Nikon Sports question!

leftcoast650

So I'm looking to start shooting sports with off camera flashes. I don't know much about lighting setups and I have many questions to ask..

What brands are meant to work with Nikon?

Are there features I should look for regarding flash speed?

Do pocket Wizards work for Nikon? I was told yes..

ummm..I just lost the other questions..:scratch

I'm looking for any input though so please respond with as much as you can :thumb

Thanks.

Enitsugua

leftcoast650 wrote:

So I'm looking to start shooting sports with off camera flashes. I don't know much about lighting setups and I have many questions to ask..

What brands are meant to work with Nikon?

Are there features I should look for regarding flash speed?

Do pocket Wizards work for Nikon? I was told yes..

ummm..I just lost the other questions..

I'm looking for any input though so please respond with as much as you can

Thanks.

What do you have already as far as flash units? Are you going to shoot manual (suggested) or try TTL? yes, PWs work.

kiz5

You're looking for off-camera lighting... are you looking for speed lights, or strobes?

The brands don't matter, but I do suggest you stick to the same brand for your set of lights. Also, if you're setting up lights throughout a place, I really, really hope you're carrying liability insurance. If not, you really shouldn't be playing with lighting, or remote setups.

leftcoast650

Yes I always shoot in manual. The only flash I have right now is a Nikon SB-28 Speedlight.

Enitsugua

leftcoast650 wrote:

Yes I always shoot in manual. The only flash I have right now is a Nikon SB-28 Speedlight.

Then it won't matter what you use. You need to look at how you can cover the area you want to shoot. Bounce into a white ceiling and back is best, if the ceiling is low enough and light colored (reflective) enough. Otherwise, you have to go direct. Then you'll have to explore what you need based on size of the building, how fast you want recycle to be, what you can afford, etc., etc. Can you get AC power, or do you have to use battery power, etc. Anything from camera manufacturers' flash units to third-party flash units to studio strobes to permanently installed studio strobes made specifically for lighting arenas can be used. They all work, you just have to learn how to use them.

Kiz5's comments on insurance are very apropos too. Experience and credentials help too. When I was shooting for a national sports publication, I could easily get permission to climb in the catwalks of arenas and install lights if they weren't there already. I can still do that if I take assignments now. If you are just a hobbyist wanting to shoot the local high school games, you will probably find resistance to the idea of installing temporary strobes. Maybe start with one or two flash units on stands? Don't know what else to tell you because you never said what you wanted to shoot or at what level.

Take a look at the following:

http://daveblackphotography.com/workshop/04-2010.htm

http://www.daveblackphotography.com/workshop/arena-lighting.htm

http://daveblackphotography.com/workshop/0402.htm

http://daveblackphotography.com/workshop/0504.htm

http://daveblackphotography.com/workshop/0505.htm

http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/81

http://www.candideyephotography.com/HSGymStrobes.pdf

http://jeffhinds.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/basketball-season-arena-lighting/

http://blogs.tennessean.com/behindtheframe/2009/06/10/lighting-an-arena/

http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/1888


Just a side note, there's pretty much NO money in sports photography any more. So, if you're planning to learn how to do this with the expectation that you're going to have parents and athletes lining up to buy your photos because they look so good with this setup, I think you're only fooling yourself.

leftcoast650

I do motocross, biking, skating and along those lines ..I wasn't planning on using these for team sports That was my fault for not specifying that! I guess I should re-word my question..

What off camera light setups can I get that will double for sports and portrait work?

Enitsugua

leftcoast650 wrote:

I do motocross, biking, skating and along those lines ..I wasn't planning on using these for team sports That was my fault for not specifying that! I guess I should re-word my question..

What off camera light setups can I get that will double for sports and portrait work?

It depends on how portable you want to be.

Obviously, flash units provide portability. Nikon's Speedlights are a nice system. I'd look at SB-900s. An alternative is the Nissin Di866. Advantage with these flash units (either Nikon or Nissin) is iTTL, but you're shooting manual and may not appreciate that. Of course, these will all work with manual settings too. (BTW, Nissin has never made a decent flash unit until the Di866. Their previous stuff was garbage, but the Di866 is a great flash unit.)

While not as portable, several studio strobes can also be run off batter packs. Elinchrom, in particular, makes units well suited for this use.

Then you need to explore what type of light modifiers you might want to use with either of these systems, especially for portrait work. You can use most modifiers (or some derivative thereof) with either type of system.

If you really want to use these for sports and portraits both, then the flash units are probably the best way to go.

I personally think it would be fun to experiment with flash units and these http://store.garyfonginc.com/lsu-ps.html on some of the sports you mentioned.

Check out Meetup (www.meetup.com) and look for photography groups in your area. Chances are someone is doing hands-on lighting seminars for reasonable cost or maybe even for free.

leftcoast650

Thank you so much for all that information!!

As far as transmitters and receivers go though.. Should I look at pocket wizards only? Because they are priced pretty high, but I'm not saying I won't pay I just want to explore all of my options.

Enitsugua

leftcoast650 wrote:

Thank you so much for all that information!!

As far as transmitters and receivers go though.. Should I look at pocket wizards only? Because they are priced pretty high, but I'm not saying I won't pay I just want to explore all of my options.

The nicest thing about the PWs is they are built like tanks and tend to do quite well in environments with many other radio signals. For outside use, they would be excellent. The newest units also do TTL.

You could try these first though, and you'd only be out a small amount if they didn't meet your needs http://cgi.ebay.com/Slave-Flash-Trigger-Receiver-Radio-16-Channel_W0QQitemZ350320984116QQihZ022QQcategoryZ30086QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3286.m7QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D3%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D9016322050234407532#ht_4899wt_1165. They are pretty flimsy though, but they do work. You may need the hotshoe or cable item 39 here http://www.flashzebra.com/radiocables/index.shtml with the Speedlights or the Nissin. Strictly manual with these.

leftcoast650

Those look way to flimsy in pictures! I don't think I will cut corners here haha

Thank you!

Macushla

Enitsugua wrote:

Check out Meetup (www.meetup.com) and look for photography groups in your area. Chances are someone is doing hands-on lighting seminars for reasonable cost or maybe even for free.

:ivar:ivar:ivar There is a photography group right in my town!!! Thank you so much for posting the link, I never would have found them. They are meeting next Thursday. I am so psyched. :ivar:ivar:ivar

Thank you Enitsugua!!!