New Settings @ KLAS

Real World Aviation Spotting
#1

Hi All!

This morning I decided to try some new camera settings. I increased my aperture and decreased my shutter speed. I think it went well! My original settings was 1/1000 @ F5.6

My new one is 1/500 @ F8.0

I got scared the first time using my new settings so I went to my default 🗿

Heres the longer version on the 753 pencil arriving from Atlanta.

image
image1467×948 253 KB

Here was my first shot with my new settings, a lil A320neo from Frontier

image
image1352×894 244 KB

🤙 from the Captain

image
image1473×954 193 KB

Here is my first ever successful Pan Shot! I like it, unfortunately, I messed up on 95% of the pan shots because I used the wrong settings. My aperture was too low to the light and I did not realize it till I got home.

image
image1370×721 165 KB

Next comes Big Chungus flown by Delta. This one heads to Mini Apple Iss

image
image1397×911 197 KB
image
image1448×965 248 KB

Heres a nice wave from both the Captain and Co-Pilot as they head off to Sandy Eggo.

Also a sleek tail shot ;)

image
image1302×899 310 KB
image
image1320×955 254 KB

Here comes “Company Blue” in the Bubbles livery headed to Fort Lauderdale!

image
image1310×785 223 KB

@AndrewWu

Help 👀 I don’t know what good pan setting to use 😎

42 Likes
#2

heres your tag @Ur_Friendly_Approach

1 Like
#3

Really cool pictures! Too bad the 767-400 doesn’t fly into LAX anymore

2 Likes
#4

Delta started flying the pencils and big chungus’ into Vegas. I think they’re returning at 739/8s arrive every hour of the day now :)

1 Like
#5

I see that last jetBlue plane flying to Fort Lauderdale right now from where you were!

1 Like
#6

Indeed! JetBlue has been sending tons of special liveries here from the Fort for thw past couple of weeks!

1 Like
#7

And, the pilots seem to enjoy the visitors here too! Beautiful pictures and the scenery too. I love Las Vegas in the sun and the lovely Sandy deserts. 😍

1 Like
#8

thats basically my nightmare

it was only 115 degrees (45 Celsius) out)

Indeed the pilots love to wave! My spot is not common at all by spotters so they are probably confused to haha

and half of em keep their binder blocking their left-hand window to keep themself in the shade 😒

1 Like
#9

Awesome photos!

1 Like
#10

@Altaria55 educate this man.

Enjoy your increased sharpness.

ISO as low as possible, 1/100 (ish) and then set aperture to whatever you need, probably like 16-22.

3 Likes
#11

First of all, I wanted to shoot on my default because the first aircraft I went to spot was a Delta 753 in which that is really rare ;-;

Second of all, thank you

1 Like
#12

And one more thing to add.

My camera’s ISO goes to 100 minimum. Canon Rebel XSI’s are trashhhh :(

1 Like
#13

Okay maybe this misconception isn’t as rare as I thought it was, but small adjustments like that to your settings will never seriously throw off anything. In my almost two years of spotting I have never, not a single instance, missed a shot because my settings were “off” - even when I was starting out.

Your camera may not be good at deciding what settings to shoot with if you use auto, but it is damn good at telling you how much light it’s letting in, that’s its job (check the little meter thing in the viewfinder). In addition, if you’re unsure, just literally take a picture of the sky where the aircraft will be and check your exposure there.

I think there’s more to lose by using like f/5.6 and risking the tail or nose being out of focus if you focus on the wrong part of the aircraft than there is by possible screwing up your exposure (one of those can be fixed; the other can’t)

Most starter DSLRs are like that, it’s not a huge deal. You’ll sacrifice a bit of sharpness to diffraction but no one expects pans to be as tactically sharp (is that the right word?) as normal shots. They should be motion blur free but detail is kind of a whatever.

1 Like
#14

Darn. I totally forgot IFC doesn’t like the word “scr*wing”, but I hope that gets restored.

1 Like
#15

it better get restored after you type out the 4 page essay for me :)

1 Like
#16

Anyways, the reason why I shot the 753 default is just in case. I actually managed to arrive there 30 seconds before it arrived. (It was 10am and i woke up at 9:20) so basically i never got to take a test shot or anything. I didn’t wanna miss such a rare aircraft (to vegas) so I shot regularly. Sometimes, my shots tend to be way to bright because the sun here basically ruins everything lol

1 Like
#17

The southwest tail shot is very hot

1 Like
#18

Very Nice.

1 Like
#19

Take practice shots. LAX was the first time I didn’t rely on auto to catch something rare and I haven’t since, and look how it turned out for me.

Don’t be scared. If you always fall back on auto, you’ll never get better.

Great shots nonetheless.

2 Likes
#20

Nah, I took it because it was the first aircraft I saw that day, no testing. I would test if it was something like a SW but nah, it was a really rare aircraft 😂