lens question

Labman

My daughter plays indoor soccer I want to get some good shots of her and the team but don't have a fortune to spend a 70mm-200mm telephoto would work well but what lens would you recommed and some recomended settings please thanks.

PineapplePhoto

85mm f1.8
AV
ISO 800-1600
Center Weighed Metering
* Focus a.k.a CnF 4.3
Custom WB
AI Servo
f2.2-2.8

aktse

Everything PineapplePhotos said... I might add that you should re-white balance when you move, and shooting in RAW be helpful if the light cycles.

donek

I second the 85 f1.8. Sigma's non VR 70-200 f2.8 is just under $900. If you're indoors though f2.8 is unlikely to do the job unless you add a flash. Your 10 megapixel body gives you quite a bit of room to crop in.

johng

donek wrote:

Your 10 megapixel body gives you quite a bit of room to crop in.

Not really for low light sports though - especially if using short primes. The first problem is - lenses are only designed for accurate focusing to a certain point. Beyond that focus accuracy really takes a dive. Add in low light and it's even worse. So when you crop down on an image taken from too far away in low light the image is often pretty soft and lacking in detail. You also magnify the damage done by noise. So in low light especially it's crucial to fill the frame with your subject (to get more accurate focus and to capture more detail so noise and noise reduction doesn't destroy it).

So while the 85 is a great low light sports lens - it's really only good for about 20 feet of coverage. Not a lot for soccer.

The real question though is whether it's even bright enough for 2.8 in the facility. I don't shoot indoor soccer (but do shoot wrestling, basketball, volleyball, swimming indoors and soccer outdoors) and it's a real toss up. 2.8 often requires ISO 3200.

So if you do go with a prime (and I'll assume the 135mm 2.0 at $1000 is out of the price range too) you're going to have to be very patient with the action.

Ann McRae

I've shot indoor soccer for years with the 20d and 85f1.8.

f2.8 is not fast enough. With the 85, I generally shoot ISO 800 or 1600, f2.0 or 2.2, fastest shutter speed possible - 1/500. (example is f2.2 and 1/400, ISO 1600)

I also have the 135 f2.0, and it is great as well but believe it or not, can be too long for indoor soccer. Our arenas allow shooting from about 1/3 of the way along the field (actually, they no longer allow shooting, but thats another story). The 135 is too long t work with at that spot. Occassionally, I've been allowed into the score box by the refs, and then the 135 is perfect.

ann

pathfinder

A 135mm lens has almost exactly the same field of view on an APS sensored camera ( 1.6 mag factor body ) as a 200mm on a full frame body.

And 200mm can be too close indoors on a 35mm full frame camera too.

Sigma sells an f2.8 50-150mm lens, if f2.8 is fast enough.

If you can use flash, then a whole new world opens up with f2.8 lenses.

Tape an EOS flash on the bottom portion of your monopod just a foot or two above the ground, connect two off shoe ETTL cord to reach your camera, and shoot away in manual mode.

This trick was written up here on the Sports forum on dgrin by Randy Wells. His photos make it look like a bang up technique.

beetle8

There's a million
Everyone is going to have a POV I think the idea of counting on being able to crop to mimick better framing will have a low success rate you'll continue to find your subject soft. I currently shoot the Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 I'll reluctantly agree that indoors it leans toward too slow in a No Flash sport like gymnastics. However that being said it does make me money.
I can't wait to try that flash on the monopod technique sounds wicked cool

Katie Beth

I use a Canon 100 f/2.0 (under $400) for indoor sports. That's a 160mm equivalent on a crop camera like the 40D. I find it works well enough. It is sort of a sister lens to the 85 f/1.8. At f/2.0 I have to shoot between ISO 1250 and 1600 on my 40D to get good enough exposure.

Sure, you can't get tight shots when they are on the other end of the court/field but when they come closer you get them. I get sharp pics with this lens and can crop in some on the wider shots but not a lot. I like to have some pics that show more team action. Compared to other lenses I've used it works well with the 6 fps rate of the 40D.

I don't have any pics posted yet with that lens indoors so can't give an example but I can tell you the shots from the 85 1.8 or the 100 2.0 are SHARP! I think it's a great compromise when you don't have the money to shell out for the L lenses.