Restored RCAF "Golden Hawks" F-86 Sabre

[CDN Aviator]

Finaly was in the right place at the right time to catch the newly restored "Hawk One" F-86 training. It will be touring the airshow circuit this summer along woth the Snowbirds and the CF-18 Demo team. This was my first time shooting in RAW.

[John Rambo]

Nice colorschemes and nice aircraft!

One comment: you really have to check your focus. Most of the pictures seem to be very soft and out of focus. Do you use manual or autofocus? If I were you I would really try to fix this in order to improve the quality of the shots. If I remember correctly you were also the one that posted a series of pics from the snowbirds?

Keep up the good work and enjoy the touring. Looking forward to see more images in the future.

Edit: I had a look at 3 of your pictures in photoshop, according to the file info the shutterspeed seems to be fine (400-1000ms). Your diafragma values are all around 5, maybe you could use a bit higher values in some cases, like 7/8.

[Polecat]

agree, (potentially) great shots, but just check the difference in sharpness between the first and the last..

Looking forward to see more shots!

Great to have an airworthy Sabre by the way

[kiwi]

Wow no chance of these coming to the airforce days in volkel this year I guess? That CF-18 and F-86 are amazing!

[CDN Aviator]

Nice colorschemes and nice aircraft!

One comment: you really have to check your focus. Most of the pictures seem to be very soft and out of focus. Do you use manual or autofocus? If I were you I would really try to fix this in order to improve the quality of the shots. If I remember correctly you were also the one that posted a series of pics from the snowbirds?

Keep up the good work and enjoy the touring. Looking forward to see more images in the future.

Edit: I had a look at 3 of your pictures in photoshop, according to the file info the shutterspeed seems to be fine (400-1000ms). Your diafragma values are all around 5, maybe you could use a bit higher values in some cases, like 7/8.

Thanks for the feedback guys, it is very much apreciated. I am using auto focus so i dont know if the problem is with my shots or if i am messing them up in photoshop. I think my lens isnt very good at the long end (300mm) but as far as aperature, its pretty restrictive so i dont know if i can go to 7 or 8.

[Andras]

I agree with above, Fantastic planes! but your lens isn't working for you. My guess is that you need a bit of practice using the middle focus and following your subject and keeping good focus on it. Thats hard with the lens you are using. Wit all due respect offcourse! It's a crappy lens. Sometimes it does work (1st pic) not great sharpness but one of the sharpest, 2nd out of focus (i think extra movement of the photograper), 3 just out of focus again, 4 seems to be as sharp as it gets, 5 out of focus, 6 and 7 same as 5, 8 seems sharp (is this 300 mm? dont thiink so), 9 sharper (but soft as all of them)

So i think it's a bit of an mixture of practice and just crapy lens, correct me if i'm wrong. If you have experience you should be able too make pics that all look like 1 and 4. (So that means all sharp but very soft, that is your lens quality) If you still have time, try to borrow a lens from another or rent a lens for a day at a local shop or something and try it...

Greets
Andras

p.s. 7 or 8 should be possible with that sunshine and iso set to 200 with still a shutterspeed of around 1/1000. But it won't make a big difference, apart of getting more sharp "hits". This is at 300mm. Keep the iso as low as poss.

[CDN Aviator]

Thanks again Andras. I dont have much phototgraphy experience but i just ordered at 70-300mm IS 1:4-5.6 so i'm hoping to improve things a bit.

[wvanbel]

WoW, I would also like to see this restored Sabre flying I assume the chances for these Canadians to come to Europe are very very small...

PS: I saw a Sabre in a similar c/s many years ago, while traveling through Canada, mounted on a pole:




Best regards,

Walter

[Andras]

Thanks again Andras. I dont have much phototgraphy experience but i just ordered at 70-300mm IS 1:4-5.6 so i'm hoping to improve things a bit.

Ok! Cool, that one is WAY better then the one your using now.

Tip: middle focus point, AFservo for flying stuff, keep iso as low as possible, IS mode on lens mode 2, shutterspeed between 1/320 - 1/1250 (depending on effect you want), best aperature around 7.1 - 9.0 (in sunny conditions)

Greets,
Andras

[CDN Aviator]

I assume the chances for these Canadians to come to Europe are very very small...

Chances are very slim indeed due to the range of the aircraft and the fact that its flown by a not-for-profit group so finances are tight i'm sure.

I'm sure that some who remember the days of Canadian F-86 flying out of places such as Marville, France would feel a bit of nostalgia.

Ok! Cool, that one is WAY better then the one your using now.

Good to know. Thank you.

Will try to get more pictures tomorow at the final farewell of the pre-season and will post here.

[Sowald]

Hey CDN,

when will they leave YQQ (Comox)?
Hopefullly they will be passing through Calgary again.
I missed them on their way to YQQ.
Would like to get some shots of these jets.

Thanks,

Rob.

[CDN Aviator]

Hey CDN,

when will they leave YQQ (Comox)?
Hopefullly they will be passing through Calgary again.
I missed them on their way to YQQ.
Would like to get some shots of these jets.

Thanks,

Rob.

The farewell show is tomorow so i expect them to leave the next day or possibly Monday. I have their return itinerary at work but wont be able to get it until monday ( too late of course). Hopefuly for you they pass through YYC on the way back to Moose Jaw. If you can make it to CYXX 7th,8th and 9th of August, the Snowbirds, the CF-18 Demo teand and the F-86 will be performing at the show. I will be there and will also go shoot at YVR that weekend.

[Sowald]

I will be at YXX for sure.
That is, if there is standby available with Westjet.
I will keep a close ear on my scanner tomorrow.
Hopefully I see them at YYC.
Normaly the SB`s do stop here.

Cheers.

P.s. Where in Canada are you from?

[CDN Aviator]

I will be at YXX for sure.
That is, if there is standby available with Westjet.

Ok, let me know, maybe we can meet there.

P.s. Where in Canada are you from?

I live 5 minutes away from CYQQ.