Originally Posted by
gonzalu
Steve, you most certainly can use 1000 mm if you like... you as a photographer must keep in mind what's going on, it is not just going to work LOL. So if you're 4000 feet away from your subject and you want to fill the frame and you need 800mm, you WILL compress a lot of heat shimmer, it is unavoidable, it is THERE!!
Here are some trade secrets revealed:
MegaPixels: The more you have in this case, the better. When you have 50 more pixels on a bent line at full size, it will straighten out a lot better to 1 pixel than if it was recorded with 25 pixels (hope that made sense)
Distance: Reduce it to the minimum. at Bayswater, get as close to the water as possible and go by the wall... this gives you a better head on shot and puts you a little bit closer ;-)
Take Lots of shots: Currents come and go, some are stronger than others.. .one shot will be better than others. Luck and Statistics do help
Keep trying: Shoot every day all day long, you will get a great shot some day (Eric has LOTS AND LOTS of practice, he is now a natural pro at it)
SHARPNESS: Critical sharpness is very important. The sharper the original, the better. IF you have shimmer, you would have a more salvageable image if it was sharper to begin with.
Other Planes: MAKE SURE no other planes are in the area. ALL of them are spewing super hot exhaust, on a busy afternoon, that area around the takeoff chevrons is a heat dump :-)
WAIT: Always wait a while after the last plane took off... this reduces the heat left behind by the takeoff.
I will go out on a limb and ask Eric for a 100% crop ... I am betting the shimmer is there :tongue: but at 18MP, and if he got sharp results and minimized the distance, etc. etc., he would have a much better starting point than if it had been slightly OOF or motion blurred.
This was from Bayswater... the plane is on taxiway Alpha Kilo, just north of 31L. The distance was about 2.28648 km or 7,000 feet+ -- 10:30am, October 31st 2010, it was not that cold but it was cool. Also a LOT MORE tarmac and asphalt between me and it than if it were on 4L. The Delta in the BG was REALLY far lol... and it has some shimmer. But the Saudi has very little if any. Why? For one, that day, I got lucky with the heat. I also used my monopod to steady the heavy lens as much as possible...