Photography - equipment, help hints

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May I ask for advice. Fortunately for me due to a problem at Biggin Hill the two Lancaster's were based at Southend Airport for a few days this week and I tried to take some photos. Unfortunately I had to take them through a chain link fence and despite using a low Aperture and manually focusing on aircraft, when I took the shot it focussed on the fence ruining the shot.
If anyone can give me some tips and tell me where I went wrong, I would appreciate it
 
Were you using center point focus, I found that when shooting animals at the zoo, I use manual focus and center point focus. Did you put the lens as close to the fence as possible, I'm not sure how far away you were from the fence.
 
I have successfully shot through chain-link fence in the past. Though it creates a little artificial "vignetting", the photos come out well enough.

When I shoot through the fence, I'll have the aperture set as wide as practical (try around f/4), have the lens as close as possible to the fence (positioning as close to center of the opening as I can get) and of course, manual focus.

Two things I might mention here:
first, be very careful with your lens that close to the fence, hopefully you'll have a hood that will prevent the glass from coming into contact with the wire. If by chance, you don't have a hood, then position your free hand where it'll rest against the fence and then gently grasp the end of the lens body with your fingers to both steady the lens and act as a "buffer" from accidental contact.

The other thing, is check to see if there's any reflection on the wires. The glare from a light source (sun, stadium lights, etc.) will create a bright "flare" in the photograph (this is where the lens hood also is helpful!).

Hope this helps
 
When shooting through a fence, either focus manually, or center focus, if you have that setting available. Check where the sun is (or what light is illuminating your subject). If the light is behind the subject, you'll get a silhouette. In some cases, that may be what you want. If you are using a zoom lens, you can sometimes zoom in enough that the chain link doesn't even appear in the shot. Like Dave said, up against the fence as close as you can. It's a tough shot to get, but when you nail it, no one will know you shot it through the fence.

Here is one I shot through chain link.
 

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I found a great way to get a good camera. My old D80, which got god pictures, although I had to fight the metering, is fastly approaching the end of it's serviceability. After 95,000 shots, it's not quite up to the job. When I compare it to the D300, it's like the difference between a Porsche and a VW. The D300 consistently meters and its a joy to use. The D80 works, but it's always a chore. So I figured since it was about time to replace the D80, I went out on Amazon and looked for a used D200. The D200 new was not cheap ($1,699 when released in 2005). But now with more advanced cameras out there, you can find a used one for a fraction of the cost.

I set my budget for a backup camera at no more than $400. I found a D200 with just under 8k shutter activations for $180! And it came with 2 batteries and a couple of cards (I will be getting better ones as these are the slower cards, but still a nice throw in). There are no official numbers for the shutter life on these, but the going consensus for the D80 is 50-75k shutter activations. The D200 consensus is 150-200k shutter activations. So getting one with low shutter clicks at a low price can be a challenge, but there are some nice deals out there.

The D200 came yesterday and it is damn near new. Clean, low shutter count and well cared for. So if you are looking to upgrade and on a budget, watch Amazon for used, older ones that were well cared for and you can find some amazing deals.

Here is the D200 and the D80 side by side.
 

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Excellent score, Eric!

My K100D has almost 40,000 shots on it, but it was completely rebuilt last year after the wreck, so it should last for quite some time.

As far as Amazon goes (and ebay for that matter), I'm pretty much done with them. I've had several bad experiences with them of large dollar purchases, so from now on, I'll just stick with B&H or Adorama for gear.
 
Nice cameras Eric and good buy, I still use my Canon Rebel XSi and get great shots, but now I use the Canon 70D most of the time, I thought of a full frame like the 5D Mark II or III but the 70D is great so I can't really justify buying one.

As with you Dave I now buy all my gear from B&H or Adorama.
 
Yeah, all on personal experience. I've had good luck with Amazon on purchases of different types. I had a bad experience with Adorama that soured me to them. But I know a lot of people really like them. I used to like eBay, but I grew tired of people jumping in to outbid you at the very last minute. I found the key to Amazon with used stuff is to check the seller's feedback. With the D200, it was a seller that had a ton of feedback, all of it positive.
 
I haven't worked with them yet, but have heard nothing less than positive about B&H. This was my first experience with buying used camera gear, and thankfully it was positive. Good way to save some bucks while still getting some nice gear. Sometimes going one generation back doesn't really give you any loss in functionality. Obviously, my D300 is my top camera still, but having the second camera body gives me more flexibility when shooting shows and events. Not having to swap lenses in the middle of the action saves times and decreases the chance of missing the shot.
 
evangilder said:
...but having the second camera body gives me more flexibility when shooting shows and events. Not having to swap lenses in the middle of the action saves times and decreases the chance of missing the shot.
Click to expand...
And doubles your chances of getting the occasional hat-shot and those random, blurry torso shots of oblivious spectators!
 
Ah, the hat, or head shot, when some totally oblivious d*ckhead stands up just in front of you, at the critical moment, when said person has been sitting down for two hours, munching burgers and talking ****ing football !
They should be shot at birth !
 
lol Terry!

Or my favorite: you're composing a sweet shot of a P-51H on the ramp...you're only 10 - 12 feet away from the aircraft and yet tons of room behind you AND just as you release the shutter, some gal and a couple kids walk between you and the aircraft.

When I see a photographer set up, I'll either wait for them to take the shot or I'll walk around. Many folks are the same...but there are always "those" few...
 
This year at Oshkosh, when they moved the crowdline back for the Thunderbirds, they took away the press box. So on Friday I was standing amongst the crowd snapping shots when suddenly everyone stood up. How the hell I ended up being the shortest person there was vexing, to say the least! Grrr. Fortunately, I found a bench nearby to stand on.
 
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