Cockpits

[Sagar Pathak]

Also bear in mind, that if you are in straight and level flight on a large a/c, chances are you will be at a higher altitude and that the outside will a lot of sky.  If you meter for that, then don't forget to get a new meter reading on final.  You may be on a steep decent and will have a lot of ground filling the windscreen, and thus needing a different exposure.

Here's one more example....just needed a slight amount of flash as to minimize on reflections and to avoid blowing out her hair.

[Sagar Pathak]

And one more "Duh" comments......don't use a lens hood.  It will cast a shadow on the instrument panel.

S

[Mickey]

Hey Sagar, nice shots ! But, uhm...

I'm talking airliner/cargo plane cockpits. 

So not the little whirlybirds ! Still, I prefer a female observer in a helicopter over a male captain in an airliner .

Mickey

[Roger]

Thanks for all the tips, it really helped today!!!

Roger

[Roger]

And here's one of the shots from the cockpit shoot.

I metered the outside before hand, dailed in those values in manual and used the flash.

I shot this one with a Rebel XT and a Canon 10-22 EF-S, great lens!

F13 - 1/200

[Roger]

One thing though, Sagar and I had a little discussion about this, the LCD screens do not show when using a flash. Any remedy for that?

Also, the shot above was taken from my seat, on the right side, behind Flying Whale, I just held the camera in the middle of the cockpit, I was not standing trying to balance myself in the middle of the cockpit

[MaxIt]

Really nice and clear shot Roger! 
The large portion of terrain that could be seen through the wide windows add a lot of interest.

So, I'm late with my experience and you don't need more suggestion it seems to me. During one of my last AAR flight, for the first time I used a separate flash, not the built in one of the 20D. It is better for wide lenses. Of course, don't use lens hood!

We were flying on a RAF VC10 over Sardinia, with nice views, so I just tryed to spot out the window using the AEL button to lock the exposure giving a little correction of -2/3, then zoom to a wider focal length. I found that if outside we have terrain or very blue sky, the metering is very much more accurate.

Anyway, interesting the suggestion from WildBill to use a cord... 

[André]

WOW what an information at this page and to think I just put the camera on P and used the flashlight with a diffuser only. 
Interesting to read about the manual settings. Will try next time. 

Both first shots, the flashlight was used. Didn't want to disturb the girl on downwind.

[MaxIt]

....
 Didn't want to disturb the girl on downwind.

What a Gentleman André! 

Nice shots, well balanced according to me. Me too use "P" settings with a little exposure compensation. The digital allows to check immediately the results...

[Roger]

Great shots guys.  Yeah, make sure to ask if it's ok to use the flash before you start shooting.  I shot a lot, just to see what worked and what didn't.  I found that bouncing the flash didn't really work, direct flash gave me the best results (I use a 420EX - with cheap diffuser).

Roger

[Mickey]

One thing though, Sagar and I had a little discussion about this, the LCD screens do not show when using a flash. Any remedy for that?

Isn't that a matter of shutterspeed and direct flash? Too high shutterspeed, black screens. And the light of the flash, when flashing directly, will black it out as well I think. Flashing indirectly might remedy that, but keep those shutterspeeds down. It was another reason why I didn't use the flash in the KLM-shot, apart from trying to keep the atmosphere of the early-morning sunrise landing.

I'm afraid you'll just have to go up again to investigate, Roger !

To Roger, Max and André:  ! All your shots are great !

Mickey

PS:

Nice shots, well balanced according to me. Me too use "P" settings with a little exposure compensation. The digital allows to check immediately the results...

Another plus of shooting digital is that when not flashing and metering more on the inside than the outside (resulting in slightly to dark interior and too light exterior), you can edit them separately (but the differences in exposure shouldn't be too big obviously).

[Tonyz]

Trying to do some night cockpit stuff.   I have not played with any flash yet.

[Sagar Pathak]

Hey Tony, great shots.  How did you avoid blowing out the screen in the last shot?  Can you please post the exif info for that one? 

Sagar

ps. what a/c is that??

[sticknrudder]

Trying to do some night cockpit stuff.   I have not played with any flash yet.

Love the bokeh on "night-ckcpt-3.jpg"

I'm not quite sure you'd want to use a flash during night cockpit shots, you'll screw up the pilot's night vision...

Chris

[Tonyz]

Thanks for the comments.   The last one was with the 15mm on a 1DMk II.  ISO 800   1/25th at f 2.8

The one with the nice bokeh was with the Canon 50mm 1.4 lens at  ISO 640, 1/40th and f 1.4.

Chris,  I would like to show the crew working in the dark so would like to provide a bit of light on them.  I find that the NVG compatable light in the cockpit gives a bit of illumination to the pilot face.  We have talked about flash use and they are okay with it as long as they are wanred and we get the NVG's turned off/away.  I would prefer a soft light on, but it really seems to be a hassle in the cockpit.   Something low power that I can clamp to the back of the seat?  Something with a dimmer switch?

Another step I want to try is hooting through the night vision goggles.  (I have a monocular that I am experimenting with, but really need a mount...)

Suggestions on how to catch a nice background of the city lights?

The helicopter is San Diego PD's Astar.  We just got 4 of them over the past year, replacing the mix fleet of Jet Rangers.