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London Marathon

It is nearly that time again when the streets of London are packed with runners both serious and for fun trying to complete the 26 mile route. The London Marathon was established back in 1981 and has been growing ever since.

With the run starting from the Greenwich Park to the front of Buckingham Palace the route takes in some of the popular sites of London including Big Ben and Canary Wharf. 

For the runner the challenge is to beat their come first, beat their previous times, or just complete the course whilst having a bit of fun. For the spectators wanting to take photos of the event the challenge is to find a decent place from where to shoot from. With the large crowd of spectators it is going to take some careful planning and some luck to find a decent spot.

Ideally the photographer should try and find a spot where runners can be seen from a reasonable distance. This will allow time to prepare and get some idea how you can best capture the runner. Without adequate preparation it is likely the success rate in getting the right shots will be low.

With regards to the actual camera, a continuous shooting mode of at least 3fps is a good starting point. More importantly the autofocus needs to be competent in tracking moving subjects otherwise there will be the need to pre-determine an area you would expect the runner to pass by and prefocus on that spot.

The compact camera will generally struggle to reliably capture moving subjects. An increasing number of digital compacts have zoom lenses that go beyond 200mm (35mm equivalent) focal length which is sufficient for capturing runners at a distance. This kind of lenses are optically slow which means the cameras ISO will require boosting in anything but decent ambient lighting conditions. Compacts are getting faster at capturing an image but the focusing systems are relatively slow in comparison to that of the DSLR. This will make capturing 'the right moment' more of a challenge. Results and response times are likely to be better with the lens not zoomed out too far but the subject (the runner or runners) need to be a little closer to the lens. Subject tracking autofocus system help to keep the focus on a moving subject but these systems were not designed with sports in mind.

While DSLRs vary in their capabilities they are all more responsive than the typical compact camera and better suited to capture moving subjects. The speed of autofocusing is partly dependant on the camera body but also on the design and type of lens used. The 'through the lens' viewing of subjects makes for a more comfortable experience than viewing subjects on an LCD monitor away from the body.

The camera should be set up for continuous autofocus with the AF area set to wide area to ensure that the camera will track the movement of a subject across its AF sensors. Note that the Nikon DSLRs do not have to be set to wide area AF as the Dynamic AF mode will automatically track and handover subject information to its neighbouring sensor.

A 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom lens is well up to the task in capturing the runners and with its fast optics and zoom range will give flexibility in shooting under a range of lighting conditions. On an DSLR with an APS-C sensor the effective focal length becomes 100-300mm. The only real negative is that this type of lens tends to be heavy.

A 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 zoom lens is a good alternative especially if light levels are good. The lens is lighter and provides greater magnification for pulling in those distant runners or for picking out detail.

For times when you are very close to the action, a standard zoom (say a 24-80mm equivalent) has its uses. It also comes in handy for getting a more overall view of passing events.

Prime lenses should not be discounted but for best results its best to have a clear idea of how to apply them to avoid unnecessary lens changes.

The weather can be quite changeable and so it necessary to come prepared. There are cameras (and lenses) that are specifically designed to withstand the elements but the majority are not. It has to be said however that although a camera may not be specified as weatherproof but they do have a certain degree of protection from the elements. However, cameras are not cheap and repairs are expensive so caution is always advisable to protect the camera in the event of rainfall. 

A vertical grip is very useful for shooting this sport. Shooting in portrait orientation will help to isolate a runner and the grip makes holding the camera for extended period of time comfortable. The grip will also reduce the need to change batteries and should last for the entirety of the event.

The shoulder camera bag is great for being able to access your camera or equipment quickly with showing the whole contents to surrounding spectators (as it more likely the case using a camera backpack). It also ensures you can quickly get your camera out of the way should the heavens suddenly open.

You can get more information on the London Marathon and a downloadable map of the course at the following links:

• Flora London Marathon
• Spectator Information
• Transport for London

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