- go early, spot your places, you have access to,
- make notes and do a plan, which place is best, to shoot from at which phase of the race
- take in account the weather report (more on weather later) for the planning
- don't stay in the way of other folks - they paid tickets too
- don't take more than 2 cameras, if you have to haul by yourself
- the 300 will do - I shot the F1 GP Shanghai this year with a 300 and occasional x1.7 TC
(look at my website, you get an idea)
- the 50 is too wide, to get scenes (I like a 35 or 28 better for that) and too short, to do portraits in the ranks (nice for waiting time, when you are set and ready)
- pack a wide/ fish/ fantasy filters/ zoom lens - the GP is long, you might want to play with effects
- ear packs as advised - F1 is loud - GP2 was louder last year, Porsche cup can be done without, Aston V8 series blasts ears!
- bring your bag with climbing hooks for fixing gear to fence (gear in view and grabbing distance, but not on shoulder and not in the mud, if it rains)
- this is personal taste - some like sticks, others tripods, some don't - I hate sticks and tripods for anything shorter 400/2.8 - gives me more freedom and better feel - do, what you like, BUT DON"T BRING THE STUFF, as suggested, to try it out all (you end up carrying it the whole weekend)
- bring colored electrical tape and a marker to write on it - I take notes, not to forget and tape them on the lens/ camera, I don't want to forget in the heat of action ("1/250 ->1/60" or "min f4 - fence!!!" etc. )
- if you got fences, only three things make them invisible in your shots:
1) wide aperture (if you're rather close to the fence)
2) slow shutter and panning (stay under 1/125 and you're safe, depending on speed at track)
3) a bulldozer
- if you pan shots, do it out of the hip and cement all upper body from moving and you're good with low shutters
- have two belt bags - one for fresh, one for old film
- have your mobile phone charged and be sufficient with sms, vibration alarm active - you won't hear each other, but you want contact your partner, when getting lost
- if you have an iPhone, the official FIA app might be for you with life timing, trackmap and live news feed
- take an UKW radio or if you're full, rent a Kangaroo TV (I LOVE THESE THINGS) - in Le Mans, they even reduced the price for the weekend to 40 or 50 EUR!!!
- have spare batteries - the one time every two years, they run down should not be in the 1 1/2 h of the GP
- if you push your film, you can fasten up the marking of the finished roll for ISO speed with this trick:
Write the 2 or 3 ISO speeds, you plan, top shoot on each fresh roll and just cross the one, you used, when finishing a roll.
No pen needed, no proper writing needed (I use the edge of the baseplate of a Leica for this - great design !)
- bring B&W MRC filter for the lenses, you plan, to shoot in the rain - much easier, to get the water away, than uncoated or no filters in the rain!
- bring 2 or 3 plastic trash bags, folded and at least one roll 3M electrical tape:
builds you a rain cape, a lens/ camera condom, a hat, a dry seat in mud, …
- move a lot position during the race or you end up with a slide show of all cars, one place
There are 1000 things more, to think of, but I guess, this is enough fodder to think ;-)
Most important - enjoy the race and good luck for the team, you're for ;-)