Tue May 16, 2017 6:03 pm
I have very recently gotten back into the our hobby after over ten years away. My most success in the past was with a Nikon D70 in 2005 - 2006. That camera was well used and well traveled by the time I retired it. It even got me over 350 photos accepted here on a.net. Following that I bought a Canon 40D but never did much aviation photography with it. I have now purchased the Canon 80D and have bought the Canon 70-300 mm f4 - 5.6 L and I also got the Canon 55-250 mm f4 - 5.6 with IS and USM. The latter is great when shooting thru a chain link fence.
I've been out several times in the three weeks that I have had the new equipment. The weather hasn't been the greatest to say the least. A lot of overcast, cloudy days. Significant rain. Also, at this time of year here in the Toronto area, the sun is high and the light can be harsh. Regardless, I can work around those hurdles. My issue is with the 80D focusing on moving aircraft. Slow taxiing, slowing down from a landing, or parked, the camera is fine. The shots are beyond my expectations and I'm very pleased. Shooting an aircraft in the air, be it a side shot on short final or more of an action type shot showing the aircraft as it meets the runway or leaves the runway has become a proper challenge.
To give you an example, if I take 20 shots in one sequence, I would think I'm being realistic to say that of those 20, I could choose from any of 13 - 15 shots to use as my final shot. That said, I have never had that many with the 80D. Several have all been either soft (beyond repair) or outright blurry, resulting in no shot for the subject aircraft. Occasionally I will get 3 - 4 of the 20. And when they're focused, the quality is, once again, very satisfactory.
It would appear I'm doing something wrong. I have IS set on with both lenses. I am shooting primarily in Aperture Value mode. ISO generally set at 100. WB on Auto. AI Servo mode for AF. Shooting Back Button Focus, a personal preference. (I had the focus issue before switching to this.) I tried originally in the factory preset mode, I believe all 45 metering points were active. That was bad. I then switched to a single point (set in the centre of the frame) and the results were minimally better. Then I went to nine points in the centre. No real difference.
If you've made it thru this, thanks for taking the time. If you have any comments or suggestions, your input would be appreciated! Thanks again!