In automobile racing, if you start from the last position, it is difficult to come back to the 1st position. But if you have the same car as the other drivers, this is even worse.
Dean Evans, in 1985 did much better than this in an Australian car race where all the competing cars were Lotus Elise: He went from the 16th and last position to the pole position within a single lap.
Watch this demonstration from a hell of a race driver:
I was at Le Mans 2009 endurance car race during the official test runs of last week. I brought back a few photos (despite the considerable problem of shooting pictures under the rain).
After some interesting comments seen about the age of the current EF 100-400 f/4-5.6L IS tele-zoom from Canon (for example, in the recent test done by Chasseur d’Images), there is now an active rumour about the arrival of a real replacement.
The Canon EF 100-400 f/4-5.6L IS II would no longer be a push-pull design but would have a second ring (like the recently presented Sony design). Better for managing the sealing and protection that are so important when used in difficult conditions like a photo-safari. It would also be equipped with an upgraded image stabilizer (the most critical issue with the existing zoom).
Expect a price of US$1700. If that one is true, it will be a very good price.
Announcement: Not sure, but you can bet there would be something about it on September 17th when Canon will present its new SLR body.
We were waiting for it, we were speaking about it, we were murmuring. Here it comes. Sony just let some information leak about their new super-tele-lens to complete an already rather rich list of good quality lenses:
The Sony 70-400mm f/4-5.6 G SSM is described in the PDF documentation of the Sony 70-300mm f/4-5.6 G SSM. Obviously, they were designed together. It is a twist-zoom. This will differentiate quite notably from the push-pull type of others like the Canon 100-400mm and it should protect it efficiently against dust entry (and we know that this is the bane of push-pulls.
The technical features can be read from this table. I can imediately notice that the diaphragm is staying between f/4 and f/5.6 (the golden standard of this type of zoom), that the weight is rather high (heavier than the Nikon and the Canon, nearly as much as the Sigma equivalnet) and that the minimum focus distance is very competitive.
Let’s wait for images and tests (and the price), but this could be the ideal lens to go and shoot in a wild-life safari.
Amateurs of sports photography and wildlife photography are generally well aware that the Holy Grail of lenses seems to be a (relatively) light tele-zoom lens of 100-400mm range and an aperture under f/5.6. This set of features allows a lot of versatility (tele range with the ability to quickly and easily change the frame) and a good behaviour in terms of AF (most modern AF behave correctly up to f/5.6 but no further than this).
This is the reason why the Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS UM and Nikon AF 80-400mm VR f/4.5-5.6 D ED has been so successful despite their obviously high prices (around $2000). When I’m on photo safari, I’d say that about half the people around me have one of the Canons as their main lens (somtimes, it’s even their only lens).
Some time ago, Sigma added its own version of this lens (see this high-end zoom lens comparison). And it was a winner in terms of price-performance.
Now, we can expect several significant news in this range of products coming from different manufacturers.
Sony presented about a year ago a mockup of a zoom lens corresponding well to this range. The word is out that it will be a 70-400mm f/5.6 zoom presented to the European press on August 14th (for an official launch in the beginning of September, probably at the same time Sony launches the Sony Alpha 800 and/or Sony Alpha 900 Full Frame camera(s)).
According to some rumors (mainly originating from an unsubstantiated initial post at NikonRumours), there will soon be a Nikon AF80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED VR update. And this should be explaining the reduced availability of the original version.
I would even be tempted to read between the lines of a recent test article of Chasseur d’Image and say that Canon will also be hard pressed to provide an update to its aging 100-400mm. After all, it’s a real cash cow and a sure sale for owners of top- and mid-range cameras like the Canon EOS 40D (and possibly its successor EOS 50D – next year?).
The current rumour is that top hats from Canon Japan are currently travelling to China to support the imminent launch of one or two new SLR cameras for the brand. It would be the replacement for the Canon EOS 5D (the most repeated name is now Canon EOS 7D, but who knows) and the successor to the Canon EOS 40D (obviously named EOS 50D).
Since the EOS 5D MkII is expected around this time and no later than September PMA fair, this is quite a possibility and having a handful of these cameras in the hands of pro photographers for all to see would be a very nice promotional opportunity for Canon. This is much needed after the thunderous launch of the Nikon D700 and just before the arrival of the Sony Alpha 800/900 (direct competitors in the Full Frame SLR camera market).
I’m still sceptical about an EOS 50D that would be arriving a little too early according to Canon habits in terms of launches, except if it was a low-cost version of the previous Full Frame camera. And, there, it would be a great event. Think about it! Simultaneous launch of two war machines hitting right into the center of the preoccupations of the most enthusiast photographers.
Some people expect the announcement to happen on Monday.
If you liked my photos about Le Mans, you’re just in time to jump to Michelle Roohani’s web site. Excellent blogger, graphist and photographer, she has just posted a series of photos of Delahaye, Hispano Suiza, Kurtis 500, Bentley, Ferrari, Bugatti.
Here is a good example of a photographic opportunity caught at the right time. I am going to the first qualification runs of the 24h of Le Mans (endurance car race in the West of France). Of course, I did not forget to bring some photo hardware with me, even if I was told that the wire meshes are everywhere on auto race tracks.
And, while the weather seemed crappy for most of the day, we have an early evening with a superb light. I grab my brand new second-hand Minolta APO G 400mm tele-lens in order to move back and shoot over the metal obstacles (sometimes, under the up-turned corner of a metal net). Here is the result caught by my Sony Alpha 700, the best images I could catch in the stands: A place where there is always something happening -at least before the race itself.
Click on the thumbnails image to enlarge them
Some of these images can be acquired as posters or as laminated prints on RedBubble.
I was yesterday evening at the qualification for Le Mans 2008 endurance race. Luckily (as a photographer), I was in the right place to cacth a glimpse of the crash of the Lola Mazda car that went flying in the last minutes of the tests (unlucky for the team).
I was at 1/40s and f/2.8 (on my Minolta APO G 200mm tele-lens), so the image is a little blurry… Usually, I wouldn’t let such low quality out, but the accident is still quite spectacular.
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