Pole Vault C&C

cdmilton

Hello,

I finally got a good lens and I am able to get some results I feel better about and I am looking for some critique as to what I can do better next time around.

Taken with Canon 30D + 24-70 2.8 L

Shutter Priority set at 1/400
ISO 1600

RandySmugMug

very nice

what f stop did you end up with ?
i ask because the backgrounds are distracting from very good pics

i prefer to shoot in aperture priority generally but in this case i'd shoot in M so i could control the aperture at 2.8 or whatever wide open is

cdmilton

They all ended up at F2.8. I knew this when I was shooting because they all were coming out under exposed but I was shotting RAW so I knew I could correct that in post processing. If I shot on aperture priority @ F2.8 the shutter was around 1/250 which is a litte too slow for my tastes. Do you think I should soot on M or stay with what I did?

I was hoping for more background blur but I guess I need the 70-200L and be farther away. Although, Being farther away from the side is not really an option in this arena. I was able to get some background blur when shooting stills zoomed in to 70mm and the subject was closer.

RandySmugMug

cdmilton wrote:

They all ended up at F2.8. I knew this when I was shooting because they all were coming out under exposed but I was shotting RAW so I knew I could correct that in post processing. If I shot on aperture priority @ F2.8 the shutter was around 1/250 which is a litte too slow for my tastes. Do you think I should soot on M or stay with what I did?

I was hoping for more background blur but I guess I need the 70-200L and be farther away. Although, Being farther away from the side is not really an option in this arena. I was able to get some background blur when shooting stills zoomed in to 70mm and the subject was closer.

if they ended up at 2.8 it wouldn't matter whether you shot manual or aperture...you did the best that could be expected....maybe try to position yourself so the background is less cluttered (easier said than done)

on a D200 i'd shoot M, 1/400, f2.8 and use Auto ISO

SitterS

With the Canon Auto ISO is set between ISO 100-800. Not sure if this is different with Nikon. Confused about using auto ISO indoors if it limits you to 800 ISO. Trying to get a better grasp on shooting techniques in an indoor environment with sports. Maybe the key here is shooting manual instead of AV.

Shane

RandySmugMug

SitterS wrote:

With the Canon Auto ISO is set between ISO 100-800. Not sure if this is different with Nikon. Confused about using auto ISO indoors if it limits you to 800 ISO. Trying to get a better grasp on shooting techniques in an indoor environment with sports. Maybe the key here is shooting manual instead of AV.

Shane

on the d200 auto iso is from 200-1600 (maybe 100-1600)

on the d300 it's 200-3200 (maybe 200-6400)

on the d3 it's 200-6400

before nikon switched to a cmos sensor this was not so great a diff but now it is

SitterS

Gotcha! Wonder why Canon only limited theirs to 800. Oh well.

Shane

beetle8

very nice shots
On some of these models the auto ISO has parameters that can be set in Menu (eg.max800)

They all ended up at F2.8. I knew this when I was shooting because they all were coming out under exposed but I was shotting RAW so I knew I could correct that in post processing.

Your statement makes it sound like the reason for the under exposure was due to the AP, You know that is not the case , it's because you've got the SS too fast.

if they ended up at 2.8 it wouldn't matter whether you shot manual or aperture...

If you're in SS-Priority and you have it set beyond the capabilities of the lens camera combo it doesn't matter, you might as well have it on manual.
A better setting would be AP-Priority with a Exp Comp of +.3 or more, this will give you a kick in the SS and still let the camera help with adjustments.
In these pictures however you'd have to be dead center metered off the subject or all the shots would fail because of that light BG.
I have to put my argument in against underexposure, shooting Raw dosen't make it OK a higher ISO with propper exposure will produce better results.
Lighteneing in PP creates noise just like High ISO

sportsshooter06

I agree with beetle, Raw means nothing, that is for color, not exposure.

The way to shoot indoors and be successful is to use the highest ISO, that will yield useable results, in combination with the largest aperture you have. If your ISO is high enough, your aperture is wide enough, then your shutter should be fast enough to get decent shots. If there is not enough natural light indoors to help, then no matter what you do, your results , will not be sufficent. Shooting wide open indoors, will yield different DOF results, due to the proximity of what you are shooting. Indoors you use wide apertures for light, the DOF will be whatt it is. If you want the shot you need light, not Blurred backgrounds.

P/U a copy of SI and look at the indoor shots, the back ground is very eveident. The shot is what counts, if you can isolate great but sometimes it is not possible.

cdmilton

beetle8 wrote:

very nice shots

I have to put my argument in against underexposure, shooting Raw dosen't make it OK a higher ISO with propper exposure will produce better results.
Lighteneing in PP creates noise just like High ISO

So would you recommend that I up my ISO to 3200 from 1600 and then shoot wide open at 2.8 in aperture priority?

beetle8

First of all I think your results here are good.

So would you recommend that I up my ISO to 3200 from 1600 and then shoot wide open at 2.8 in aperture priority?

The easy answer would be yes.
The long answer...
I would definately start with making sure you're at 2.8 if you're coming out dark with the SS you want, that means AP or manual, upping the ISO is the next step, absolutely bump it up.
I used to always shoot aperature priority, with ok results, I actually learned here from johng (thanks John) that I'd be better off in manual.
Here's the thing with AP it can be fooled rather easily, if the camera meters off that white BG in the bottom three shots then the shot is way under exposed and you're forced to try and salvage it in PP. Set the exposure manually for corect exposure on the subject.

cdmilton

Thanks! One thing I have noticed is when I shoot at this location from the side on aperture priority I will have a faster shutter speed on the run and takeoff but it will slow way down over the bar. I am not sure why but it could be because I am then pointed at a light and a window.

I'll shoot some test shots at 3200 next time I am there and see how they turn out.

SirGeorge

Longer lens
Hi,
Nice work.

The only thing that I would add to the discussion - agreeing with everything said before me - is that the DOF issue is pretty much limited by your lens - you can't get close enough with a 24-70 - as you were cranked open at f2.8. To isolate the background you would need to consider a longer lens with a large aperture.

Again, good shooting.

George.

cdmilton wrote:

Thanks! One thing I have noticed is when I shoot at this location from the side on aperture priority I will have a faster shutter speed on the run and takeoff but it will slow way down over the bar. I am not sure why but it could be because I am then pointed at a light and a window.

I'll shoot some test shots at 3200 next time I am there and see how they turn out.

cdmilton

Thanks George!