Helicopters vs jets advice needed?

The goblin

The goblin

<span class="poty">POTY Winner 2015</span></br>
Messages
4,407
Name
Marsha
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi, not sure if this is the right area as its an aviation question.

I possibly have the opportunity to go on a helicopter evasion training exercise against something fast and pointy! The fast jet hasn't been booked yet but I'm hoping it's a typhoon!

I generally shoot in AV on my 7D, but this kind on trip is going to make shooting conditions difficult. It'll be either sky or ground back ground making metering a challenge. What settings would you recommend! I tend to stick to evaluative metering.

I have a new 70-200 F2.8 IS but I fear that may be too cumbersome on a helicopter being thrown around, so I may have to stick with my 17-55 f2.8.

Although we may be taking a trip through London so some action shots of the other helicopter against the London skyline could be good!

Any fast jet/ helicopter tips greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
 
What helicopter are you going to be in?
Fine if its a Chinook or Merlin, with a view out the back, but a Puma only has side doors.
I'd take both lenses, as you have no idea how close, if close at all happens they will be.
Evaluative metering should work best, copes fine with the aviation photography I do.
Lastly, be careful with the camera being against your eye while things are being chucked about. Being smacked in the face by a camera hurts!
 
Yes, I know.
I used to fly in the back of Guterslohs 18 Squadron Wessex's in the 70's, as I was still "on the books" of the ATC squadron I had been in while in the UK. The Germans at the time had a funny attitude to youth Military organisations...can't think why!
Anyway, I'd suspect you'll be strapped into the middle seats opposite the door, so there'll probably not be much scope for fighter evasion photography, but good luck with it.
 
Don't forget that with high G forces hefty objects become very hefty, and loose objects become very loose. If you are going to be chucked about, I doubt is you will be allowed to take anything which could compromise the structure of the aircraft, or its human contents.
Shooting from inside aircraft is not easy.
 
The goblin said:
I generally shoot in AV on my 7D, but this kind on trip is going to make shooting conditions difficult. It'll be either sky or ground back ground making metering a challenge. What settings would you recommend! I tend to stick to evaluative metering.

I have a new 70-200 F2.8 IS but I fear that may be too cumbersome on a helicopter being thrown around, so I may have to stick with my 17-55 f2.8.
Thanks.
Click to expand...

Don't use AV, you want shutter priority not aperture priority, take both lenses, but I think you'll regret if if you didn't have the 70-200mm on board. Shutter settings depend on what you want to photograph, if its the jet, a faster shutter speed is required, if its the helicopter, difficult beast to get right, you need a slowest shutter speed to capture the blades in motion, but not too slow to get soft images. Would always use TV and AI Servo settings for action type photograph as you need to control shutter speeds. Only use AV in certain situations like a head on shot of a car or bike coming towards me, but also have to take into account the conditions, because I still need a reasonable shutter speed.

Use the 1 over thumb rule. 200mm lens = 1/200 sec but because you have a 200mm + 1.6x crop, actually you need 1/320 sec to achieve reasonable results, of this is only a guide, but don't expect great results with shutter speeds of 1/50 sec if you using a 200mm lens, especially if you on board the helicopter.
 
I think the advice 'Don't use AV', is flawed.
I use it almost exclusively for aviation photography. The results, which are on the flickr link below, speak for themselves.
The best advice is use whichever works for you. You can control shutter speed with aperture, obviously, big hole, fast speed, small hole, slow speed.
As for shutter speed, however you do it, 1/200th is far too fast for a helicopter. 1/30th is far to fast for a chinook for example, but you will at least get a bit of blur. A Puma's not as bad, but a merlin, rotors take about as long to go around as the moon round earth (That was called humour!).
If on board another helicopter, then you obviously magnify vibration to a far greater degree than normal hand holding, so even /1200th might be risking it.
 
I assume your using a tripod and Wimberley Head for you shots to achieve 1/30 sec, otherwise that would be very very impressive handheld images in your gallery, shame there's no exif info on your shots to what actual setting you used..... but some impressive helicopter images all the same.

Actually the Chinook Rotor rotates at 225 rpm, so 1/30 might be a bit excessive, I've been supporting the Health Monitoring Programmes on most of the UK MOD Helicopters for years in my job, so I know a bit about most of them.
 
There is EXIF data, I was under the impression you could see if.
Anyway..

5941320098_202f5a3b22_b.jpg


was taken at 1/25th, hand held. Tripods are useless for aviation photography.

Whereas this one

3501161608_50b8bda76f_z.jpg


was at 1/100th and as you can see, blades are almost frozen.
 
Last edited:
I've only just noticed these replies, my TP app has stopped working!

Bernie174 said:
but a merlin, rotors take about as long to go around as the moon round earth
Click to expand...

HAHAHA, that's if they ever go at all!

Oh if you're interested a puma has a rotor speed of 235 rpm!

My trip never did happen. I'll badger my way onto something else. In the mean time I will snap away using some/ all of your tips.
 
I always shoot my air to air stuff using Aperture Priority. As a tip, when you are fitted for you pax trip ask for black flying gloves instead of the standard white. Reflection is the one thing that can be a pain when shooting from within an aircraft.

My concern is that, if it is an EV sortie against a radar threat, you will not see the other aircraft. I have flown this type sortie from the other aircraft and if a photographer was on the target (a Chinook in this case) he would not have seen me!

Best of luck and enjoy the trip.

Cheesy
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top