70-200mm lenses for a CL

[KitW]

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I'm thinking of getting one primarily for photographing aircraft, both for air-to-air and panning shots of aircraft landing. Optical image stabilisation would let me use lower shutter speeds to get more propeller blur, and I think is indispensable for panning shots. It seems to me that the choices are the Sigma f2.8, the Leica f2.8 or the Panasonic f2.8 or f4.

I'm currently leaning towards the Panasonic f4 for its smaller size in my cramped cockpit, and because of the battery issues I hear about with the Sigmas. On the other hand, Sigmas have several different OIS modes including a panning mode. Is this something I would miss if I went for the Panasonic? I get the impression that panning modes are something one adjusts through camera menus for SL and other cameras, but as far as I can determine for the CL it is either 'on' or 'off'.

This is a shot with the 55-135. I could get better quality by decreasing the ISO (1600) and F-stop (13!), but my experience is that I get a lot of motion blur unless I use very fast shutter speeds. The original is as ever, rather sharper than displayed on this website.

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Edited Tuesday at 03:38 AM by KitW

[jaapv]

I do plan to use the Sigma 70-200 on my CL the coming time. With the handgrip it handles well. I can imagine that for your use case the wide and optically excellent aperture of 2.8 combined with fast AF would be an advantage. Drawback: the Leica grip inhibits battery change - but there are other options. I used the CL with the Sigma 150-600, another power thirsty lens, but never ran into trouble. Battery life was decent and spares are cheap and small to carry. 

[tommonego@gmail.com]

I am just wondering why ISO 1600 and f13, dropping to f8 would increase your shutter speed by a stop and a half. ISO 800 is less noisy than ISO 1600 and at f8 you could use around 1/2000 of a second, with ISO 400, less noisy still and f5.6 again about 1/2000. Are you trying for even a higher shutter speed? I do agree a fast AF would be helpful. 

[KitW]

Good questions. I just set it to shutter priority and locked the ISO. What I should have done is to lock the shutter speed and aperture and let the camera choose an appropriate ISO. I would like image stabilisation so that I could use a lower shutter speed e.g. 1/250-1/500 and get the propeller more blurred.

The issue is that I am quite busy keeping the right side up and have to keep one hand on the joystick. I can safely bring the camera to my eye and press the shutter, but it's not the right setting for chimping. I should have mentioned that realistically I have to shoot single handed.

Edited Tuesday at 11:27 PM by KitW

[tommonego@gmail.com]

Have to say I have never piloted a plane and taken photographs, a unique experience. Looking at the plane you photographeded, are you also in an open cockpit dealing with wind buffetting too? I would set the ISO and shutter speed and let the camera decide the f stop, requires a lens that works well with the CL. In my few usages of auto ISO I haven't liked the camera's choices. 

[jaapv]

Not too bad for size: 

 

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[KitW]

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It looks pretty big to me, but I will hopefully see it in the flesh on Friday. I've emailed a shop and requested that they get a second hand Panasonic in for me to probably buy, but I'm sure they will have the Sigma and I will be sure to look at it as people seem to like it a lot.

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Yes, my aircraft (above) is open cockpit which means that my expensive glass doesn't have to look through any perspex to get a picture. But any lens peeking past the windshield is subject to extreme buffeting. I've only ever tried air to ground photography before and found that the 60mm worked best, partly because it is easy to keep in the cockpit. It's part of the reason I upgraded to a CL from a 5D. It just got in the way. Aside from O.I.S, a slightly longer lens would help air to air photography, partly by enabling us to keep further apart.

The thoughts on auto ISO are interesting. I'd assumed it would be the answer. Maybe I just have to accept that I will have to check the exposure once in a while as the light changes.

 

Edited 4 hours ago by KitW