Nighttime Car Photos

vitaminc396

I just found your site and it looks amazing for photos, information and help. Last night I bought the cheat sheets which will help me in the future.

Equipment I have: Canon T2i, 18-55mm lens, 55-250mm lens, wireless remote and tripod. I like shooting in manual mode as it is a challenge.

So my question: I am at a car show full of hot rods and I want to take photos at night of them driving by. Problem is that even when I use a tripod they still come out blurry to the point of streaking. I do not mind the streaked photo as I have 2 cool shots I did, but I would like the non-streaked blurry free photo at night. Any help on this?

Also, for still, up close car photos I am looking at getting the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Standard AutoFocus Lens. I like the lower F/Stop and would use it instead of my 18-55mm. Is this a good idea?

Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely, Michael

PBked

Hi,
I am assuming that you are using a panning technique and using continuous shooting. What angle are you shooting from? Rather than at right-angles to the cars, try to find a position where the cars are coming towards you, maybe at a slight angle. Do remember to switch off your IS if the camera is mounted on a tripod.
The 55-250mm is an underrated lens, but it does not have USM and so it is a little slower to focus. Make sure you have AI Servo selected as your shooting mode.
The 50mm f/1.4 is a good lens to have, but you could also consider the Sigma version which has had excellent reviews.
Regards, PBked