70-400mm f/4-5.6 or 70-200mm f2.8

[robert1]

hey

well ive been trying to get the Sony 70-400mm f/4-5.6 G (SAL70400G2) for a while now but was unable to find any and it turned out it was discontinued for the Sony 70-400mm f/4-5.6 G SSM II (SAL70400G2) sony said this would be out at the start of april but since then they have just changed there site from "avaliable from start of april" to "out of stock" no way to order. there are many sites that claim to have it in stock (this site http://www.cameraworld.co.uk/new-equipment/lenses/telephoto-zoom/sony-70-400mm-f4-5-6-g-ssm-ii.html even claims to have it avaliable for next day delivery!) but if you call them ... they all say the site is wrong and they dont have it, some say they are expecting it in may, others july, some dont know at all. so two questions here, does anyone know somewhere that ACTUALLY has this? im not too fussy where.

or the main reason for me wanting this lens is F1 (and other motor racing events) so it is worth trying to fight for a 400mm or would 200 be enough? someone who has expeaiance on the subject would be good. i would like the 400 for the extra reach just i really want a decent lens for june, for silverstone, time is getting closer and i still cant get a delivery date on the lens.

thank you
oh by the way the camera im using is a sony a77

 

[wfooshee]

At Sebring I've used a 70-300 on my Nikon cameras, all crop-format like the a77, and find that I'm almost never out past 120 to 150 mm zoom. But that's shooting from the trackside fence, not up in grandstands. If you're not trackside you might want the extra reach. Looking back at some of my bike shots from AMA racing at Barber, where I was up on the hillside, I find those are maxed out at the 200mm I had at the time, and then cropped further to make "keepers" out of them. I didn't have the 300mm lens at that time.

If the older-style lens is good enough, you might find it available used. I've done pretty well with lenses on eBay, only got one I refused to keep and that's not because it was used and abused, it's because it was junk anyway.

If you don't mind cropping your images after shooting, the 24-mp sensor on your camera gives you plenty of room for that, so the 200mm could be enough. It all depends on your distance. If your subject doesn't come close to filling half the frame, you don't want to crop too much, but if it does, then cropping isn't that big a deal.

I almost always shoot cars in action zoomed back a bit from my actual desired framing to give me some "slop" room in the viewfinder. I can crop down to a good picture a whole lot more eaily than adding something that is cut out of the original frame.

 

[MatskiMonk]

Having had a similar dilemma recently, albeit with older and cheaper equipment (Sigma 500mm on an EOS60), I've found that the extra reach in the 300-400mm range has been really useful, although I've probably ended up with a lower success rate overall because the lens is quite slow to focus and is not IS.

Whereabouts will you be spectating from at Silverstone? I think the needs of an F1 event where you are likely to be tied to the same spot for a long time, and maybe not able to get near to the fence at any of the good locations, will be quite different to other less crowded events where you will have infinitely more options..

... unless you've got the media creds, in which case it's easy either way.

 

[jjaisli]

...ive been trying to get the Sony 70-400mm f/4-5.6 G (SAL70400G2...

...the main reason for me wanting this lens is F1 (and other motor racing events) so it is worth trying to fight for a 400mm or would 200 be enough?...

Inevitably, which ever lens you end up buying, there will be a moment in time, when you'll wish you had a bit more range.

That said, from my experience, I think you'll find that 200mm will be sufficient for most shots. And you can always crop down during post editing. I've never been to Silverstone so I can't speak with any authority, but in general terms, the biggest obstacle you'll face at 'high profile' circuits is finding a good place to shoot from. As a rookie, I'd get to the track and see 20~30 people with SLRs all cramped into a tiny area and thought, well, I'm not going to fight for space there, I'll move a few meters this way or that way, or what have you. But I learned very quickly, they were all there for a reason. Veterans know the best places to shoot from. It's no coincidence that they conglomerate together. Having a spot to shoot through the catch fence at just the right angle is not always easy at some tracks. At others, there are plenty of spots. Ideally, if you're free to walk around the circuit, try to hang out at the chicanes. If you pick a part of the track where cars come by TOO quickly you won't be able to shoot the detail you want.

Having been to more than a dozen Grand Prix events over the years, at several different tracks, I can tell you that F1 cars are so bloody fast, that your biggest problem will likely be just lining up the shot. So unless you're forced to shoot from way up in the grandstands, my advise would be to go for a nice, quick, sharp 200mm lens.

 

[Speedster502]

I'll say that I've been shooting motorsports for quite some time now, and I use a 70-200mm f/2.8 + a 1.4x tele (Canon though). I find it perfect for my style of shooting, I don't have IS on it as image stabilisation is pointless when you're panning a car anyway. Even for head-ons it's not that much of a benefit, in my personal opinion.

Whilst the extra length gained by the 70-400 would be beneficial, I imagine at 400 it's going to be pretty soft and the focusing isn't going to be as quick (or accurate) as the 2.8.

As for shooting Silverstone, it depends what you want. If you want the same as what everyone else is taking then go to Luffield and stay there all day. If you want something a bit different move around, visit as many corners as possible at different times of day. Even shooting through the crowd can create some interesting stuff - I've never been to the F1 but I've heard there's some great opportunities even in spectator areas. Vale/Club is supposed to be quite good and Maggotts & Becketts is always worth a visit (get the wide angle out here for some fun). The new Arena complex is decent too if you can get round there, but as it's F1 that might be questionable. I really like Stowe too, its underrated and you can get a few great angles from around there even with a relatively short lens.

I know these shots aren't from the F1, however they are taken from spectator areas with a 70-200mm f/2.8, 1.4x and also my kit lens for a few of them. So they might give you a few ideas of things to do. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.463452623687596.111822.243606209005573&type=3

Hope that's vaguely helpful!

 

[robert1]

well i finaly managed to find an the old 70400G brand new

and had a little pratice at brands hatch today.
even on auto it was ok

and manual was even better (i am aware it could be better but first time with the lens i was happy with some of these)

ill be back at brands hatch for DTM pratice on friday
lydden hill for Apex festival saturday
i would take pics on the sunday as well but ill be on track!

(P.S. sorry for the quality these are linked to FaceBook as my flickr has reaced its limit this month)