URRG 7/30/2017

[DavidMcCann]

I missed most of the fun on Saturday... but was able to enjoy a good part of Sunday and some fantastic weather.

all shots- https://www.flickr.com/photos/31757945@N05/albums/72157684321073864

 

[CPUTommy]

Awesome pics!!

 

[snrkl]

Nice work!

 

[mpitfield]

Nice shots as usual Dave! Looks like the crops are starting to get pretty tall. Remind me again what is the first launch, post harvest?

 

[DavidMcCann]

Nice shots as usual Dave! Looks like the crops are starting to get pretty tall. Remind me again what is the first launch, post harvest?

I think last year they started bringing the corn down the morning of the Aug launch. Right now it's taller than I am. By feet. I think we got everything back from the corn gods this weekend

 

[Bobfly]

Hi David,

You have taken some great photos. What kind of camera gear and lens assortment are you using?

All the best,
Bob

 

[DavidMcCann]

Hi David,

You have taken some great photos. What kind of camera gear and lens assortment are you using?

All the best,
Bob

thanks!

Canon 7D, EF 70-200 USM L f/2.8

I run in manual, today was ISO 400, 1/1250- 1/2000 on the shutter, and whatever Av looked good, I think I was around f/6.3 most of the day.

 

[Bobfly]

David are you using a tripod? What your frame rate per second? Are you using Lightroom for the processing?

Bob

 

[DavidMcCann]

No tripod. At these shutter speeds I don't wind up with any blur from shaking, and I like being free to try and track the rocket up to apogee (easier the further you are from the rocket) I zoom out for fast launches, and crop in later.

8 frames a second. I shoot .jpg, which gives me a basically endless buffer.

I do use lightroom for processing... I've been back and forth between LR and Aperture. They both have their strong suits.


I wound up selling the second body (30D) to fund my L1 way back in the day. I miss running two bodies.....

 

[Bobfly]

Well David, you obviously have a good eye. I've been to a lot of launches. You don't see too many people taking serious pictures with real cameras. There are a lot of iPhone photographers out there though.

I'm sure that you could pickup a used second body at an inexpensive price. My local camera store gives you very little on camera body trade ins.

Are you going to attend the URRF October launch? I will be doing my Level 3 flight at the October launch and would love for you to take some pictures.

Canon and Nikon always seem to be sea-sawing back and forth on whom is making the best camera gear. Nikon was on top years ago when I started buying serious camera equipment. I think Canon is doing a better job today. Once you have multiple lens from one manufacturer it's too expensive to change systems.

I had had to buy one Canon body to use with their tilt shift lens for architectural work. Canon makes the best tilt shift lens sets.

I've only taken a few pictures of rocket launches. It's distracting trying to take pictures while you are flying. I've been shooting a Nikon D4, D5, and 810. I shoot in RAW. The buffer isn't a problem with the D4 and D5. It is a problem with the 810. I've been using a 300 mm f 2.8 at the METRA club field. My MAC Performance Zodiac kit was first flown at the URRF field event. I took a few pictures of that Launch with a 500 mm on the D5. The camera was locked down on a tripod.

All the best,
Bob

 

[DavidMcCann]

Thanks. Yea, I'd want a 500 on a tripod too. You nailed it with lenses, I went canon due to availability of lenses from my mother, and just stuck with it. Nikons seem to get more accurate color than canon. (Or all my Nikon friends are just better than me)

looking fast on ebay a second 7D would be cheap, though I should probably look for an old 5D or 1Ds for giggles. (Wow they're basically giving away mk I and II)

My L3 should be going up in Sept, and I'm going to try to make the Oct launch.

 

[Bobfly]

Hi David,

Good Luck on your level 3. Are you flying your Level 3 at Potter? If the Penn Yann area wasn't so far away from Long Island I would come up more often. I joined the URRF Club. However I only make it up there twice a year do to the distance. It's also very hard to get hotel rooms during the wine tourist season.

I would like to figure out how to remotely fire off several cameras with different perspectives. One camera could be danger close for a nice wide angle close up. I have a bunch of Pocket Wizards that might do the job. It would be great to get video footage and high resolution stills at the same time from different angles for the Level 3 launches.

My Sister got my Canon 5D Mark 3 Body when the local camera store wanted to give me next to nothing for it. If you can find a private photographer whom is upgrading to a newer larger megapixel camera, you can both get a good deal.

These rockets take off so fast that I only capture about 3 or 4 frames with the rocket fully in the frame on the D5 which is shooting RAW at 14 or 15 frames per second.

 

[Larry W]

Great Pics Dave I was leaving when you were on your way in. Hope to see you in September I cant make the August Picnic launch I have a end of summer vac planned.

 

[DavidMcCann]

Great Pics Dave I was leaving when you were on your way in. Hope to see you in September I cant make the August Picnic launch I have a end of summer vac planned.

Plan is to come all weekend in Sept, hopefully pop off my L3

 

[DavidMcCann]

Good Luck on your level3. Are you flying your Level 3 at Potter? If the Penn Yann area wasn't so far away from Long Island I would come up more often. I joined the URRF Club. However I only make it up there twice a year do to the distance. It's also very hard to get hotel rooms during the wine tourist season.

Thanks! yep, gonna fly at potter.... can't beat the waiver and space around here.