Indoor Sports Camera Settings? HELP

ginger_55

OK, I did a search...........didn't find what I wanted.

I am going with my husband to shoot a basketball game this afternoon, just because I want to try shooting sports, so questions:

Flash, or not?

ISO?

TV? or what?

Settings in general, I have Canon 20D and a Sigma Super flash. I would prefer no flash, my husband, who is new to digital, he WILL be using flash........and he is shooting for the schools, for real.

What do you all do? Flash or not?

For my own info, full body vs, body parts?

Just any advice would be helpful.

ginger, please, thank you

Andy

No flash.
ISO 1600

What lenses do you have to choose from? Most find that the 85 f/1.8 and 50 f/1.8 or 50 f/1.4 are best for indoor hoops. Leave the big guns at home.

Shoot rapid fire, AI Servo, and trying for the highest shutter speeds available. I'd go with ISO 1600 on your 20D, AV mode, and be at f/2.8 or f/2 - and have fun!

Andy

BTW, did you see this sticky thread in Sporting Goods?

Andy

Here are more. Use the search, Luke

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=21161&highlight=basketball+lens

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=7471&highlight=basketball+lens

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=6195&highlight=basketball+lens

ginger_55

Thanks, Andy!

I appreciate your catching my question and answering. My husband and I looked at all the threads.

So, I will be shooting available light. We can get close, and we all know that I do not own a fast lens, nor do I own a medium lens, so it will be the 70-200 f4, then I will probably go to the 17-40 just to see the diff. Neither of those lenses is fast.

But I still want to go avail light. After all I have PS here. (And I shoot RAW and he is shooting jpg, he has to. Then the company sends the cf card to the main office place, they put it on a disc, no post processing at all, and that card, bad shots and all gets handed to the client/school. I would die, just die!) previous inserted later.

Bill, on the other hand says he will not do this, first time he has used the digital ever, but he will not do it without the flash. He says the school advisors want flash. They also want feet. He only has the kit lens. (We do not match.) I like a tighter crop most of the time.

So, thanks, will see what happens. I appreciated all the threads, too.

ginger

Andy

You should at least buy a 50 f/1.8 - only like $75. You've got to own some fast glass for these occasions....

Good luck!

ginger_55

I plan to buy the Canon 50mm f 2.5 compact Macro AF lens in February. Rutt suggested it as I have regretted not having a macro.

Yes, I do wish I had the 1.8 today, but not usually, and I do want a macro, but don't have an arm and a leg this year. (If I did, I would buy a 500, I think)

g

Photosbychuck

Hi, ginger_55

There should be enough light at the stadium (no flash).
Flash, or not?

I like photos with full body my self.
If, you get a chance to do some close 3/4 shots that would look
good also.
For my own info, full body vs, body parts?

I plan to go to alot of College basketball games starting in Jan. 2006
so, maybe I will be more help then. After I get more practice my self.
Good Luck and post some of the photos when you get back.


Take Care,
Chuck,

Onrey

Hi Ginger,
I have been shooting alot of Highschool Basketball games for our local school, the school and gym is only 3 yrs old and has some decent light. I have been shooting these games with a Canon 20D and Canon 70-200 f/2.8L, and a sigma 24-70 f/2.8, I also have the Canon 50 f/1.8 but havent tried it yet but I will. I have been shooting manual with AI servo and the "*" as focus,(after getting the hang of it I love it) I also do not shoot with flash at the moment, the photos are turning out pretty dang good in my opinion. I am getting shutter speeds anywhere from high 300's to 200. One one end of the gym I can get the high 300's and the other end I get about 200 ish ( I havent figured that out yet ?). I wish you lots of luck but am affraid you wont get the shutter speeds you need to freeze the action with your f/4.0 unless you have LOTS of nice light or use strobes / flash. You mentioned shooting RAW and having photoshop to edit the photos BUT nothing can fix a photo that has lots of motion blurr / out of focus ect. As Andy mentioned Please do your best and get the Canon 50 f/1.8 its rather cheap(price $79.00) for a f/1.8 and even tho you may not use it much it will be in your bag when you do need it and its very light.

Would also like to mention that I stuggled shooting basketball with my 70-200 but after a few games Im actually enjoying shooting this lense with basketball. I have alot more keepers with it than I do with my Sigma 24-70, as far as I can tell my percentage of keepers are related to the faster Focus of the 70-200.

Again, I wish you lots of luck and better yet enjoy the games.

Heres a photo I took ISO 1600, f/2.8, shutter 1/200 with the 70-200

Nappalonia

Andy wrote:

No flash.
ISO 1600

What lenses do you have to choose from? Most find that the 85 f/1.8 and 50 f/1.8 or 50 f/1.4 are best for indoor hoops. Leave the big guns at home.

Shoot rapid fire, AI Servo, and trying for the highest shutter speeds available. I'd go with ISO 1600 on your 20D, AV mode, and be at f/2.8 or f/2 - and have fun!

Hi Andy, thanks for the tips! I won raffle tickets to a Bull's game on the 9th, (row 9) so this thread is right on time, I'll be shooting with a 20d/85 1.8, and pretty much using the settings suggested.

As to the statement underlined, I was wondering why you wouldn't advise shooting manual mode instead of trying for high shutter speeds in av mode, just curious:): I know it boils down to preference, pretty much.

Thanks for the tips everyone.

Steve Cavigliano

Nappalonia wrote:

Hi Andy, thanks for the tips! I won raffle tickets to a Bull's game on the 9th, (row 9) so this thread is right on time, I'll be shooting with a 20d/85 1.8, and pretty much using the settings suggested.

As to the statement underlined, I was wondering why you wouldn't advise shooting manual mode instead of trying for high shutter speeds in av mode, just curious:): I know it boils down to preference, pretty much.

Thanks for the tips everyone.

Nappalonia,

I'm not sure there's really a difference in what Andy advised and the Manual approach. That is if you are using Av mode with the aperture wide open, you will get the same speeds as if you were using Manual mode with the aperture wide open and looked for a 0 EV meter reading. You can use either mode. In Av the speed will change if you happen on a brighter part of the court. In Manual, you will have to notice this change and manually increase your speed. Six of one, half dozen of the other......lol I usually use Av mode, cuz I'm lazy...lol And I also like to dial in 1/3 - 2/3 of negative EV comp. Helps the speeds and cuts down on the overhead glare.

BTW, you will have much better lighting at this pro game than most of us indoor shooters are used to. You should have no problem getting 1/400+ speeds using ISO800 and you may even be able to cut back your aperture to F2.5 or even narrower I'd also suggest using Custom white balance if you won't be shooting RAW. Even if you are using RAW setting the white balance will make reviewing your pics in the LCD easier and more enjoyable.

Good luck and as long as the Bulls aren't playing the Warriors, GO BULLS...lol

Steve

Nappalonia

Steve Cavigliano wrote:

Nappalonia,

In Av the speed will change if you happen on a brighter part of the court. In Manual, you will have to notice this change and manually increase your speed.

BTW, you will have much better lighting at this pro game than most of us indoor shooters are used to. You should have no problem getting 1/400+ speeds using ISO800 and you may even be able to cut back your aperture to F2.5 or even narrower I'd also suggest using Custom white balance if you won't be shooting RAW. Even if you are using RAW setting the white balance will make reviewing your pics in the LCD easier and more enjoyable.

Good luck and as long as the Bulls aren't playing the Warriors, GO BULLS...lol

Steve

Thanks Steve, now I see why you would use av over manual Well for the same reasons you posted I'll be using AV too, and thanks for the rest of the tips, yeah go Bull's!

I have yet to do a CWB, I was thinking of shooting in Raw, which I haven't done yet either.

God luck with your shots Ginger.

Steve Cavigliano

Nappalonia wrote:

Thanks Steve, now I see why you would use av over manual Well for the same reasons you posted I'll be using AV too, and thanks for the rest of the tips, yeah go Bull's!

I have yet to do a CWB, I was thinking of shooting in Raw, which I haven't done yet either.

God luck with your shots Ginger.

Nap,
If you can, shoot in RAW. It gives you so much more latitude. Not to mention how easily you can tweak white balance. The only negative is that it limits you to a 6 frame burst and the in-cam processing takes longer so you may miss a shot or two. But, IMO, the positives heavily outweigh the negatives. Especially if you are shooting activities that you haven't had experience shooting before.

Have fun, enjoy the game and don't put too much pressure on yourself Like any other type of photography, the more you shoot, the better you will get. You will get some keepers from this shoot and if you do it again, you'll get even more

Good luck to you,

Steve

Anson

Andy..why
do you suggest Av over Shutter mode for indoor sports
....since the subject will be moving quickly, I would have thought the obvious 2 choices in setting, would have been shutter mode followed by manual mode (for trickier exposures)?

Art Scott

Where Or Where Are Those

Nappalonia wrote:

I won raffle tickets to a Bull's game on the 9th, (row 9) so this thread is right on time, I'll be shooting with a 20d/85 1.8, and pretty much using the settings suggested.
quote]

Where are those BULLS pics???...I've been searching the sports sectiona nd no NAPPALONIA shots of the Bulls

Art Scott

Where Or Where Are Those

Nappalonia wrote:

I won raffle tickets to a Bull's game on the 9th, (row 9) so this thread is right on time, I'll be shooting with a 20d/85 1.8, and pretty much using the settings suggested.
quote]

Where are those BULLS pics???...I've been searching the sports sectiona nd no NAPPALONIA shots of the Bulls