Kelmon
Day 202 - Panavia Tornado GR.4
So, to the main event for which I'd hired the Sigma 120-400mm f/4.5-5.6 - the 2013 Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford, for which a friend had kindly obtained us tickets. If I'm honest, the performance of the lens (or possibly the camera) was a tad disappointing as it was a pain to lock and maintain focus, although I understand this to be tough on objects moving quickly either towards or away from the camera. Ultimately, I think I may scratch this lens from the wish list and just accept that a good telephoto lens is going to cost me an arm and a leg in a few years time. However, this isn't to say that I didn't get some reasonable shots, even given the challenging conditions throughout the day (flat grey sky in the morning and bright sunshine in the afternoon). So far I think this is my favourite shot, taken as the Tornado took off to participate in a fly past with a Lancaster Bomber later in the afternoon.
While the results weren't all that I had hoped for, the day itself was fantastic. I swear that there is nothing cooler than fast jets doing insane manoeuvres at bonkers speeds at low altitude. The noise was amazing. That said, what was even more amazing was the kid sat in a chair beside where I was standing who was not only not interested in what was going on but actually fell asleep! PlayStation has a lot to answer for…
Great day, although not so much for the French since a couple of their jets broke down during displays, which must have been a touch embarrassing.
Day 202 - Panavia Tornado GR.4
So, to the main event for which I'd hired the Sigma 120-400mm f/4.5-5.6 - the 2013 Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford, for which a friend had kindly obtained us tickets. If I'm honest, the performance of the lens (or possibly the camera) was a tad disappointing as it was a pain to lock and maintain focus, although I understand this to be tough on objects moving quickly either towards or away from the camera. Ultimately, I think I may scratch this lens from the wish list and just accept that a good telephoto lens is going to cost me an arm and a leg in a few years time. However, this isn't to say that I didn't get some reasonable shots, even given the challenging conditions throughout the day (flat grey sky in the morning and bright sunshine in the afternoon). So far I think this is my favourite shot, taken as the Tornado took off to participate in a fly past with a Lancaster Bomber later in the afternoon.
While the results weren't all that I had hoped for, the day itself was fantastic. I swear that there is nothing cooler than fast jets doing insane manoeuvres at bonkers speeds at low altitude. The noise was amazing. That said, what was even more amazing was the kid sat in a chair beside where I was standing who was not only not interested in what was going on but actually fell asleep! PlayStation has a lot to answer for…
Great day, although not so much for the French since a couple of their jets broke down during displays, which must have been a touch embarrassing.