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- NOTE: This
article was first published in 2001. Since the technology has been
advancing rapidly, facts, views and opinions expressed here may be
outdated.
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- Introduction
::: In the following article I tried to help you to
improve the quality of your aviation related photography. Keep in
mind that all opinions expressed below are my own and you may
disagree on some. I have tried to give these opinions as honest as
possible, but personal likes and dislikes cannot be avoided in
writing articles like these.
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-
 :::
The main camera used by aviation photographers is the
35mm Single Lens Reflex (SLR) type. These are portable, affordable
and have great handling characteristics. Most aviation
photographers collect, trade or sell 35mm slides made with SLR cameras. There are a
number of different camera manufactures like Nikon, Canon and
Minolta that make good 35mm cameras. Each of the brands and models
have their own special qualities. However for aviation photography
you need to look for some specific features that a camera should
have (IMHO). These are listed below.
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Auto Focus
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::: Not really an essential (manual focusing can do the
job) but it can make life a lot easier. If you don’t have to worry
about focusing you can concentrate on the composition and exposure
of the image. Make sure the camera of your choice has a (very)
fast and accurate auto focus system that will work under
unfavorable lighting conditions. Fast moving aircraft with a low
contrast color scheme (grey) are hard to focus on for entry level
SLR cameras. Look for multi-sensor, seven or up, auto focus
systems for accurate and fast focusing.
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Motor Drive
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::: This is a very handy feature too. It makes it
possible to shoot a number of frames in a row of e.g. a fast
moving jet. The chance of capturing that split-second action shot
increases a lot when you have the opportunity to make multiple
exposures. Of course is a motor drive not a substitute for good
panning techniques and pressing the shutter button at the right
moment !
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Exposure control
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::: Most cameras have multiple metering and exposure
programs. Next to some pre-programmed sets like sports, portrait
or landscape you would want aperture preset exposure and diaphragm
preset exposure. An option to manually correct these setting to
avoid over- and under exposure is a must. Also a kind of spot
metering or partial metering will be very nice.
Other
options
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::: Of course there is more things that you should
consider before you buy a camera. For example the layout of the
controls and the way the settings and menus can be changed. You
don’t want to miss that once in a lifetime shot just because you
were messing around to get your camera in the right mode. Also
take into account that with the choice of camera brand you also
make a choice for lenses. More on what kind of lens to use in part
2 of this tutorial.
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- -- To be
continued --
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