Where is a good place for spotting in SFO?? I'll be here in SFO for almost a year and wanted to go to a good place in SFO where you can take pictures? anywhere close to the runway??

I fly into SFO every couple of months and regularly see what appears to be a congregation of spotters at this location:

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Quoting Fbgdavidson (Reply 1):

Quoting Fbgdavidson (Reply 1): I fly into SFO every couple of months and regularly see what appears to be a congregation of spotters at this location:

Thank you! I will go there to see!

The other major location is Bayfront Park, it's right along the bay and gets you good views of both runways (though photos of flights departing off runway 1L/R is harder now since a fence was installed):

MyAviation.net photo:

Photo © Ben Wang

http://flygga.tripod.com/

Try that.

Great!! thank you for the info! I will go there probably tomorrow (sunday) and have a great day taking pictures of this airliners!

When I was there, I found the zoo was good for viewing afternoon flights heading to Europe. You will need 300-400mm though

These were taken at 200mm with a Nikon D40, not great I admit. But it lets you see what can be achieved away from the airport

http://www.flickr.com/photos/4088146.../sizes/o/in/set-72157604852079347/

Above Pier 39 at Fisherman's Wharf

http://www.flickr.com/photos/4088146...8/sizes/o/in/set-72157604852079347

PZ,

I live in Concord (about 30 miles east of San Francisco) and when i go out to SFO, I usually stop by the fishing pier close to coyote Point regional Park. If you drive down towards bayfront park. Stay on the road (i think its South Airport Blvd.) keep going for about 2.1 miles and you will see the road make a sharp right. Once you reach that corner, you will see a small left turn lane leading to a small fishng outcove. That is where i get some of my arrival shots.

I've found SFO to be very difficult to shoot. Even with a 500mm lens, the shots turn out to be mediocre at best compared to what you can really achieve.

Unfortunately for us in the bay area.. there isn't anything better than SFO unless you get the hook up

Quoting CaliSam (Reply 8): I've found SFO to be very difficult to shoot. Even with a 500mm lens, the shots turn out to be mediocre at best compared to what you can really achieve. Unfortunately for us in the bay area.. there isn't anything better than SFO unless you get the hook up

it is troubling here. I only have a canon 75-300 lens and every time I go to SFO, i have to be very lucky to be out at Bayfront Park and get some nice shots.

What about from the terminal? Any good spots from there?

Having just come back from SFO, I can confirm that the northbound platform at San Bruno Caltrain station is excellent for 28 departures, 300mm or more recommended

Also, the SFO manager / senior employee was more than happy for me to take pictures of aircraft taking off, also departing 28, from the open viewpoint beside the escalators at the Terminal 2 AirTrain station