Recommended Camera

[steve_bow]

Hello,
First time/post on this board. Does anyone have recommendations for Digital Camera to use at motorsports events.

Have Nikon 995 but not quick enough, therefore looking at Canon 20D, is this the best for motorsport use.

Need to get one soon as going to Le Mans for the first time this year and also go to BTCC, been to F1 once but really want to go to Monaco sometime.

Therefore need something capable for this kind of work.

Thanks in advance
Steve

[TerryC]

Really most of the modern DSLR you see are good enough except perhaps the Canon 300/50D which is rather limited in terms of functions/capabilities. Depending on your budget and seriousness about photography, D70/70s/100 and the Canon 20D are very good choices. The old 10D is also worth considering too.

[egor]

I'm really happy with the results I get with my D70. Just need to improve myself to match the camera!

[PaulSands]

My 10D just broke after a year and a half so I'm not impressed

[rdjones]

Originally Posted by PaulSands

My 10D just broke after a year and a half so I'm not impressed

What's the problem Paul, I have heard stories of shutter problems after about 80,000 shots.

[PaulSands]

Could well be...when I take a shot I get a perfectly formed picture of a black cat in a coal cellar...broke midway through Ford Saloon Car Challenge at Doonington on Sunday so I was v v v v v pi**ed off.
I've tried changing both batteries, different flash cards, different lenses but no luck. I can hear something actuating but it's like the shutter isnt opening. Fortunately I have about 8 months warranty left..I'll get it fixed and see if I can upgrade to a 1D MKII, not the S (there's a camera tip) and then use it as a back up...of course now I am sans camera this weekend. Of an holiday to France in a week so it could have been worse timing wise...especially had I planned to take in Le Mans

[Happy Snapper]

Originally Posted by steve_bow

Hello,
First time/post on this board. Does anyone have recommendations for Digital Camera to use at motorsports events.

Have Nikon 995 but not quick enough, therefore looking at Canon 20D, is this the best for motorsport use.

Need to get one soon as going to Le Mans for the first time this year and also go to BTCC, been to F1 once but really want to go to Monaco sometime.

Therefore need something capable for this kind of work.

Thanks in advance
Steve

Personally I use Nikon D2H, did use D100 I feel the D100 was a little slow in focus and tracking but was very able to produce sharp images, its big up side was 3000 images between battery charges with the progrip fitted. Its down side was the buffer was too slow and toosmall. If you shoot in jpeg its not bad but I shoot everything in raw format so D2H or D2X is the only Nikon choice. I’ve not used Canon’s so cannot comment except the early models do appear to eat batteries.

[PaulSands]

Battery wise the 10D seems fine..gets through about 1&1/2 of the rechargeables per meeting

[gi_gav]

Paul - i don't know where you bought yours from but badger them into giving you a loan camera for the holiday. You wouldn't seriously go to Le Mans without one, would you!?

[MikeHoyer]

:O Le Mans without a camera, I think I'd just sell my ticket

I use a D100, very happy with it myself.

[Andrew_S]

tbh i would rather sell my camera than my le mans ticket

[SeaneyC]

Originally Posted by Happy Snapper

I’ve not used Canon’s so cannot comment except the early models do appear to eat batteries.

Would agree, my 1D lasts about 400-600 shots per battery, which isn't THAT bad, until you start getting lazy and shooting max frame rate and you've run out of memory and battery in 2 races

[SeaneyC]

Originally Posted by PaulSands

Could well be...when I take a shot I get a perfectly formed picture of a black cat in a coal cellar...broke midway through Ford Saloon Car Challenge at Doonington on Sunday so I was v v v v v pi**ed off.
I've tried changing both batteries, different flash cards, different lenses but no luck. I can hear something actuating but it's like the shutter isnt opening. Fortunately I have about 8 months warranty left..I'll get it fixed and see if I can upgrade to a 1D MKII, not the S (there's a camera tip) and then use it as a back up...of course now I am sans camera this weekend. Of an holiday to France in a week so it could have been worse timing wise...especially had I planned to take in Le Mans

If you have a sensor cleaning option, you can see if the mirror is not lifting, and if it does, you can see if the shutter is opening or not too. If it's still in warranty i would definately get it off ASAP, although i don't know if the shutter is covered in the 10D or not (has a quoted life?)

[gi_gav]

SeaneyC - The 1D's battery life is pretty awful given the size and expense of the bloody things (the battery, not the camera!) but i haven't ever found that shooting at 8fps makes much of an impact, it's more how much you're using the screen.

I've got some of the Black Diamond Media batteries from mydigitaldiscount.com and they work very well indeed - closer to 600-800 shots per charge at least, although I have to say that I barely notice things like battery life - i'll just replace it and get on with it.

Aside from that, the expected shutter life for the 10D was something like 80,000 actuations but it was never a legal issue - ie. it's not guaranteed to last that long, and it doesn't invalidate the warranty if you've gone over that number.

[PaulSands]

Whats the expected shutter life of the 1D MKII?