Today's Olympics Cycle Race

I took the Kr into Knightsbridge today, to watch the cycle race passing by Harrods on the Brompton Road. Camera set to Moving Object Mode, and shooting at (stretched) arm's length, I fired off numerous shots. With more patience, I reckon that more than a few will get through PP. These shots I've added here were simply cropped using WLPG, so the edits are very basic. C & C welcome!

Particularly on the shots almost facing the cyclists the crowd and barrier look more in focus that the subjects.

but they all look soft too.

For cyclists I would have chosen a wider aperture and faster shutter speed, and prefocussed on the spot where the subjects are when you fire the shutter off.

For the side on shots I'd be tempted to set a fairly low shutter speed 1/50th maybe, and pan with the cyclists to get some motion blur

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Bodies: 2x K-5, Sony TX-5, Nokia 808
Lenses: Pentax DA 10-17mm ED(IF) Fish Eye, Pentax DA 14mm f/2.8, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8, Pentax-A 28mm f/2.8, Sigma 30mm F1.4 EX DC, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.2, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-FA 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.7, Pentax DA* 50-135mm f/2.8, Sigma 135-400mm APO DG, and more ..
Flash: AF-540FGZ, Vivitar 283
Smeggy's Forum and Pics

As smeggy says re softness and use of shutternspeed.

I would have also taken advantage of the k-r's high fops to get better framing. Image four for example a split second later would have had a more complete image with the cyclists filling the frame.

5 could have done with better composition, I think e rule of thirds would have helped enormously and the cropped far wheel doesn't help, the last two do nothing for me sorry

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PPG Portfolio Flickr
Equipment Pentax K-5 mk1 & mkii
Pentax: DA* 16-50mm 2.8 : DA* 50-135mm 2.8 : F 50mm 1.4 : DA 35mm 2.4
Tamron SP 400mm f/4 (65b) : Tokina AT-X SD 100-300mm f4

What is moving object mode? I've not heard of it.

link

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The first and the simplest emotion which we discover in the human mind is Curiosity.
Edmund Burke

Shooting at (stretched) arm's length hasn't really worked as the crowd behind are fine but not the subjects! For a fast moving subject like this one needs to pan the camera with the subject so the cyclists are sharp and the crowds are in a 'motion blur.' This enhances the impression of speed, particularly if a relatively slow shutter speed is used.

John