Gearing Up for the Grid: Capturing the Thrill of the Hankook 24 Hours of Barcelona
Part Two
The roar of engines, the blur of speeding GT cars, the drama of a 24-hour endurance race – the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in September is a photographer's dream. With the Hankook 24 Hours of Barcelona approaching, it's time to prepare my gear and strategize my shots.
In this part, I'll be diving into my camera bag, specifically focusing on my Canon R8 mirrorless system and a selection of RF lenses that will be my companions for capturing the electrifying atmosphere of this epic race.
The Heart of the Kit: The Canon R8 Mirrorless Camera
As the foundation of my setup, the Canon R8 is a powerful and versatile mirrorless camera. Its full-frame sensor promises exceptional image quality, crucial for capturing the intricate details of the cars and the raw emotion of the race. The R8's fast autofocus will be a lifesaver when tracking the rapid movements of the vehicles, ensuring tack-sharp images even in low-light conditions, which are inevitable during the night portion of the race.
Lenses: Capturing Every Angle of the Race
Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM: This workhorse lens will likely be glued to my camera for a large part of the race. Its wide zoom range offers flexibility, allowing me to capture sweeping panoramic shots of the entire track, zooming in for tight close-ups of driver changes or dramatic pit stops, and everything in between. The constant f/2.8 aperture ensures excellent low-light performance, perfect for capturing the vibrant atmosphere during nighttime racing.
Canon RF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM: When the action heats up and I need to zoom in for tighter shots, the Canon RF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM will be my go-to lens. This telephoto powerhouse will allow me to isolate specific sections of the track, focus on the intense concentration of drivers, or zoom in on the intricate details of the speeding cars. The fast f/4 aperture provides excellent subject separation and beautiful bokeh effects, adding an artistic touch to my race photographs.
Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM: For those moments when I need to capture the distant corners of the track or get an extreme close-up of a car speeding by, the Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM will be my secret weapon.This super-telephoto lens offers an incredible zoom range, allowing me to frame shots that would be impossible with any other lens in my kit. While the variable aperture might require some adjustments in low-light situations, the built-in image stabilization will be invaluable for capturing sharp images at such a long focal length.
Prime Time: Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 & Canon RF 35mm f/1.8
For those special moments when I want to create a more intimate feel or capture the energy of the crowd, I'll be relying on my prime lenses – the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 and the Canon RF 35mm f/1.8. The wide apertures of these lenses will allow me to play with depth of field, creating beautiful bokeh effects and isolating my subject from the background.
The 50mm focal length is perfect for capturing portraits of drivers, team members, or spectators, while the 35mm with its macro capabilities will be fantastic for capturing details like the intricate pit lane equipment or the emotion etched on the faces of the crew during a crucial pit stop.
I will do separate posts about each individual piece of kit listed above with links to it.
The storage case in the photo is a VANGUARD Supreme 53D Waterproof Camera Case with Removable Divider System. They do two systems the D range which like mine has a divider case that zips up and can some out or the F range which has foam inserts, I wouldn’t recommend the foam though.
The Lens Cap Stickers are from Alphagvrd the stickers themselves aren’t expensive but be aware that the postage is horrendous and doubles the cost of the items. Knowing this I ordered stickers for lenses that I didn’t have but hoped to buy in the near future like my RF 100-500 I just picked up and possibly an RF 200-800 later this year. They also do very good camera skins so it’s worth ordering everything in one go. You can buy similar in the Uk on Etsy for example but these are easily the best.
