Tim9 Loc: SF Bay Area

I use a Canon Rebel XSi with a Tamron 18-270 3.5-6.3 and recently tried to shoot some shots at a basketball game. I used the sports setting and was pretty disapointed in my results. Unless the player was completely still shooting a free throw then I had a lot of blur problems in action shots. This particular shot registered f/5, 1/30 sec ISO 800. I try and pan with the action but I'm lucky to get 1/3 of my shots as ok. I saw this morning some shots by a newspaper photographer from the same game and his were crystal clear. I would appreciate suggestions. Thanks

randym77

You are going to have trouble shooting indoor sports with that lens. I would guess the newspaper reporter was using a faster lens. A f/2 or f/2.8, maybe.

That said, there are things you can try. Get out of sports mode. Try aperture priority, with the aperture as wide as possible. Increase your ISO. (There will be a trade off in increased graininess. Experiment a little, and see what you can live with.)

Another possibility is to use a flash, if it's allowed and you're close enough.

PhotoArtsLA Loc: Boynton Beach

Newer digital cameras allow high ISO shooting, up to about ISO 6,400 with very little penalty in excess noise or "graininess."

Also, indoor sports ALWAYS requires fast lenses. Nothing slower than f/2.8. Better yet, make it f/2. Autofocus makes wide open shooting a simple thing.

When I shot basketball, I used prime lenses with generally f/2 apertures, but that was WAY back in the days of film, where I was limited to ISO 1600 via pushed Tri-X and all lenses were manual focus. I also was on the deck, following the action. Generally, I would stay near the net. What you learn in sports photography is that most sports have frozen moments, which are usually at the height of action. The top of a jump, for example. This is when you fire the shutter.

With high ISO shooting, you can keep your shutter speed over 1/125 to get sharper, action stopping results.

rballard29 Loc: Albuquerque, NM

1/30 sec is way too slow for any motion let alone a sports shoot.

vinnya Loc: connecticut

you'll never be allowed to use flash to distracting to players . got somebody going in for a layup and all of a sudden a flash goes off in his eyes, you'll probably ask to leave

English_Wolf Loc: Near Pensacola, FL

In short, no flash, fast lens, faster ISO

No flash: local policies apply
Fast lens: dump your lens and spend spend spend (fast lenses are fixed and expensive)
Aperture: Being a zoom, I doubt you will get any better than 5.6 as the aperture varies with the zoom factor. 3.5 will never be used as it is the maximal wide angle aperture...
Faster ISO: Trade off as mentioned

What is left?
Aperture priority set at 5.6 (Covers mid-range zoom variations, 6.3 if you use the full capabilities 270mm)
ISO: 1600?

Additional suggestion: shoot raw as this creates a file that has a dynamic variation superior to the meager JPG offering RAW = 5~6 f-stop, JPG 2 f-stop). This implies minor batch post processing: Set one shot correctly then synchronize all the shots with the one you have modified.

Note that due to the indoor lighting, you may find yourself with interesting hues and exposure variations if the speed goes above 1/30 (time of 2 complete flickering, capturing both high and low twice).

randym77

I don't like using flash myself, but a lot of pros do it, especially for high school basketball games. You can often see newspaper photographers using flash for local indoor sports.

You do need to be considerate, and only use the flash occasionally, when it looks like a great shot. If you're firing off left and right, you probably will be asked to stop.

Tim9 Loc: SF Bay Area

Hi-Thanks for all the input. I will try a few of these suggestions at the next game. I don't have a child playing and I'm just doing this for fun and if they come out I give them to the coach. The season is almost over so at this point I can't afford to go out and sink a bunch of money into a better lens. I'm sitting in the stands shooting and the flash isn't very bright and I have had no complaints.
Tim

docrob Loc: Durango, Colorado

well in basketball as much as Carnegie Hall the same rule applies: practice, practice, practice.

Why do we seem to think we can pick something up and instantly understand it? Worse, why do we think we should be able to get it the way we want it when we want it. Without working for it?

Help here cuz I've never figured it out .....and i keep doing it.....

randym77

If you're in the stands...try shooting without your flash. You're probably too far away for the flash to do much good. You might get better exposures without it.

PNagy Loc: Missouri City, Texas

I am not familiar with your camera, but find it shocking that its sports setting would give you a shutter speed of 1/30 sec, which is way too slow to freeze action. Set it to shutter speed priority at 1/320 sec. This should be fast enough to freeze all human action and nearly all ball movement. Adjust the ISO and the exposure compensation to fine tune your shots.

Tim9 Loc: SF Bay Area

Thanks Nagy, I'll give it a try and I like your shots