CPR Loc: Nature Coast of Florida

Are you looking for photos to document the kids playing sports? If it was me the answer would be yes. So, close down the lens a stop or two, jack the speed up to at least 400 and take the ISO up to where you get the photo. I would shoot in raw since you know the shots will be noisy and when in post-processing you can have a better chance of making them better.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

Your gear has too many limitations for what you're trying to do. If you can't upgrade the camera, get a faster lens with a shorter zoom range. If you can't get a shutter speed at least 3x the focal length you're using, you'll fight with blurry pictures constantly. Keep the zoom focal length down to 100 or less. Shooting wide open also gives shallow DoF so you're fighting against keeping a moving subject in focus. Spot focus might help.

canon Lee

Hi Ghost... Lost of good advice here, mostly centering on a faster shutter speed. I feel you can go a bit higher with your shutter speed, at least 1/1000th. Here is something no one mentioned so far. I suggest that you shoot in JPEG, rather than RAW, reason being is that in JPEG, it will buffer faster. As to the aperture setting, you are correct in that you keep at wide open aperture of F2.8. Have you looked into using focus tracking, using AF servo. I feel you would be better off framing only one or two players, keeping your crop smaller. Blurred backgrounds look better.... Consider shooting in Manual, setting the aperture at F2.8, shutter 1/1000th, ISO as high as you can get without noise. Keep an eye on your histogram, knowing that the background will be darker than the subject. Post will give you exposure adjustments but not much for focus..... Set you camera to AF-Drive, high speed continuous shooting ( 3 max). use spot metering and pan. It takes a bit of practice to pan.... Good luck..

Nature_Shooter Loc: Chesterfield Missouri

I understand that this camera has served you well however technology has advanced immensely in the past 10 years and much higher ISO is possible with more than acceptable noise levels on newer cameras. As many others have stated, your shutter speed needs to be much faster.

Also, that is a heavy lens. Maybe try a monopod to stabilize the camera more.

Finally, let me suggest this. If you have a local photography store, rent a newer camera and see if the pictures are better.

gray_ghost2 Loc: Antelope, (Sac) Ca.

Thank you for your input. Since most of my photos are sports of grandkids and nature, I'm looking for a used Canon 7D M2. The M3 is coming out in 18, so maybe I can get a deal on the M2. Also, that lens is heavy and I do use a monopod.

Nature_Shooter Loc: Chesterfield Missouri

The 7D mII is an excellent choice. Happy shooting!!!

Shutterbug57

OP - Your shutter speeds and ISO are way too low. The following were shot at a well-lit HS stadium with a Nikon D-200 and a Nikkor 80-200/f2.8 on a 1.4 TC, so a maximum effective aperture of 4.0 (you lose a stop for the TC).

All shots were shot at ISO 1600 & f/2.8 (effectively 4.0)

- The goalkeeper - 1/500 shutter. Lens @ 200mm (280 mm effective)
- #20 - 1/2000 shutter. Lens @ 200mm (280 mm effective)
- GOAL!!!! - 1/750 shutter. Lens @ 200mm (280 mm effective)
- 13 on 3 - 1/1250 shutter. Lens @ 100mm(140 mm effective)

These were all shot on a pretty well lit HS field. I locked in the ISO and used aperture priority mode to keep the aperture wide open. The shutter speed was determined by the camera. Notice that even on a well lit field, there are hot spots and darker spots forcing the shutter to wander from 1/2000 to 1/500 all during the same night game. Had this game been on our home field, I would have been at ISO 3200 and had more noise.

The D-200 is now 11 or so years old technology. I was shooting at near the top of its ISO capability. To get reasonably clean images with older DSLR bodies at high ISO, you have to nail the exposure. The images I posted (and the rest of the keepers) are as clean as the D-200 can produce at the ISO selected. Trust me, there were more than a few shots that hit the cutting room floor because I did not nail the exposure and the noise was, simply, unpublishable.

Happy hunting for the new (to you) body. Newer higher ISO bodies make shooting these events even better. I just got a D-500 and can't wait to shoot some night games with it.

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Shutterbug57

OP - Here is a shot, from our home stadium, which is a pretty normal HS stadium as far as lighting is concerned. Notice the pooling of the light. This is all stadium lighting (no flash). notice how much brighter the grass is behind and to the camera right of the player in white than it is in either the foreground or background. This is why I shoot in aperture priority mode and jack the ISO up so that the shutter is at an acceptable speed in the darkest parts of the field.

This shot was at ISO 3200, f/2.8 (effectively 4.0), 1/1000 shutter & lens at 200mm (280mm)

ETA: OP, I am not sure I understand your exposure data. Your stadium looks similar to our home stadium as far as lighting goes. In this shot I am 2 stops faster on ISO, but lose 1 stop to you because of my TC, so net I am 1 stop faster so far, BUT in the shutter speed I am 5 stops slower (less light). Stated differently, if I had moved to ISO 800 and removed the TC to get an effective f/2.8, I would have had a shutter speed of 1/500. Is it possible you had a ND filter on your lens? With a naked lens, at ISO 800 & f/2.8, a 1/20 shutter should have blown out the image. Alternatively, are you sure you were at ISO 800 - there is not much noise in your images.

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Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

What you really want is a FF body rather than an APS-C cropped sensor body. You won't get the effective longer focal length, but the big advantage is being able to use a much higher ISO for the same noise. Night sports is all about noise!

If you want to stay with Canon, pick up a used 6D.

But no matter what you choose for a new body, the old 40D is simply incapable of good images for the work you want to do.

gray_ghost2 Loc: Antelope, (Sac) Ca.

Thanks for all your suggestions. With my camera on the way, Canon 7d m2 faster ISO and with my Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 for low light, I now have the right equiptment. Acouple of more questions.
1. Night football games, High ISO 1000< plus higher shutter spd 1200+, will the fstop adjust or do I need to set it?
2. Daytime sports, ISO 800<, shutter spd 1000+, let the fstop auto adjust or preset?
3. Indoor events, similar to night games?
4. Go out and shoot.

Shutterbug57

For action sports, I shoot aperture priority and meter the darkest part of the field/court/gym adjusting the ISO so that my minimum shutter is where I want it. So, set the aperture, set the ISO and let the shutter automatically adjust. If the lighting gets worst, adjust the ISO.

#3 - sometimes worse.

FairwayPhotos Loc: Massachusetts, USA

I shoot a lot of basketball....in some very poorly lit gyms. I have found shooting in manual mode set at the largest aperture available (I use 2.8), and a shutter speed fast enough to freeze the action (at least 500). Then set you ISO to auto. You'll find this works great.

Jim

idahoshooter Loc: Coeur d'Alene

I concur with Jim. Go to manual mode, 1/600 to 1/800, leave the aperture at 2.8 or closed just a little, and then put the ISO in AUTO. That will get you the stop action you need, and the least noise (although there may be plenty). Lots of good noise reduction software out there.