Panning

[253sapathfinder]

Hi everyone, I recently got addicted to shuttle speed effects, and I'm learning how to do panning. However, me being a clumsy oaf, my output has been horrible. Can any expert help put up a detailed guide on this technique? The other sources I found just give very superficial instructions.

Many thanks

 

[Rashkae]

Hi everyone, I recently got addicted to shuttle speed effects, and I'm learning how to do panning. However, me being a clumsy oaf, my output has been horrible. Can any expert help put up a detailed guide on this technique? The other sources I found just give very superficial instructions.

Many thanks

The shuttle is retired, no point.

(It's "shutter" not "shuttle").

There's no real way to write a detailed guide, as it really is very simple. This is what I normally do:

1. I prefocus on the area where I want to capture the objects. If they are not moving too fast, I use continuous AF.
2. I select the center AF point.
3. As the object approaches, I try to keep the target in the center AF box and then shoot when it passes the area I prefocused.

Make sure you are holding your camera properly. Use the viewfinder, not live view. Brace your elbow against your body (this is the standard "recommended" pose you see in most camera manuals) and twist from the hip to pan.

After that it's just practice practice practice. At the F1, me and some other photogs went for a "challenge yourself" shutter speed - 1/60s, 1/40s and 1/30s. Quite fun.

 

[253sapathfinder]

The shuttle is retired, no point.

(It's "shutter" not "shuttle").

There's no real way to write a detailed guide, as it really is very simple. This is what I normally do:

1. I prefocus on the area where I want to capture the objects. If they are not moving too fast, I use continuous AF.
2. I select the center AF point.
3. As the object approaches, I try to keep the target in the center AF box and then shoot when it passes the area I prefocused.

Make sure you are holding your camera properly. Use the viewfinder, not live view. Brace your elbow against your body (this is the standard "recommended" pose you see in most camera manuals) and twist from the hip to pan.

After that it's just practice practice practice. At the F1, me and some other photogs went for a "challenge yourself" shutter speed - 1/60s, 1/40s and 1/30s. Quite fun.

Many thanks, Rash! Very nice touch on the space shuttle, ha ha.

Will experiment with your pointers this weekend.

 

[Rashkae]

Many thanks, Rash! Very nice touch on the space shuttle, ha ha.

Will experiment with your pointers this weekend.

You can practice on kids playing at a fountain too, though panning for F1 cars is easier as at least you know the direction they're going.

 

[Tucksoon]

This YouTube tutorial is quite useful

[video=youtube;sXzNtp1shXU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXzNtp1shXU[/video]

 

[UncleFai]

This YouTube tutorial is quite useful

[video=youtube;sXzNtp1shXU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXzNtp1shXU[/video]

Great tutorial! Thanks!

 

[NewbieInCS]

Hi everyone, I recently got addicted to shuttle speed effects, and I'm learning how to do panning. However, me being a clumsy oaf, my output has been horrible. Can any expert help put up a detailed guide on this technique? The other sources I found just give very superficial instructions.

Many thanks

You will need slow shutter speed. How slow? Depends on what you are panning and the effect you want. Can be as slow as 1/4 or as fast as 1/60. You can close the aperture down to acchieve that shutter speed. Sometimes a neutral density filter will help, if the day is too bright to acchieve the shutter speed. IS/VR helps a lot. Personally I prefer using a tripod for panning subjects that are predictable, e.g. car or train.

Put the camera into continuous af, single focus point. Use burst mode, but don't have to gun at 8fps. Shoot while keeping the subject at the single af point you selected, i.e. you move the camera such that the subject remains in your frame. For learning, center af point is easier. Keeper rate will be low for sure, it is normal.

To get stronger feel of the speed, you can try
1. slower shutter
2. some degree of tilt
3. Leaving some space at the side of the photo, i.e. your subject is off center

 

[gundamseed84]

Just go to the road under good light and try on moving vehicles, that was what I did last time while waiting for my friends to meet me.

Start off with 1/60 or 1/80 if you are using lens shorter than 60 or 80 focal length.

Last but not least, keep moving along with the subject even after you pressed the shutter until the photo is recorded.

Then you might want to manual focus at a point and wait for the subject to pass through that point while panning, this is useful under situation when your body's af system is too slow to focus.

 

[canonmono]

If ur doing panning in the street like cycling or car moving u got plenty of light, use them well and use AI servo becos speed CONSTANT, but if u doing sports like soccer which is not CONSTANT then manual focus on 1 point and wait for the person to come inside and start snapping without moving ur camera at all ..

 

[UncleFai]

If ur doing panning in the street like cycling or car moving u got plenty of light, use them well and use AI servo becos speed CONSTANT, but if u doing sports like soccer which is not CONSTANT then manual focus on 1 point and wait for the person to come inside and start snapping without moving ur camera at all ..

Eh.... Why would it be "panning" if you aren't moving your camera at all?

 

[StarCaptain]

Clock your shutter speed at 1/30, and move your camera along with the subject as they move. for example you can check below image as well EXIF info.

 

[Rashkae]

Clock your shutter speed at 1/30, and move your camera along with the subject as they move. for example you can check below image as well EXIF info.

Aiyoo, must learn how to link images, ok?

 

[Cowseye]

After that it's just practice practice practice. At the F1, me and some other photogs went for a "challenge yourself" shutter speed - 1/60s, 1/40s and 1/30s. Quite fun.

I couldn't manage any speed slower than 1/200. When I tried slower speed, I can only get straight panning colored lines of the race car but I can't get any part of the subject in sharp focus at all. Can to share a shot taken at 1/60 please?

 

[Rashkae]

I couldn't manage any speed slower than 1/200. When I tried slower speed, I can only get straight panning colored lines of the race car but I can't get any part of the subject in sharp focus at all. Can to share a shot taken at 1/60 please?

That just means you need to practice more.

Here are 2 straight out of camera shots, just resized, I've not had the time to process/crop etc yet.

 

[Cowseye]

That just means you need to practice more.

Here are 2 straight out of camera shots, just resized, I've not had the time to process/crop etc yet.

Nice shots

 

[Rashkae]

Nice shots

I have some better ones but need to dig them up first - too many shots!

 

[kei1309]

credits to the photographer.. saw this on facebook on the Alpha local forum's group page:

Button (Sony Alpha A77 F4 1/60s ISO400 @ 130mm)

Hamilton (Sony Alpha A77 with 70200G F2.8 1/40s ISO100 @ 120mm)

not an expert on panning. hope this gives you some idea

 

[Cowseye]

My amateurish shots from F1:
on mobile now, hard to get a proper image link:

http://www.ttlo-cowseye.com/gallery/13081/cars/