HS Girls Night LAX

IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
edited April 2, 2011 in Sports
Coach wanted some shots of defenders the other night, so I rented the 400mm f2.8. GOOD GRIEF!! What a beast. I will never complain about the heft of the 70-200 again. Anyway, it's quite a lens, and allows you to get some shots you couldn't get with lesser glass. When I hit the lotto . . . well I guess I'd need to buy lotto tickets, eh?

1.
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2.
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3.
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4.
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John :
Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.

Comments

  • VitaminVVitaminV Registered Users Posts: 58 Big grins
    edited March 28, 2011
    Nice shots John. I especially like 1 and 4.
  • IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
    edited March 28, 2011
    Thanks, Mike.
    John :
    Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
    D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
  • wmstummewmstumme Registered Users Posts: 466 Major grins
    edited March 29, 2011
    Look good! Nice exposurses under lights.

    What did you differently do to focus on defenders?
    Regards

    Will
    ________________________
    www.willspix.smugmug.com
  • IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
    edited March 29, 2011
    wmstumme wrote: »
    Look good! Nice exposurses under lights.

    What did you differently do to focus on defenders?

    Thanks Will. The D700 is a champ under those conditions.

    I set up around 2/3 the way down the field from the goal and back on the track with the 400mm lens and the most massive tripod I own (I also set up some track hurdles as fences around the unattended camera.) For a lot of the shots I set manual focus on the 'keeper and just let her rip with the radio remote. That would have worked pretty well, except it was so effing cold the remote became unreliable. Switched bodies, same thing, so I know it was the remote. I was trying to shoot hand-held with the D300 and the 70-200, while firing the "monster" with the remote. Nice plan, but meh. I did get a lot of good 'keeper shots which the coach appreciated. I seldom went behind the goal for this game. After I abandoned the remote operation, I just shot by hand from the tripod.

    The biggest advantage of using a long lens from farther away is that the angles change more slowly and it's a lot easier to follow a player. The drawback is that if you take your eye away from the viewfinder for an instant it's a lot harder to reaquire your subject.

    Again, the high school game (in my limited experience) is played more up and down the center of the field and less on the wings, 'cause the kids don't have the range with their passes. I think maybe you'd be as well off staying behind the goal and shooting the defenders as they run toward you. Keep in mind that I'm shooting as much for the kids' egos as I am for "great sports shots."

    I noticed tonight as I sat at my dinner table that it was still light at 7:45 or so, so maybe I can keep the shutter speeds up a little for upcoming games.
    John :
    Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
    D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
  • IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
    edited March 29, 2011
    Oh, the D300 with the 400mm lens is just too long. From midfield you fill the frame with the goal!
    John :
    Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
    D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
  • Mark1616Mark1616 Registered Users Posts: 319 Major grins
    edited April 2, 2011
    Really great outcome and isn't the 400mm f2.8 a very sexy lens (my wife tells me off for calling camera kit sexy but seriously Laughing.gif)!?

    I'm here to learn so please feel free to give me constructive criticism to help me become the photographer I desire to be.

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