400D + 70-200mm f4 + Space Shuttle

Hello everyone

 

Apologies if this is in the wrong category.

 

All things going to plan, I should be lucky enough to see the Space Shuttle get

launched in early June. I have a 400D and the best glass I have for the job is

my excellent 70-200mm f4 (non IS) lens.

 

Since this is a once in a lifetime shot for me, is there anyone who has been

there who has any words of advice as to what are the optimum settings (f no /

ISO / shutter speed etc) are for this sort of shot. I'd like to set the camera

up in manual mode in anticipation of the launch rather than trying to change the

settings in frustration as the shuttle disappears from view...

 

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated (and no I don't have the money to buy

a 400mm f2.8 sadly!)

 

Regards

 

Paul

If this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and you want but can't afford to buy a 400/2.8, can you rent one?

 

Shutter speed would depend on how much whether or not you want motion or exhaust blur, and ISO would depend on ambient light (amount of daylight at time of launch). I'd shoot wide open, since depth of field won't be an issue (you'll have to be far enough away for safety's sake that DoF will be, well, deep).

 

I would recommend that if you want to freeze motion, you set your drive for continous, and shoot short burts: the "shape" of the exhaust changes rapidly.

I've never been there but...I'd certainly shoot in manual, fire off a few exposures before launch to get my exposure right. I'd shoot in jpg so as to not fill up the camera's buffer so quickly. Doing so, I'd better be sure my exposure is good. Other people might have different opinions. I expect someone here has actually been there. Let's see what they have to say.

I thought you were an astronaut?

 

I too would rent. Get a nice beafy tripod too.

Sounds like fun. When unsure there is always "auto exposure bracketing (AEB)" or manual exposure bracketing where you decide the increments. I don't know the success rate but you'd be likely to get some winners.

 

If this is a daytime event then I wouldn't worry about it too much and just use your camera in aperture control mode. Keep some neutral density filters on hand in case it gets too bright.

 

I agree with others that you should try and rent a longer tele lens and maybe have a second backup when the buffer gets full or if you don't want to waste time switching CF cards.

<i>Since this is a once in a lifetime shot for me, is there anyone who has been there who has any words of advice as to what are the optimum settings (f no / ISO / shutter speed etc) are for this sort of shot.</i>

<p>

If you don't have a handle on what makes a proper exposure, get and read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Furl%3Dsearch-alias%253Daps%26field-keywords%3Dunderstanding%2Bexposure%26Go.x%3D0%26Go.y%3D0%26Go%3DGo&tag=cyclingshots-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Understanding Exposure</a> by Bryan Peterson. It'll be the best $15 you spend on photography.

<p>

Consider practicing some before the launch. Right, no spaceships to shoot, but I'd think that an airport would be a good place to take some practice shots. Go at the same time of day for your practice shots.

<p>

Also, surf the web for sample shots and see what you like. Get some ideas and look at the exposure info. There's a ton of <a href=" shuttle shots on flickr</a> - a lot of folks list their full EXIF data on there. Try other photo sharing sites too. My $.02. Good luck.

<p>

Cheers!

Last time I saw a shuttle launch, I was out on the beach in St. Petersburg -- yeah, on the other side of the state, but we could still see the blast-off once it lifted high enough!

Rent the lens of your choice from some place such as www.lensprotogo.com

Have lived in Central Florida for 20 years and have seen every type of launch there is. Couple of things:

 

Get there early. This is a 'once in a lifetime' oppurtunity for about 5 million people during the very very busy summer pre-hurricane season. You will NOT be alone.

 

The weather forecast for the day will be high of 90 partly cloudy with a chance of afternoon thuderstorms. It's been this way for ever. Sunscreen, shade, and water are you friends.

 

Best place to see a launch is the Cape Canareval Seashore. Do a google search for the place and mapquest to get directions.

 

It really isn't hard to get there, but plan on staying there for awhile after the launch. As I said, there will be plenty of people with you, and very few ways for those people to leave. Best to get comfy and stay put for an hour or two.

 

As for camera set-up. It all depends. Time of day, available light, and type of picture will all play into that. You will have PLENTY of time to set up your camera (with tripod, absolutely) before the launch to dial your settings in. If you stick to the 200mm even with 1.6crop you will be looking at a landscape type picture. Set up the shot, it will be easy for you to move around, changing your foreground in relation to the shuttle which will be miles away.

 

As always when dealing with you camera on the beach (or anywhere in florida for that matter) sand kills. if you want to change your lens, do it out of the wind, preferable in your car. When you go to the beach, the beach comes back with you. Your car will be very sandy after a day there, so a plastic bag around your gear is helpful.

 

Finally, and not to burst your bubble, but shuttle launches are notoriously unpredictable. The only reason you will have a chance in june is due to a hail storm wrecking havoc on the shuttle in March. Hail, lightning, heavy winds, heavy rain, technical glitches all play into predicting a launch. throw in launch windows (time in which a launch can go off) from anywhere from 5 minutes, to 5 hours and this is more a test of endurance, then a sprint.

 

But for anyone that hasn't experienced a shuttle launch, there is no more potent proof of man's commitment to advancement, than watching, hearing and feeling a launch (you WILL feel it too). It's simply staggering. Enjoy!

<p><i>Do a google search for the place and mapquest to get directions.</i></p><p>Why would you direct someone to use Google for the search, but not for the map/directions? Seems silly.</p><p>Paul, try to determine how far you will be from the shuttle, so you can be sure you'll have the proper focal length. Also, I suspect the lighting conditions will change when the rockets fire. You might considering shooting RAW, for this reason. However, keep in mind that your buffer will be smaller than if shooting JPEG only.</p>

You'll be several miles away at the closet from the launch pads. According to <a href="http://www.launchphotography.com/Shuttle_Launch_Viewing.html">this site</a>, you're about 6 miles away. Remember, the shuttle jumps off the pad, so you'll need to plan your shot (goes without saying, huh?).

Wow, that's a long distance for a 200mm lens! Paul, depending on the sort of shot you're looking to get, you really might want to look into renting a super telephoto lens (500mm +) and having a good tripod and head.

I found this post from the link to my website above. I'm happy to help if anyone has questions, and feel free to email me about photographing or viewing the launch.

 

This <a href="http://www.launchphotography.com/Shuttle_Launch_Viewing.html">viewing guide</a> will give you a rundown on where you will be and has some links to photos from each location.

 

A 200mm from the 6.5 mile mark is not bad at all, and will clearly show the shuttle. You have to remember that the shuttle is as tall as an 18-story building. Paul, I'll email you some information on shooting it. Good luck and I hope you get to see it!

 

-Ben

<a href="http://www.LaunchPhotography.com">www.LaunchPhotography.com</a>

If you don't mind the shuttle taking up only half the frame, sure. :)