The Summer of Lenses Part 2 - A Walk into the Fastlane
The first stop in my Summer of Lenses was renting a Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS II. This dynamic lens is #2 on my overall lens wish list for when I save up the pennies to ascend to that level. This was my first time working with these types of real deal lenses. I decided a great place to experiment with this lens would be the 2022 Indycar Detroit Grand Prix. The mix of close lifestyle/documentary style images within the close, intimate garages and the need for telephoto to capture on track action would prove to be a great proving ground for this lens. Starting out it was a very nerve-wracking experience hauling a piece of $2500+ not-mine equipment in my backpack going into downtown Detroit but it quickly become a confidence boosting experience.
As I arrived the Indy Lights series was holding their race for the weekend. With this being a support series race the crowds weren’t very dense and the general admission areas were very accessible. With the lens only arriving a day before this was the perfect opportunity to really get my hands and eyes around it and start giving it a go. Quickly I realized the potential it had and the delight in getting visually closer than I ever had before with a lens.
The race was nearing it’s conclusion and I found myself close to where the podium celebration would be, atop the grand fountain on Belle Isle. After attempting to catch cars at 100mph+ on track, catching the top 3 cars cruising to their parking spot was a cinch. With this lens I was able capture insane details while using the telephoto to get so close to the drivers. The speed of the lens meant I could capture the drivers getting out of the car celebrating.
After the Indy Lights podium ceremony I had some solid time to explore the grounds of Belle Isle & most importantly - the garages & paddock area. This is where all of the different types of racing cars & teams maintain & keep all of their vehicles and equipment. At this race it is traditionally open to anyone who has a ticket, so I was there. All of the cars were out and being tinkered on by their crews before the race. With this lens starting at 100mm I was really able to get in close, even cutting through some crowds, for some really great images of the garages. Some of my favorites were ones I was able to catch inside the vehicles.
Before I knew it, it was race time or at least my predetermined time to claim my general admission spot while to getting was good. At the start I positioned myself between 3 turns to really capture the cars at some great angles. I was able to zoom through the fence with this lens & making my images light years ahead of the year prior. I learned that I am not the best at panning, but that comes with time. Typically food & drinks aren’t going too fast.
I opted to get the f/4 as this was an outdoor event in the summer and I was hoping for a bright, sunny day however I was too optimistic. I am confident using the lower f models would have allowed for crisper images, especially pulled in to 100mm. I was also surprised in that I assumed the 24-100mm lens would get me closer than it could. Don’t get me wrong, it was able to get close enough to make the track fencing nearly disappear from the grand stand and vastly improve my shots from the year prior. I just thought it would be…more.
Overall this was a great experience with this lens and it maintained it’s #2 spot on my list. If this first opportunity wasn’t the event it was, I would’ve gone with #1. What’s #1, you’ll just have to tune in to find out. The Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS II captured phenomenal shots of these insanely fast cars while showing off their incredible detail near and far. Overall it was a great dip into what would become the summer of lenses. Subscribe to my newsletter below to get part 3 to your inbox.
