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New Camera, time for a College Hockey Game
BradfordBenn
Registered Users Posts: 2,506 Major grins
This is a cross post from my blog.
As my loyal follower will know I have been slowly out growing the performance of my trusty Canon XTi camera. It is not a bad camera it just has some limitations that I have started butting up against. The items that have been hampering me have been slow focus, slow shooting pace, noisy ISO, and the inability to control off camera flashes. I have tried to compensate for these items and quite often I can. I can use the fastest lens I have to assist with some of it. I also have purchased a 25 foot off camera flash cable, use a tripod for longer shutter durations. However I was still hitting up against the items at various points.
So after saving American Express Rewards points, one of the perks of work is that I can keep my reward points, I finally had enough for a faster and higher performance camera. Notice I didn't say better. I understand what makes the camera different and not everything is better. It depends on how you want to judge. Is the heavier camera better or worse? Does more megapixels and large file size mean better? I am still the same operator and it will take the same skill to capture a good picture, no matter the "better"ness of the camera. I have taken winners with point and shoot cameras and with digital single lens reflex cameras.
After much hemming and hawing I decided on the Canon 7D. To me it was the proper balance of performance to price to my style of shooting. It was a little more than I wanted to spend so I decided to forego the kit lens and use my existing lenses to counter balance. Interesting to say spend when I was paying with Rewards Points. I can go through all the reasons I picked it at some point, but the ultimate reason is that it would use the equipment I already own, I liked the sensor style and I understand the operation for the most part. Although there are about 200 more pages for me to read of the manual.
So what does one do when they get a new piece of equipment, they go out and try it out of course. Notre Dame Men's Hockey was hosting Western Michigan so I decided to purchase Standing Room tickets to the game. I read through the first section of the manual and figured I was ready. I have been the Compton Family Ice Arena a few times, once for a game and the rest for work. I knew the layout and where I wanted to be. There are Standing Room locations adjacent to the Press Booth. So we went up to the second floor and got a pretty good spot. To help you visualize it, Compton Family Ice Arena is about 5,000 seats so it is pretty intimate.
<a href="http://photos.bradfordbenn.com/Events/Hockey-Notre-Dame-hosts/i-QpXTgL4/0/X3/Compton Arena Shooting-X3.jpg" target="_blank"><img class=" " title="Compton Family Ice Arena Seating Chart" src="http://photos.bradfordbenn.com/Events/Hockey-Notre-Dame-hosts/i-QpXTgL4/0/M/Compton Arena Shooting-M.jpg" alt="I was at about 7 O'Clock on the image" width="600" height="445" /></a>
Click if you need it enlarged, the red flag is my location
It was a good location, I was standing next to a couple of NHL Scouts and I had a good view of the ice. Plus there is a rail to put things on, so it was no big deal. It was game time, so it was time to shoot.
I started shooting with the kit lens from my XTi, in included a zoom lens of 75-300mm. That is already adjusted for the cropped sensor. It wasn't bad but the images lacked some of the crispness I wanted. Here is a picture of Steven Summerhays during warmups that I took across the rink.
<a href="http://photos.bradfordbenn.com/Events/Hockey-Notre-Dame-hosts/26321516_DC2fvw#!i=2193302365&k=SFtVZVK&lb=1&s=A" target="_blank"><img title="Steven Summerhays during warm ups" src="http://photos.bradfordbenn.com/Events/Hockey-Notre-Dame-hosts/i-SFtVZVK/1/M/IMG_0006-Edit-M.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="400" /></a> Steven Summerhays during warm ups.
Click for larger
As the game progressed I decided to go to my 24-105mm L series lens which is about a 40-168mm equivalent on the cropped sensor of the Canon 7D. However the glass in the lens itself is of higher quality. The crispness of the image definitely improved. The second period face off clearly shows the improvement.
<a href="http://photos.bradfordbenn.com/Events/Hockey-Notre-Dame-hosts/26321516_DC2fvw#!i=2193310296&k=BGdCmQ5&lb=1&s=A" target="_blank"><img title="Start of the Second Period" src="http://photos.bradfordbenn.com/Events/Hockey-Notre-Dame-hosts/i-BGdCmQ5/3/M/IMG_0290-M.jpg" alt="Face off for the second period" width="600" height="400" /></a>
Start of the Second Period. Click to make larger
This photo is one of my favorites of the night. I had to do some cropping and clone out some straggles to avoid the safety net around the rink.
Click to enlarge
To see the whole gallery click here to go to the <a title="Notre Dame hosts Western Michigan gallery" href="http://photos.bradfordbenn.com/Events/Hockey-Notre-Dame-hosts/26321516_DC2fvw" target="_blank">Notre Dame hosts Western Michigan gallery</a>.
Any comments are welcome.
The are still some things I would like to touch up like getting the white balance more consistent, but I am still very happy with the pictures. I might even make prints of a few of them. However the key that I learned was that "chimping", reviewing images on the LCD, on a higher resolution larger display of the 7D does allow one to make more informed decisions about the images. If I had not checked the display I probably would have kept with the less crisp lens. I am glad that I didn't.
Oh yeah, unfortunately Notre Dame lost 3 to 2, but got their revenge on Sunday the 4th. I am also now saving my pennies and points for another piece of L style glass. So if anyone wants to buy me a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0033PRWSW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0033PRWSW&linkCode=as2&tag=bradfordbennc-20">Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bradfordbennc-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0033PRWSW" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000053HH5/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000053HH5&linkCode=as2&tag=bradfordbennc-20">Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bradfordbennc-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000053HH5" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
or ... well I think you get the idea. I can dream and grow into the lens.
As my loyal follower will know I have been slowly out growing the performance of my trusty Canon XTi camera. It is not a bad camera it just has some limitations that I have started butting up against. The items that have been hampering me have been slow focus, slow shooting pace, noisy ISO, and the inability to control off camera flashes. I have tried to compensate for these items and quite often I can. I can use the fastest lens I have to assist with some of it. I also have purchased a 25 foot off camera flash cable, use a tripod for longer shutter durations. However I was still hitting up against the items at various points.
So after saving American Express Rewards points, one of the perks of work is that I can keep my reward points, I finally had enough for a faster and higher performance camera. Notice I didn't say better. I understand what makes the camera different and not everything is better. It depends on how you want to judge. Is the heavier camera better or worse? Does more megapixels and large file size mean better? I am still the same operator and it will take the same skill to capture a good picture, no matter the "better"ness of the camera. I have taken winners with point and shoot cameras and with digital single lens reflex cameras.
After much hemming and hawing I decided on the Canon 7D. To me it was the proper balance of performance to price to my style of shooting. It was a little more than I wanted to spend so I decided to forego the kit lens and use my existing lenses to counter balance. Interesting to say spend when I was paying with Rewards Points. I can go through all the reasons I picked it at some point, but the ultimate reason is that it would use the equipment I already own, I liked the sensor style and I understand the operation for the most part. Although there are about 200 more pages for me to read of the manual.
So what does one do when they get a new piece of equipment, they go out and try it out of course. Notre Dame Men's Hockey was hosting Western Michigan so I decided to purchase Standing Room tickets to the game. I read through the first section of the manual and figured I was ready. I have been the Compton Family Ice Arena a few times, once for a game and the rest for work. I knew the layout and where I wanted to be. There are Standing Room locations adjacent to the Press Booth. So we went up to the second floor and got a pretty good spot. To help you visualize it, Compton Family Ice Arena is about 5,000 seats so it is pretty intimate.
<a href="http://photos.bradfordbenn.com/Events/Hockey-Notre-Dame-hosts/i-QpXTgL4/0/X3/Compton Arena Shooting-X3.jpg" target="_blank"><img class=" " title="Compton Family Ice Arena Seating Chart" src="http://photos.bradfordbenn.com/Events/Hockey-Notre-Dame-hosts/i-QpXTgL4/0/M/Compton Arena Shooting-M.jpg" alt="I was at about 7 O'Clock on the image" width="600" height="445" /></a>
![http://photos.bradfordbenn.com/Events/Hockey-Notre-Dame-hosts/i-QpXTgL4/0/X3/Compton Arena Shooting-X3.jpg"](http://photos.bradfordbenn.com/Events/Hockey-Notre-Dame-hosts/i-QpXTgL4/0/X3/Compton%20Arena%20Shooting-X3.jpg"){kind=link}
![http://photos.bradfordbenn.com/Events/Hockey-Notre-Dame-hosts/i-QpXTgL4/0/M/Compton Arena Shooting-M.jpg"](http://photos.bradfordbenn.com/Events/Hockey-Notre-Dame-hosts/i-QpXTgL4/0/M/Compton%20Arena%20Shooting-M.jpg"){kind=link}
Click if you need it enlarged, the red flag is my location
It was a good location, I was standing next to a couple of NHL Scouts and I had a good view of the ice. Plus there is a rail to put things on, so it was no big deal. It was game time, so it was time to shoot.
I started shooting with the kit lens from my XTi, in included a zoom lens of 75-300mm. That is already adjusted for the cropped sensor. It wasn't bad but the images lacked some of the crispness I wanted. Here is a picture of Steven Summerhays during warmups that I took across the rink.
<a href="http://photos.bradfordbenn.com/Events/Hockey-Notre-Dame-hosts/26321516_DC2fvw#!i=2193302365&k=SFtVZVK&lb=1&s=A" target="_blank"><img title="Steven Summerhays during warm ups" src="http://photos.bradfordbenn.com/Events/Hockey-Notre-Dame-hosts/i-SFtVZVK/1/M/IMG_0006-Edit-M.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="400" /></a> Steven Summerhays during warm ups.
![http://photos.bradfordbenn.com/Events/Hockey-Notre-Dame-hosts/i-SFtVZVK/1/M/IMG_0006-Edit-M.jpg"](http://photos.bradfordbenn.com/Events/Hockey-Notre-Dame-hosts/i-SFtVZVK/1/M/IMG_0006-Edit-M.jpg"){kind=link}
Click for larger
As the game progressed I decided to go to my 24-105mm L series lens which is about a 40-168mm equivalent on the cropped sensor of the Canon 7D. However the glass in the lens itself is of higher quality. The crispness of the image definitely improved. The second period face off clearly shows the improvement.
<a href="http://photos.bradfordbenn.com/Events/Hockey-Notre-Dame-hosts/26321516_DC2fvw#!i=2193310296&k=BGdCmQ5&lb=1&s=A" target="_blank"><img title="Start of the Second Period" src="http://photos.bradfordbenn.com/Events/Hockey-Notre-Dame-hosts/i-BGdCmQ5/3/M/IMG_0290-M.jpg" alt="Face off for the second period" width="600" height="400" /></a>
![http://photos.bradfordbenn.com/Events/Hockey-Notre-Dame-hosts/i-BGdCmQ5/3/M/IMG_0290-M.jpg"](http://photos.bradfordbenn.com/Events/Hockey-Notre-Dame-hosts/i-BGdCmQ5/3/M/IMG_0290-M.jpg"){kind=link}
Start of the Second Period. Click to make larger
This photo is one of my favorites of the night. I had to do some cropping and clone out some straggles to avoid the safety net around the rink.
Click to enlarge
To see the whole gallery click here to go to the <a title="Notre Dame hosts Western Michigan gallery" href="http://photos.bradfordbenn.com/Events/Hockey-Notre-Dame-hosts/26321516_DC2fvw" target="_blank">Notre Dame hosts Western Michigan gallery</a>.
Any comments are welcome.
The are still some things I would like to touch up like getting the white balance more consistent, but I am still very happy with the pictures. I might even make prints of a few of them. However the key that I learned was that "chimping", reviewing images on the LCD, on a higher resolution larger display of the 7D does allow one to make more informed decisions about the images. If I had not checked the display I probably would have kept with the less crisp lens. I am glad that I didn't.
Oh yeah, unfortunately Notre Dame lost 3 to 2, but got their revenge on Sunday the 4th. I am also now saving my pennies and points for another piece of L style glass. So if anyone wants to buy me a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0033PRWSW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0033PRWSW&linkCode=as2&tag=bradfordbennc-20">Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bradfordbennc-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0033PRWSW" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000053HH5/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000053HH5&linkCode=as2&tag=bradfordbennc-20">Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bradfordbennc-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000053HH5" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
or ... well I think you get the idea. I can dream and grow into the lens.
0
Comments
#2 is a good moment....
For your next lens, I recommend the 70-200 f/2.8 over the f/4 version.
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=221582&highlight=hockey
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=153575
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=153071