I would try a higher ISO, faster shutter speed, AI Servo, fire in a burst as you are panning (make sure you pan in a nice smooth motion) and even a smaller aperture for more depth of field. Almost forgot, try using the "center" focus only.Dave..

If you are getting sharper images of static objects, then I have to suspect your panning technique is the problem. You will have to figure a way to get your own shakes out of the picture (pun intended)..

Shutter speed is the first thing I would try to use. Make adjustments to speed up the shutter to see if that will improve your sharpness. If it does, you know the source of the problem..

Nothing is enough for the man to whom nothing is enough...

The one that is least sharp (the bmi plane) had the lens at it's longest focal length (400 mm) with a shutter speed that is relatively long for such magnification (1 / 400 sec). Since 400mm is equivalent to 600mm for a full-frame 35mm camera, the old 'reciprocal rule' would suggest that a shutter speed of at least 1/600 sec would be required (in an optimal situation). if the object is moving it's not surprising that a little motion blur / camera shake is appearing. of course image stabilisation will help, but it won;t correct for the fact that the plane may be moving relative to the viwfinder if your panning isn't perfect..

I've never tried taking pics like these; is it possible to do them with the camera on a monopod?.

Best wishesMike..

I don't see anything terribly wrong with those photos (but then, there are no links to the larger versions)..

Some suggestions:.

1) When you spot-meter on white aircraft, the camera will underexpose (trying to bring the white down to a midtone). Use some exposure compensation to brighten things back up. I'd think that maybe +1 Ev is appropriate on those photos..

2) Forget about AI Focus. It's only there for the green-box mode. AI Focus is so lame that Canon won't even use it on the other PIC (icon) modes. Use One-Shot for stuff that isn't moving, and AI Servo for stuff that IS moving. Obviously, AI Servo for these shots..

3) Learn how AI Servo works. If you have auto AF point selection (all 9 points) active, AI Servo always starts with the center AF point. Also, the shutter is NOT locked out until focusing has been complete, so be sure to half-press and then give the AF time to lock on to your target, track it, project where the target will be, and get the lens adjusted before you full-press to take the picture. The green "AF Indicator" light in the viewfinder will go dark (quit blinking) when that happens). If you use continuous shooting mode, the second and subsequent shots in a burst WILL wait for AF, and many people find that those shots are sharper..

4) Use a higher shutter speed to help stop the action. Panning is not a perfect answer. Your subject is moving in a straight line and not a circle around your position, so different parts of the plane are moving at different angular velocitiesyou can only get one part of the plane sharp at a time using panning. Especially with the +1Ev exposure compensation recommended above, getting a faster shutter speed might require raising the ISO. The 30D gives excellent results at ISO 400, so you shouldn't be afraid of it...

Please correct me if I am wrong but I thought the "mode 2" was for portrate not landscape?? (camera orientation) I have the 70-200 2.8 and that gave me all sorts of problems in the begining.Again, please correct me if I am wrong..

This is obviously not the entire issue here looking at shutter speeds etc but I think it might just help...

Try lifting up the ISO to say 400. This camera has great results at 400 and then you will obviously have faster shutter speeds available...

The other thing to keep in mind is depth of field. At 200 ft., the DOF for 400mm, f8 is 23 ft (approx. 1/2 in front & behind the focus point).Here's a link to a DOF calculator.http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.htmlDave..

The shutter speed is too slow. At a take-off speed of around 180 mph, some quick calculations show that with a shutter speed of 1/400 second, the plane is going to travel 0.66 feet while the shutter is open. Panning certainly helps, but with a faster shutter speed (and probably a need to up the ISO) of around 1/2000 second, it should make a difference with the sharpness...

I'd agree with Doug in that I don't see much of a problem with these images - and I would second what he says. What I'd also like to add is that panning tends to work best for sharpness on a subject when it's parallel to the camera. I've gotten sharp stuff at angles, but in my own experience, parallel works better...

Mode 2 is for panning shots. Mode 1 is for completely static shots...

Many thanks for all your very useful tips, I will go ahead and try these out, although high shutter speed = very poor exposure from past experience even with the largest of aperture's (Lower f number) I will experiment with the ISO..

Thanks again for all of your time and effort in helping me..

Best regards.

SteveCanon EOS 30D Lens's Sigma 50-500 EX Canon EFS 75-300..