menos
Veteran
Nice, to come back to this thread and you did it ;-)
You definitely sound, like the RF will grow on you!
As said, try, to get your hands on a long lens, but be warned, now the time might start, when you get introduced into the technical downsides of rangefinder shooting, making individual lens/ camera combinations necessary, to be well mated to each other.
The 135 Elmarit, Roger mentioned, would not be my first pick, especially for motorsports. I have used one and it is far more difficult, to use, than any 135 f4 lens, which are just fine for motorsport shots during daylight:
M8 + 135 APO-Telyt @ Le Mans 2011:
"IMSA Performance Matmut - Porsche 911 GT3 RSR" on flickr
This was shot on a overcast afternoon at base ISO and way stopped down, as I misplaced my only ND filter before heading to France.
A ND filter for daylight motorsports panning shots is essential, to get to low enough shutter speeds, really fast lenses only go in the way for motorsports (heavy, big, slow focussing, in case of the Elmarit a very uncomfortable "tunnel vision" through the goggles, etc…).
I consider the 135 APO-Telyt the best option (but unfortunately also by far the most costly), while the predecessor 134 f4 should be very, very close in performance (never tried one, but knowledgable people do praise it).
If you have something going for classic looking, low contrast and slightly soft (wide open), you might as well go for a vintage LTM or M 135mm.
135mm f3.5 or f4 are fairly common specs since the 50's and only downside in handling those old guns is, that most older ones are no real telephoto designs, meaning, the focus throw can be veeeery long.
The older they come, the more often, they are built from more heavy materials.
I am still trying to decide, if I add an old Nikkor 135mm to my Nikkor-S.C 5cm of same vintage and use it for motorsports, just for the fun of it ;-)
Let me tell you, that 90mm most often is just too short unfortunately.
The above shot is only slightly cropped (about 10%) and I was very close to the track here.
90s are great for portraits or getting a closer fov for not so distant subject.
They are not for reach, whereas the 135 is just for that: reach.
Good luck hunting that 135 and keep shooting ;-)
PS - I wrote so much, but didn't answer your questions in the older post:
Yes, I select different spots with the Leica, than I would with a Nikon and long fast teles.
Basically, everything at a steep angle is going to be difficult and keeper rates decline.
You also have the limitation of that "short" 135mm, so you need to get close!
I do not shoot with zone focus and stopped down lenses, as this is limiting your freedom in free shooting and framing, as the cars move around and constantly change distance and most importantly, as you most often have to fight obstacles in front of your lens (fences, fence posts, catch wires, etc…).
You should try to shoot as open as possible and as slow shutter as possible, to get rid of obstacles (hence the need for ND filters).
You can shoot way stopped down, as I did during the daytime in Le Mans this year as a workaround, but you will be limited, to slow shutter panning only, as of the fences becoming visible very early already (about f4 - f5.6 is dead border, being about two meters locked behind the fence).
You definitely sound, like the RF will grow on you!
As said, try, to get your hands on a long lens, but be warned, now the time might start, when you get introduced into the technical downsides of rangefinder shooting, making individual lens/ camera combinations necessary, to be well mated to each other.
The 135 Elmarit, Roger mentioned, would not be my first pick, especially for motorsports. I have used one and it is far more difficult, to use, than any 135 f4 lens, which are just fine for motorsport shots during daylight:
M8 + 135 APO-Telyt @ Le Mans 2011:
"IMSA Performance Matmut - Porsche 911 GT3 RSR" on flickr
This was shot on a overcast afternoon at base ISO and way stopped down, as I misplaced my only ND filter before heading to France.
A ND filter for daylight motorsports panning shots is essential, to get to low enough shutter speeds, really fast lenses only go in the way for motorsports (heavy, big, slow focussing, in case of the Elmarit a very uncomfortable "tunnel vision" through the goggles, etc…).
I consider the 135 APO-Telyt the best option (but unfortunately also by far the most costly), while the predecessor 134 f4 should be very, very close in performance (never tried one, but knowledgable people do praise it).
If you have something going for classic looking, low contrast and slightly soft (wide open), you might as well go for a vintage LTM or M 135mm.
135mm f3.5 or f4 are fairly common specs since the 50's and only downside in handling those old guns is, that most older ones are no real telephoto designs, meaning, the focus throw can be veeeery long.
The older they come, the more often, they are built from more heavy materials.
I am still trying to decide, if I add an old Nikkor 135mm to my Nikkor-S.C 5cm of same vintage and use it for motorsports, just for the fun of it ;-)
Let me tell you, that 90mm most often is just too short unfortunately.
The above shot is only slightly cropped (about 10%) and I was very close to the track here.
90s are great for portraits or getting a closer fov for not so distant subject.
They are not for reach, whereas the 135 is just for that: reach.
Good luck hunting that 135 and keep shooting ;-)
PS - I wrote so much, but didn't answer your questions in the older post:
Yes, I select different spots with the Leica, than I would with a Nikon and long fast teles.
Basically, everything at a steep angle is going to be difficult and keeper rates decline.
You also have the limitation of that "short" 135mm, so you need to get close!
I do not shoot with zone focus and stopped down lenses, as this is limiting your freedom in free shooting and framing, as the cars move around and constantly change distance and most importantly, as you most often have to fight obstacles in front of your lens (fences, fence posts, catch wires, etc…).
You should try to shoot as open as possible and as slow shutter as possible, to get rid of obstacles (hence the need for ND filters).
You can shoot way stopped down, as I did during the daytime in Le Mans this year as a workaround, but you will be limited, to slow shutter panning only, as of the fences becoming visible very early already (about f4 - f5.6 is dead border, being about two meters locked behind the fence).
BobYIL
Well-known
The 135/4 Tele-Elmar.. sharp wide open.. reasonable price.. on the M8 it is almost 180mm! Used it long years for motocross and enduro races.. I think he would like it...
mugget
Established
Cheers all.
Yeah I think the 135/4 Tele-Elmar is what I was looking at... I will look into all the pros/cons, but something on the more budget side will suit me just fine!
This is definitely 'to be continued'...
Yeah I think the 135/4 Tele-Elmar is what I was looking at... I will look into all the pros/cons, but something on the more budget side will suit me just fine!
This is definitely 'to be continued'...
menos
Veteran
There is an interesting Nikkor-Q 135 f3.5 in LTM mount in the classifieds right now (from somebody, who is selling a M3).
This is an interesting lens @ 200 USD, looks complete too with caps, hood and leather. You would have to contact the seller though, to find out about cosmetics, glass and mechanics.
It is a long and heavy lens by modern rangefinder standards, but I would guess (leaning out of window now), that the above shot should be possible too, stopped down.