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Air Show Lens

I used a Nikon 70-300 and a Sigma 170-500 at the local airshow last year. The 500mm was a bit too long for some of the planes when they flew close to the crowd. At full zoom, it was a handful and I wasn't using a monopod but there was plenty of light for a fast shutter speed. It gave great detail, though, and was ideal for the fast jets.


I use a Sigma 150-500mm on my Nikon D300S, as it's a cropped sensor I get the same field of vision as a 225-750mm lens on full-frame. It's brilliant for planes and racing cars. The attached pic was taken at 500mm, and is uncropped. I picked the lens up second hand on Ebay for about £500. The pic was taken in Twickenham so the jet was already quite high up and was just a spec to my unaided eye.

If it is something you intend to do a lot of, the 100-400 is the lens to go for.
I would like a second body and a 500 or 600mm option for some things, but I need to build up the funds to do that.
You could always try hiring one for the next show you go to and see how you get on.
Before I bought the 100-400 I had the use of a friends 70-200 f2.8 IS L and 2x converter and it was not too bad a combo, but visibly softer than the 100-400.
Both are softer than the 400mm F5.6 L, but I prefer the flexibility of a zoom.
I would like a second body and a 500 or 600mm option for some things, but I need to build up the funds to do that.
You could always try hiring one for the next show you go to and see how you get on.
Before I bought the 100-400 I had the use of a friends 70-200 f2.8 IS L and 2x converter and it was not too bad a combo, but visibly softer than the 100-400.
Both are softer than the 400mm F5.6 L, but I prefer the flexibility of a zoom.