Indoor basketball photo: I took some shots tonight of my eldest playing high school basketball. This is my first attempt at using my Tamron 70-200mm VC without a flash. I would like...

Dziadzi Loc: Wilkes-Barre, PA

I took some shots tonight of my eldest playing high school basketball. This is my first attempt at using my Tamron 70-200mm VC without a flash. I would like opinions as to what I could have done to improve the clarity of Collin's face. I went with f2.8 (Aperature Priority). The camera caused the camera to shoot @ 1/200, and I had the ISO set @ 1600. I did toy around with higher ISO's, but I still did not find great facial clarity in those photos. Any thoughts you might have are appreciated. Thanks!

(Download)

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

Dziadzi wrote:

I took some shots tonight of my eldest playing hig... (show quote)

It would have been helpful to include a download for closer inspection, but I would think 1/200 is not quite fast enough of a shutter speed for sharpness and clarity of moving objects.

The third shot looks much sharper, but then the subjects are standing still, so a slower shutter speed works better.

Dziadzi Loc: Wilkes-Barre, PA

Dngallagher wrote:

It would have been helpful to include a download for closer inspection, but I would think 1/200 is not quite fast enough of a shutter speed for sharpness and clarity of moving objects.

The third shot looks much sharper, but then the subjects are standing still, so a slower shutter speed works better.

Thanks for your input, Don. Being new here, I have no idea as to how to make the files downloadable.

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

Dziadzi wrote:

Thanks for your input, Don. Being new here, I have no idea as to how to make the files downloadable.

On the upload page, check STORE ORIGINAL - that will put the full size image on a download page and include the EXIF info.

Do not PREVIEW the posting, or it will not include the upload.

jim quist Loc: Missouri

For sports you want a 1/2000 if you can get it. but to stop action the general rule is minimum of 1/250. Aperture priority is great when shooting football on a bright cloudy day when the sun is in and out of the clouds. The players are in and out of the sun constantly. But for indoor sports set your camera on manual. Use one focus point. None of your pictures are tac sharp, you might try using a monopod.

Dziadzi Loc: Wilkes-Barre, PA

jim quist wrote:

For sports you want a 1/2000 if you can get it. but to stop action the general rule is minimum of 1/250. Aperture priority is great when shooting football on a bright cloudy day when the sun is in and out of the clouds. The players are in and out of the sun constantly. But for indoor sports set your camera on manual. Use one focus point. None of your pictures are tac sharp, you might try using a monopod.

Thanks, Jim, I did use a monopod.

Dziadzi Loc: Wilkes-Barre, PA

Dngallagher wrote:

On the upload page, check STORE ORIGINAL - that will put the full size image on a download page and include the EXIF info.

Do not PREVIEW the posting, or it will not include the upload.

Thanks again, Don!

Dziadzi Loc: Wilkes-Barre, PA

I replaced the files, Don. Thanks for the information.

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

Dziadzi wrote:

I replaced the files, Don. Thanks for the information.

Kool... definitely up the ISO and Up the shutter speed - you will probably see a little more noise easily removed in Post Processing, but getting the shutter speed up should help sharpen things up a bit.

If you can add a speed light to act as fill and stop action that would help as well.

FWIW - I shoot with a D7100 myself, and have shot between 3200 & 5000 ISO indoors to get the shutter up high enough to stop action. I make use of Lightroom and Topaz Denoise if I need to eliminate noise.

Dziadzi Loc: Wilkes-Barre, PA

Dngallagher wrote:

Kool... definitely up the ISO and Up the shutter s... (show quote)

Thanks again, Don. This is the most informative room I have ever been in for anything I have done. :thumbup:

Leicaflex Loc: Cymru

Real concentration

:thumbup:

Tony.mustang

Hi, to improve your shots for clarity set your camera to af c this allows the lens to continue to focus until u press the shutter all the way down. And yes to help move your speed up to 500 to be on the safe side. Good luck

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

It appears that two things are going on.

1.) Motion smearing (as was mentioned)

2.) Missed focus. The ball looks to be focused more than his face in shot #1.

Additional observation. Get as close as you can and fill the frame rather than sitting at the back of the stands and wracking out your zoom. I'd get courtside if I could.

big-guy Loc: Peterborough Ontario Canada

There is one huge flaw in your method. Sports are speed based and if you wish to shoot in auto then you need to choose shutter speed priority. Aperture priority is great for landscapes and any situation where the is little or no movement involved.

When it can, shutter priority will give you more DOF but usually in situations such as indoor shooting it will choose the widest aperture and bump the ISO to achieve a proper exposure. For sports your choice of shutter speed should at least 1/500 but choose faster if you can.

I'm sure there will be some that say aperture priority is fine for sports but think about it for a second. What is your priority for sport, freezing motion or depth of field? Obviously the "PRIORITY" is to freeze motion and shutter speed is your priority. DOF is secondary.

But, nothing beats shooting in manual exposure providing you understand the principles of the exposure triangle.

jim quist Loc: Missouri

I use 2 cameras, one with a 70-200 2.8 and one with a 24-70 2.8. In a gym where there isn't room to move around I stand against the wall near the corner of the court. Some gyms have a stage where the scorekeepers sit for volleyball games, I will shoot from that stage.