This will be my first Car Show with a DSLR
I anticipate that I will be using my kit lens 90% of the time and my 70-300mm will be in my bag full time. I see very little use for the flash unless you are into shooting Racing Queens and want to get the best lighting to feast your eyes on your shots for details later. For me..not interested them..so the only standby flash use would be the popup if ever. Any flash you use that is somehow attached near your camera is just a no-no with cars..unless you are doing a studio shoot. The flash flare up on the car's surface will just spoile the shots.
If I had some hard cash to plop down today..I might get the 12-24 zoom for even wider shooting. This is the setup for a Saturday weekend shoot.
We are talking a crowded exhibition where you are most likely elbow to elbow with people all over you...how you use a long lens is unless you are alway standing in a high ground area. I am 1.81m tall and I would still think I would have a problem with shooting over people at the cars. And when you do get to shoot the cars you would be really close to the cars as people will crowd around all the best looking ones especially. So a wide lens is the only way to go. Some distortion fro sure but sometime that distortion works towards giving you that spacey look to the car. I personally like that. IN fact after all this writing..I am going to leave my 70-300 at home. Let that be a challenge again. Think abit more about the shot and like a hunter try to get the est stuff against all the odds on a weekend shoot in kiasu singapore.
I would not be surprise to be shooting at ISO 800. Noise be damn,....I wanna make sure I get the pictures on the cars. Can always use a noise reduction program to get rid of it to some extend. But if not...I will try to make the noise work for me in the picture. I am there for the memories too not just to shoot nice ideal shots.
I would think if yo uwant to use a longer lens, one sould consider going on a weekday next week where after the holidays, less people would be around and those wanting to shoot racing queens will find them more willing with less people around. On a weekend, they have to keep smiling and willing to pose for so many people can be quite a strain..I doubt you can get much a good smile from them. They are human after all people.
Well that is my take on it anyway...happy shooting folks. Saving all my drool for the cars man!....heheheh willnever get to own one but at least I get to shoot them....even if it is only with a camera. For those shooting a car show for the first time..don't put overly too much pressure on yourself to do well..there will always be another one coming around the corner.