Survival Flight

[Brownie]

Just started to climb into the truck leaving work today, having put the camera bag in the backseat, when I hear the steady beat of a helicopter approaching. Had to do a quick change with the lens, was sure I'd miss it. Couldn't slow the shutter because the lens is fixed f/8, so frozen blades. Minolta Maxxum 5D and 500/8 Reflex.

PICT0029 by telecast, on Flickr

 

[spudhead]

I guess that is the 500 mm f8 mirror reflex lens Tim ?

 

[Gaz]

I love these shots. The rescue helicopter, the surf patrol and shark patrol, as well as tourist flights cruise past the beach where I live every day. I desperately want to photograph the people up there photographing me!

Also, I’m on the flight path to the airport periodically…. Freezing the propeller on the turbo-props requires lots of scrambled fussing from the normal landscape shots!

 

[Gaz]

• ILCE-7M4
• Sony FE 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS
• 240.0 mm
• ƒ/6.3
• 1/1000 sec
• ISO 320

The flying pencil….. need a bit more speed!

 

[Brownie]

I guess that is the 500 mm f8 mirror reflex lens Tim ?

Yes. I'm still amazed at this lens, I've never seen a reflex that produces such good images.

Also, I’m on the flight path to the airport periodically…. Freezing the propeller on the turbo-props requires lots of scrambled fussing from the normal landscape shots!

Not really. When you get so used to shooting in M it becomes muscle memory and you can get it done pretty quickly. In this case I had no aperture to adjust. I could've bumped ISO and slowed the shutter, but I was lucky I got the lens on and the camera up in time! I had about one second to spin the shutter dial to get exposure. The other problem is that this was the Maxxum. I still have to stop and think for a second before I can make a change. The Sony would've been second nature.

If you want an advantage for shooting a combination of fast props/slow props/jets, use P mode. It's like using M (when paying strict attention to the meter for exposure), but you only need to spin one dial. You can use it with a mind toward shutter or aperture, either way.

 

[Kevriano]

Nice clarity and sharpness for a Mirror lens.

 

[Brownie]

Nice clarity and sharpness for a Mirror lens.

Yeah, and it's A-Mount autofocus too!