Panasonic GX8 20 megapixel micro 4/3 camera and a 400mm Leica lens = 800 mm full frame equivalent.

Beaut lens nice and sharp but not that bright at 400mm being F6.3 so good light essential.

In Perth the mornings are best to illuminate surfer faces with this camera.

cheers

ironbark

Panasonic make great cams, I'm on my second hybrid FZ200 after the FZ150 & the missus is o her second point & click compact Panasonic. Love 'em for battery life & non restrictive 10 min cutoff for video recording cameras other than Sony & Panasonic have in their DSLR range. I'm loving the simplicity of a bridging camera at the moment. I know mines constant F2.4 through zoom range. Not that I'm comparing, but will have a read on your camera model now to get a better understanding out of interest.

Someone else here should be able to give you a recommendation on lenses. TheDrip is very informative about Panasonic cams, hopefully he might chime in on lense recommendations. I'm assuming your cam takes interchangable lenses (mine doesn't).

Most surfers will be way-way less concerned with you capturing their face than they are with you capturing the moment they are in a critical position of the wave. ie leaning into a bottom turn with the peak looming above them, smashing it off the top with the water being displaced by them or their surfboard is vertical or airborne. They are barreled, floating over a big section of the wave or even them going over the falls haha...Preferably about 1/3 or 1/4 in the picture with the whole scene being captured. Surfers will recognise themselves by their wetsuit, surfboard & stuff. A good 20m pixel cam will easily capture a set of waves, like 2, 3 or more in one shot offering you the option to crop if required.

Great looking cam mate, I was seriously considering a mirrorless cam on my last camera purchase after watching a surf vid taken at Desert Point year before last made with the GX7. Opted for the FZ200 due to battery life which was better for a soloshot tripod I was using prior to the battery on that failing to hold a charge...Obviously your current lense will do the job. No one can blame you for preferring to be on the beach than in the carpark haha...fair enough

Personally I would grab another lense or 2 for such a great camera to make it even more versatile. Its a great camera, typical panasonic fast focus for nice burst pics or taking good quality video to frame cap epic moments. Win-Win

MickPC said..
Panasonic make great cams, I'm on my second hybrid FZ200 after the FZ150 & the missus is o her second point & click compact Panasonic. Love 'em for battery life & non restrictive 10 min cutoff for video recording cameras other than Sony & Panasonic have in their DSLR range. I'm loving the simplicity of a bridging camera at the moment. I know mines constant F2.4 through zoom range. Not that I'm comparing, but will have a read on your camera model now to get a better understanding out of interest.

Someone else here should be able to give you a recommendation on lenses. TheDrip is very informative about Panasonic cams, hopefully he might chime in on lense recommendations. I'm assuming your cam takes interchangable lenses (mine doesn't).

Most surfers will be way-way less concerned with you capturing their face than they are with you capturing the moment they are in a critical position of the wave. ie leaning into a bottom turn with the peak looming above them, smashing it off the top with the water being displaced by them or their surfboard is vertical or airborne. They are barreled, floating over a big section of the wave or even them going over the falls haha...Preferably about 1/3 or 1/4 in the picture with the whole scene being captured. Surfers will recognise themselves by their wetsuit, surfboard & stuff. A good 20m pixel cam will easily capture a set of waves, like 2, 3 or more in one shot offering you the option to crop if required.

Great advice MickPC - appreciate you taking the time to give me some tips.....

cheers

ironbark

MickPC said..
Great looking cam mate, I was seriously considering a mirrorless cam on my last camera purchase after watching a surf vid taken at Desert Point year before last made with the GX7. Opted for the FZ200 due to battery life which was better for a soloshot tripod I was using prior to the battery on that failing to hold a charge...Obviously your current lense will do the job. No one can blame you for preferring to be on the beach than in the carpark haha...fair enough

Personally I would grab another lense or 2 for such a great camera to make it even more versatile. Its a great camera, typical panasonic fast focus for nice burst pics or taking good quality video to frame cap epic moments. Win-Win

Thanks MickPC - I looked at some bridge cameras - they have a lot to recommend them especially for sports photography....

cheers

ironbark

ironbark said..

chrispy said..

ironbark said..
Thanks Jayet - hasn't been much of a surf lately and mostly shore dump - I could stand in the carpark to take the photos but it is a bit lonely up there.........prefer to stand on the beach...

When the surf break is further out I'll be able to include more of the wave...

cheers

ironbark

Or take the pic from a angle? Is this all new to you? Or is it just your style of taking pics and how you like them to look?

Im not a photographer just a photo lover and am looking forward to more pics from you.

Yeah I've taken some photos looking down the beach - can give the photo a look like I was in the water when taking the picture - might try more of those - looking southwards seems to produce the best exposure at Trigg - now if I can only persuade all the surfers to break left....!!!!

cheers

ironbark

Like this one from last Saturday.....

cheers

ironbark

That's a great pic mate

Thanks jayet - appreciate all the good tips I am getting...

cheers

ironbark

All your photos are great Ironbark but I like the top one with with so much going on and the frame starting to fall into 1/3's. Keep blazing away and put them up don't stress over critics (easy to say I know) there are as you have seen constructive input from some wise heads.

There are lots of lurkers looking and enjoying.

This Triggs place looks great I reckon everyone should go there

IFocus said..
All your photos are great Ironbark but I like the top one with with so much going on and the frame starting to fall into 1/3's. Keep blazing away and put them up don't stress over critics (easy to say I know) there are as you have seen constructive input from some wise heads.

There are lots of lurkers looking and enjoying.

This Triggs place looks great I reckon everyone should go there

Agreed, he has pulled back showing more wave but keeping the subject in check, well done.

What gear are you using ironbark?

chrispy said..

DARTH said..

IFocus said..
All your photos are great Ironbark but I like the top one with with so much going on and the frame starting to fall into 1/3's. Keep blazing away and put them up don't stress over critics (easy to say I know) there are as you have seen constructive input from some wise heads.

There are lots of lurkers looking and enjoying.

This Triggs place looks great I reckon everyone should go there

Agreed, he has pulled back showing more wave but keeping the subject in check, well done.

What gear are you using ironbark?

There is run down further back.

I agree they are getting better (to my eyes and what i like) but I'm still someone that prefers the whole wave. I said it before, but it tells more of a story and makes me look asst a pic from more perspectives. .
But definitely keep the pics coming

Please

And there has to be other frothers behind the lens that should post some pics

Panasonic GX8 20 megapixel micro 4/3 camera and a 400mm Leica lens = 800 mm full frame equivalent.

Beaut lens nice and sharp but not that bright at 400mm being F6.3 so good light essential.

400mm lens would be hard that close, I use a 200mm and that sort of gives that pulled back feeling.
400mm is great for close detailed shots or looking from the side up the beach at the subject, like looking into the barrel type shots.

DARTH said..

chrispy said..

DARTH said..

IFocus said..
All your photos are great Ironbark but I like the top one with with so much going on and the frame starting to fall into 1/3's. Keep blazing away and put them up don't stress over critics (easy to say I know) there are as you have seen constructive input from some wise heads.

There are lots of lurkers looking and enjoying.

This Triggs place looks great I reckon everyone should go there

Agreed, he has pulled back showing more wave but keeping the subject in check, well done.

What gear are you using ironbark?

There is run down further back.

I agree they are getting better (to my eyes and what i like) but I'm still someone that prefers the whole wave. I said it before, but it tells more of a story and makes me look asst a pic from more perspectives. .
But definitely keep the pics coming

Please

And there has to be other frothers behind the lens that should post some pics

Panasonic GX8 20 megapixel micro 4/3 camera and a 400mm Leica lens = 800 mm full frame equivalent.

Beaut lens nice and sharp but not that bright at 400mm being F6.3 so good light essential.

400mm lens would be hard that close, I use a 200mm and that sort of gives that pulled back feeling.
400mm is great for close detailed shots or looking from the side up the beach at the subject, like looking into the barrel type shots.

Hey Darth - it is a zoom lens that I am learning to use - 200mm is the minimum on this Leica - 800 mm the maximum - but the advantage of the short end is that it is much sharper at over 3000 lines per inch - that is about twice as good as any of my other lens (and so it should be as it costs twice as much too!!!!).....

The Leica glass makes up for the low resolution of the GX8's one quarter size sensor - main advantage of which is it is very light and doesn't need a tripod even at 800 mm.

Enjoying my photography - and the surfing pics - I learn something about photography every day.....

cheers

ironbark