Need help w/ Basketball Shots

[ThePolster]

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[crn3371]

If you can post some examples it would help. Based on your lenses, I'm guessing that the blur you are seeing is camera shake based on low lighting and slow shutter speed in order to get adequate exposure. Indoor sports pictures generally require fast lenses, which neither of yours are. As a rule of thumb, your shutter speed should be the reciprocal of the length of your lens, plus the 1.6 crop factor of your XT. With your 70-300 @ 300mm, that would give you a shutter speed of 1/480 sec. Depending on how steady you are, maybe down to 1/300 of a sec. You can bump your iso up to help with shutter speed, but chances are your current lenses are going to be inadequate for indoor sports without flash.

[liza]

1. Don't use the sports mode, or any of the preprogrammed mode buttons for that matter. Ever.
2. Borrow or purchase the 85mm f/1.8 lens. The ones you own are too slow for sports.
3. Use M setting with 1600 ISO, 1/400 or faster shutter speed, and an aperture of around f/2.0 to 2.5 (depending on ambient light).
4. Set the camera on burst mode and AI Servo.

[cecilc]

1. Don't use the sports mode, or any of the preprogrammed mode buttons for that matter. Ever.
2. Borrow or purchase the 85mm f/1.8 lens. The ones you own are too slow for sports.
3. Use M setting with 1600 ISO, 1/400 or faster shutter speed, and an aperture of around f/2.0 to 2.5 (depending on ambient light).
4. Set the camera on burst mode and AI Servo.

Liza ....

You forgot one ....

5. Take pictures ... :lol:

Seriously, though, ThePolster, Liza has given you the definitive answer. You must have a shutter speed that's fast enough to freeze action - and you're obviously not getting that .... and to support that fast shutter speed, you need more light (and more senstivity to that light) .... hence the recommendation to up your ISO to 1600 and get a faster lens (like the 85 1.8 or even a 100 2.0). Nothing else will solve that problem .... (well, unless you want to install strobes in the gym!) ...

[ThePolster]

Thanks everyone! Unfortunately, I can't afford a fast lense right now, so I'll have to play and TRY and see what will work best.

Thanks again!

[ThePolster]

One more quick question - is the lense stopping me from being able to set my apature lower than 4.5, and my shutter speed at not any faster than 1/200??

[cecilc]

One more quick question - is the lense stopping me from being able to set my apature lower than 4.5, and my shutter speed at not any faster than 1/200??

OK ... from that "quick question" I can tell that you need more help than just getting a faster lens ....

You need, first of all, to learn more about the basics - exposure and just some basic information about your own equipment ...

Instead of getting a faster lens right now, buy this book: "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson. You can get it at Amazon. That book will be the best "thing" for you right now that will answer a bunch of questions for you and will make you better just by reading it .....

At least, after reading that book, you'll understand the "why" of the recommendations that you've gotten so far ....

...is the lense stopping me from being able to set my apature lower than 4.5, and my shutter speed at not any faster than 1/200??

But to answer your question: "Yes" ... the lens is stopping you from being able to set your aperture lower than 4.5 (it won't go any lower than 4.5) ....... and "No" ... the lens is not stopping you from setting your shutter speed no faster than 1/200. You are stopping yourself from setting your shutter speed no faster than 1/200.

And you'll understand that after reading the book .....

[ThePolster]

Thank you. I bought the book, got it 2 days ago, and have been burried into it. I have learned alot in the last 48hrs.

I also bought the 85mm f1.8 - and have taken over 500 practice shots today alone, varying ap and speed. I'm so green at this, and had NO idea this camera could do so many things - coming from the world of point and shoot.

Thanks again everyone.

[cecilc]

Thank you. I bought the book, got it 2 days ago, and have been burried into it. I have learned alot in the last 48hrs.

Then you are on your way ....