mode Evaluative Metering

Other than converting to jpeg I have done no edits to theses two photos. Same camera and this lens and another the wildlife photos in the Natl Parks are great so is the R5 not the great for aviation? Am I expecting to much because of the heat haze and just being a butt-head or what do you guys think?

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[Dean Wilson]

Heat waves: as stated in your other post.

 

[jcass]

I agree that atmospheric haze is likely your culprit and much of the haze is not discernible by the naked eye. Distance to your subject is the killer. Not an impact in the case of the two photos you posted, but be aware that the jet wash of leading aircraft will affect photos of other trailing aircraft. Try to keep your focal point out of those areas.

A couple of things that I recommend you experiment with that you touched on...

• First, use a faster shutter speed when you have enough light, 1/2500 or so. Personally, I don't worry about the ISO and use denoise. YMMV.
• Second, if your panning set the lens IS Mode to 2 or turn it off. I haven't conducted any reasonable experiments, but I feel that turning off IS or setting Mode 2 helps when I'm panning for birds in flight. This point is vary subjective and just my own impression.

 

[miuzi]

That is an outrageous temperature.

In my experience, sometimes the sky just sucks as well. A very bright, cloudless sky creates a lot of reflection from the lit surfaces of the planes, almost making them bloom and lose definition in the image you're capturing, and then heavy shadows in the unlit portions. I'd argue that these images, especially given that they're unedited, are better than you're giving them credit for! A crop and some adjustments and then I think you're in pretty good shape.

 

[Michael Centofanti]

That is an outrageous temperature.

In my experience, sometimes the sky just sucks as well. A very bright, cloudless sky creates a lot of reflection from the lit surfaces of the planes, almost making them bloom and lose definition in the image you're capturing, and then heavy shadows in the unlit portions. I'd argue that these images, especially given that they're unedited, are better than you're giving them credit for! A crop and some adjustments and then I think you're in pretty good shape.

I live in Arizona so these are normal temps. Hell when the trick-or-treaters go out at night the temps are still 80/85, but at least the candy is soft LOL Thanks for the reply and the consensus seems to be heat haze. Maybe I will try a higher shutter speed. Question, is it better to use Auto ISO or adjust on the fly? (no pun intended)

 

[Bryan wilburn]

KI think we are also missing something on airliners. If you shoot a picture of a bird it likely withing 100'. If you shoot an airliner, it's likely at over a mile. And the lens while great can't resolve the same detail at a mile or so that it can at 100'.

Here are a couple of shots I snapped today on Ki Olina HI.

The A380 is nothing but BIG! The 717-200 was a bit of a surprise when I looked up the N Number. I don't follow airliners that much and when did Boeing make these? It took a bit of waiting but I managed to get a 787 as it generated its own cloud.

Bryan

 

[Wings and Things]

When McDonnell Douglas merged with Boeing in the 1990s. The 717 basically continued the DC-9/MD-80/90 family.

 

[miuzi]

I live in Arizona so these are normal temps. Hell the trick or treaters could be around 80/85 temps by them, LOL Thanks for the reply and the consensus seems to be heat haze. Maybe I will try a higher shutter speed. Question, is it better to use Auto ISO or adjust on the fly? (no pun intended)

I typically will use either shutter priority or manual mode, either way with auto ISO. Noise at higher ISOs, combined with noise reduction in Lightroom or whatever, proves so potent that I don't worry much about ISO unless it's pushing into 5 digits, and even then images are shockingly usable. Ideally I always want it to be lower, but I find I get better, cleaner results by dealing with higher ISOs at the exposure I want rather than suppressing the ISO but then having to adjust exposure heavily upwards in editing.

 

[Michael Centofanti]

I typically will use either shutter priority or manual mode, either way with auto ISO. Noise at higher ISOs, combined with noise reduction in Lightroom or whatever, proves so potent that I don't worry much about ISO unless it's pushing into 5 digits, and even then images are shockingly usable. Ideally I always want it to be lower, but I find I get better, cleaner results by dealing with higher ISOs at the exposure I want rather than suppressing the ISO but then having to adjust exposure heavily upwards in editing.

Are you using a R5 body or?

 

[miuzi]

Are you using a R5 body or?

Ha, I wish! I have an R8.