What camera settings should I use to photograph the Blue Angels overhead with an Olympus E-P1 and 45-200mm lens?
Asked 10/14/2016
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I’m new to digital photography and want to photograph the Blue Angels flying directly overhead from my rooftop deck. My camera is an Olympus E-P1 with a Lumix 45-200mm f/4-5.6 lens, and I’ll be composing on the rear LCD. What shooting mode and focus settings should I use for fast overhead aircraft? I was considering Program mode with continuous AF and sequential shooting, but I’d appreciate advice on exposure, shutter speed, autofocus, and zoom choice for tracking the formation against a bright sky.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
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Pretty much any of the automatic exposure modes modes are going to expose for the sky to be medium gray, leaving planes as little more than dark silhouettes. You'll either need to dial in significant exposure compensation on the positive side or shoot in manual exposure mode. You can meter on a building or other object that is about the same brightness as the planes you are shooting. The planes flown by the Blue Angels are a relatively dark blue color.
If you're handholding the camera and composing with the rear LCD you need to be sure and use fast shutter times. With the 2X crop factor of your EP1 combined with the 200mm lens the old 1/effective focal length rule of thumb says 1/400 second. But holding the camera away from your eye destabilizes it and I wouldn't want to go below about 1/1000 second in such a case.
Other than that, most of the advice applies in the accepted answer to How do I take pictures of planes flying at an airshow?
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
9y ago
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Use shutter priority rather than Program mode so you can keep the shutter speed high. For fast jets overhead, use a fast shutter speed; if you’re handholding and using the rear LCD, avoid slow speeds because that setup is less stable. A burst mode is helpful.
Watch exposure carefully: automatic metering will often expose for the bright sky and turn the planes into silhouettes. Use positive exposure compensation, or better, manual exposure based on metering something with similar brightness to the aircraft.
Autofocus can struggle with fast-moving aircraft, especially at the long end of the zoom where they’re hard to find and track. Consider using a wider focal length first to acquire the planes, then zoom in if possible. Continuous AF may help, but if it hunts, it can make tracking harder.
Also be cautious with Auto ISO: the camera may push ISO very high to maintain your chosen shutter speed. If your camera allows it, set a sensible maximum ISO.
In short: shutter priority, fast shutter speed, burst shooting, exposure compensation or manual exposure for the sky, and don’t start too tight on the zoom.
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