jsimp3 Loc: Tennessee

Greetings Everyone,

I am primarily a landscape, macro, and wildlife photographer. I will be traveling to Wisconsin, and I will have my first opportunity next weekend to photograph my sons basketball team, in their first game of the finals. The school may purchase some of the images, and possibly invite me back.

In the past I have had a problem blurry images, even when mounted on a tripod, and individuals are posing for the shoot. In my viewfinder they look fine, but when I download to the computer, the blur in some is obvious, in others I see it when I magnify. I will not get a second opportunity to capture these images… looking for corrective indoor settings.

I figure on setting the shutter speed between 1/250-1/500 to freeze the action. Previously when I have set my shutter speed in this range indoor, my photos are dark… and in some cases a totally black screen. Shooting outdoors, I don't need to up the ISO often… is that what I should play with? I normally keep the camera's set to matrix mode, I would like to shoot hand held, or on a monopod… I imagine with my inexperience, the tripod might be a little awkward.

I plan on taking both my D800, and D600. Lenses that I thought to take are the Nikon 70-200mm F2.8, Nikon 28-300 F2.8, Sigma 85mm F1.4. I plan to get down on the floor, so I am not sure how useful it would it would be in this venue, but I have a Tokina 16-35 wide angle.

I would appreciate any advice... this is new territory for me.

Thanks in advance

Mpeter45 Loc: Springfield, Illinois

High ISO. You've got the lens, 70-200 f2.8 is great for what you want to do. Either of those cameras should give you 6400 ISO or even higher if needed. I would also recommend a hand meter so you can shoot in manual. Sports is very difficult to shoot in Auto or Program, because if there are a lot of white jerseys the pictures will be darker and if there is a lot of dark jerseys, they might be too light.
Also, don't expect too much. Sports photography is an art and timing is everything. If you get 1-2 good shots a game, you have done well.

Mpeter45 Loc: Springfield, Illinois

Sorry, I forgot to add, with the longer lens be around the free throw line and you can shoot stuff on both ends of the court. If you use the wide lens, get under the basket and shoot armpits. Good luck.

Bret Loc: Dayton Ohio

Bye all means bump up the iso...I dunno about 6400...seems a bit high...unless they are playing bye candle light. Depending where you are...you'll have a bright end and a darker end of the court...and I'd never go below 1/500 a second..not with a D800.

Dave333 Loc: Forres, Scotland

Hi, You do not say if your lens has stabilisation, if it has when you mount your camera on a tripod turn the stab off otherwise it can cause blur. When hand holding make sure your speed is minimum one over the foucal length Ie if your lens is 70-200mm your minimum speed (without stab) should be, on a crop sensor camera, 1/320 on cannon, 1/300 Nikon. If your pictures are dark the aperture is not open wide enought. So if your photo taken at 1/320 F(widest setting) is dark increase your ISO. Before the game starts take a picture of the crowd or centre spot at your chosen speed. Review the image then adjust the settings as reqd I would personally go for 1/320 and a f stop a couple of stops down from the widest of your lens, adjusting the ISO to acheive this setting. Then during the game I would shoot shutter priority and in RAW, that way if the picture is dark there is a greater possibility of rescuing it.

Dave333 Loc: Forres, Scotland

Just as an example of a shot taken at a "football" game in California.

Original


After a bit of processing

Bret Loc: Dayton Ohio

What shutter speed and iso Dave?

Dave333 Loc: Forres, Scotland

Taken with an EF-S 55-250 lens @154. 1/800 @ f5.6 ISO200 on a Cannon 7D.

dasloaf

70-200F2.8 the rest of settings have been forgotten

BigD Loc: The LEFT Coast

I would pop that 70-200 f/2.8 on one body and the 85 f/1.8 on the other and try both. Shoot in Aperture priority at either f/4.0 or wider depending on the amount of light you have on the court. If you are confident in your ability to track and focus precisely open up to f/2.8 for the most light and remember your DOF will be very narrow so get the focus dead on. Use spot focus in continuous focus mode (called AI Servo on a Canon but not sure on Nikons) to help track the focus as the players move. The wide aperture will allow for a faster shutter and less motion blur. 1/500 is the minimum you are looking for to keep it to a minimum. With your 85 f/1.8 you can even try f/2.0 for a really fast shutter with an even shallower DOF though. Set the aperture and watch your shutter speed and adjust your ISO accordingly until you achieve a good shutter speed from one end of the court to the other. The trick is to know your camera and what the highest ISO that looks clean is. If you have good noise reduction software that can be taken into the equation as well. Most basketball courts end up requiring an ISO of around 2000 to 3200 for a fast shutter speed with an f/3.5 aperture. You will also want to use manual White Balance to offset the crazy color of the Gym lights. Leave the tripod and monopod at home and turn any stabilization off. Hand held is the only way to shoot basketball and get the action just right. Another Sports Shooter trick is to use back button focus if your camera supports this option. It allows you to track the players with the focus but prevents the shutter button from screwing it up when you press it. Shoot from a low angle and watch out for some big kid plowing you under haha. Good luck, basketball is tough to shoot but once you get something that works for you it can be a real blast as well.

BboH Loc: s of 2/21, Ellicott City, MD

I have a D800. If it were me, I'd start out using the 70-200 on F2.8. I'd shoot on apreture using f2.8, ISO on automatic, maximum at 6400, minimum at 100. I'd have my auto focus set on 3d 51 point, continuous. I'd close the aperture when I'd want a greater depth of field - more in focus than just the subject of my shot. I tend to shoot in single shots but try continuous. If you have one, use a monopod, that 70-200 gets a little heavy for hand-held. I do have that lens, but I'd use my 70-300 instead were it me as that is easily hand-held.

RacerDan Loc: Virden Illinois

No flash , probably not real good lighting, I would use the Sigma 85/f1.4 shutter speed +/- 400 at F1.4 maybe up from there depending on the lighting and ISO set on auto. Play with your settings , and if you can get to an earlier game to check things out. The last game I shot I used a Canon 50mm F1.8 shooting this way and it real well in a gym that has very poor lighting. On the more distant shots you will have some cropping to do but the 85 will do a better job than my 50.
Sample 1 50mm ss400 f1.8 iso 400
Sample 2 50mm ss400 f1.8 iso 640

Sample 1


Sample 2

FutureLook Loc: Florida, USA

You have the best lens to shoot indoors. 70-200 mm 2.8 will produce great IQ. I usually set up my camera's ISO minimum 400 with max 6400 with a shutter speed no less than 640 under well lid conditions. Of course, a basketball court from a school is no as well lit as a pro court but nevertheless, I have shot under these conditions and it works for me. Don't be afraid to bump the ISO with the D800. Good luck!

ole sarg Loc: south florida

I would bump the ISO, shoot with low f stop, 500 is good but would probably process in B&W. In B&W the grain is obvious but the differences in tone are less than in color. Also, try cropping the shots.

k9moe Loc: Hornell, NY

I have a Canon T3i with the Cannon 70-200 f/2.8 . I shot a girls high school basketball game last night.

The way the lighting was I shot 1/250 (slowest I could go with out blir) center metering, and moved the ISO to automatic. I found that at 1/250 the ISO ranged from 1600 to 6400 depending on the location in the gym I was pointing the camera. I always try to check the internal meter on my camera before shooting and take quick looks at the histograms to see if I am balanced. Each gym will have it's own settings.