bill925

I've been a photographer for 30 years and have shot Major League Baseball, but now, I'm starting to shoot Friday night high school football. I am using a 7D MkII, and a 7D with a 70-200, 2.8 IS. My problem is lighting at the high school stadiums. After shooting in a professional ballpark with great lighting, this is a real challenge. As a result of poor lighting, I was shooting at an ISO of 16000, and shutter speed of 1/2500 at 2.8. The images still weren't lighted the way I wanted, and of course the grain was terrible. Anyone who shoots high school football who has tips or info would be a great help.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

First, you only need 1/500 sec to freeze football.
Second, your 7D is nowhere capable of ISO 16000, not if you want acceptable shots. The 7D II will do 3200 acceptably and 6400 with some work. You really do need full frame to get good results under high school lighting conditions.

bill925

I'm used to freezing 90 mph fastballs so you can see the seams, high school football is a challenge

bill925

Thanks for the info. I also have a 5D MkIII but of course with a full frame, you don't get the increased range as you do with a crop sensor. I may try using the 5D MkIII at the next game just to experiment. I appreciate your reply, and if you have any other recommendations, I would like to hear them

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Footballs are much bigger, and much slower.

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

My advice, FWIW, is to try to keep the aperture to f8 or smaller for acceptable depth of field. A shutter speed of 1/500 is minimal, so you need to float your ISO a bit to get an acceptable combination.

Some will say to shoot at a larger aperture, but DOF under these conditions is pretty thin, and a shot where the hands, football, and face are all at different focal planes does not provide a good look.

Just my opinion, YMMV...

Andy

bill925

without a doubt, and you have to watch for the player bearing down on you as you're looking through the viewfinder...lol

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

I use a Nikon D850, previously a D800E, and a Sigma 120-300mm F2.8 for high school football. Makes for a great combo at 12,800 ISO and perfectly acceptable results at 25,600 ISO at F2.8 to F4.
Same combo works great for high school basketball and volleyball in poorly lit gyms.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

I have two suggestions. First, try a shutter speeds between 1/250 and 1/1000 - you may find that 1/500 or even 1/250 (unless you want to freeze the ball in the air) is adequate. That will allow you to get the shutter speed down substantially. I often shoot HS wrestling at 1/250 without blur and basketball between 1/500 and 1/1000. If that still doesn’t give satisfactory results, use the 5D3 which will comfortably shoot at ISO 12,800. It’s at least a stop better at high ISO than the 7D2 and a LOT better than the 7D.

One last alternative (but not inexpensive). Use the 5D3 and buy a used, non-IS MK1 EF 300mm f2.8L. My son just bought one from KEH for $1300, and while heavy (about 6 lbs), on a monopod, it’s just right for HS night football.

bill925

You've got a great setup. I only found two spots on the field with acceptable lighting, and that's directly in front of and across from the lights. Way too much shadows any place else.

bill925

Thanks, I'll use your suggestions and see how it works. I do have a 5d MkIII, and I'll use it at the next game.

bill925

I'll check out the used equipment and see what they have. I've never shopped at KEH, always used B&H. Here's a few examples of what I was used to shooting.

bill925

Thanks Andy. I've got some experimenting to do

bill925

Here's an example of the lighting I was dealing with last Friday

PaulR01 Loc: West Texas

I shoot D 1 Football, Baseball, basketball and high school football for the wire service and other media outlets. My#2 body is a 7Dii and on occasion I have to bump it up to 16,000 grudgingly. But I have never pushed the shutter speed to 2500 at high ISO. The rule of thumb is don't go under 1/1000 on occasion I have to drop it to 1/640 at 12,800 ISO but never slower than that. The higher the level of competition the higher you are going to need the shutter speed. 1/500 will stop most little leaguers but not a high school kid running or catching a ball or in the D1 College games. The outer appendages will be showing motion. Being on a paid gig I can't afford to miss a shot with blurry hands and feet. The 7Dii does great up to 8,000 ISO with noise anything above that you need to get as close to right as possible in camera, over expose a bit (stop or two). It helps with the focus and brings in the shadows with less noise. Your 2500 shutter speed is the reason for your high ISO.
One other thing. Canon in very low lighting situations doesn't alway hit the exposure right in manual. In manual the auto exposure is always a stop or two low at 12,800. Switch it to TV and bump up the exposure manually a stop or two. Your exposures will be quite a bit better. And set your ISO limiter to 12,800.
The photo is at 12,800, 1/800, 300mm F 2.8 on TV +3EV. I had to bring the exposure up one more stop in post to get it the way I wanted it. If I wouldn't of had the limiter on I would have been at 16,000 ISO in auto ISO. The fields lighting verys and gets darker towards the endzones.