Shooting hockey with my new 300

[metalman1010]

So yesterday I finally had the chance to shoot hockey with my new 300 2.8 IS lens. I had it mounted on my 20D and monopod. I was able to honestly shoot some at ISO 400 and still achieve speed around 1/400. But I bumped it to 800 just so I could try and keep the shooting speeds up.

Here are acouple I got from the game.

I was mainly focusing on trying to frame the players so they were facing me instead of getting alot of action shots. 300mm is a bear to deal with when you are shooting from the penalty boxes.

Like I said I was testing it out to see what results I could get. I don't have to crop hardly at all and I have to say I love being able to get that close to the play from the bench. But wish I did have a little zoom to screw around with.

We play again next weekend at the same rink and Im going to have the fiance get out on the ice a little early to windex acouple of the pieces of glass I can shoot through. Because this is the practice facility of the University of Wisconsin Womens hockey team the glass is really clean besides the ocassional water marks from the ice spray when the players stop in the corners.

Once again the levels from my Photoshop still come out funky so the colors for my taste are a little light.

enjoy...

Ross

[aharonr3434]

They look good, I like them. At least you don't or shouldn't sweat while shooting hockey!!! ha

[dlpasco]

Nice shots. I'm glad you said that you wish you had a bit of zoom - it might save me a few grand (temporarily ;) )

Dan

[Jim7226]

As with anything new it might take a little practice to get accustomed to the new equipment, but from what I'm seeing you should expect some fantastic results with that lens. I sense your excitment and I'm happy for you.:) Now get out there next weekend and get some killer pics...and then post them. ;)

[DavidEB]

Ross, those are technically very good. The saturation, clarity and background blur are excellent. lotta promise in that lens -- I've just barely dug out of the financial hole from upgrading my 70-200 (from the sigma to the canon), now you've got me another mountain of money to climb.

how does the 20D focus on the 300, compared to the 70-200?

[DaveL]

They look good... It will take a while getting used to the 300
for hockey especially in portrait mode, but once you do, I think
you'll be happy with it...

[metalman1010]

I have tried 3 times to reply back to this and my computer has frozen each time.

David- focusing issues on the 20D were still there but not as much as before. I think because there is more light getting to the sensor some of those issues are going away.

Dave- yes I need to rethink where Im going to shoot from because of the reach.

I cannot wait to get the MK II to mount to this beast. The one thing that opened my eyes is I shot several photos with my old 1D at 1600. There was alot of improvement over shooting with the 70-200 2.8 as I didn't notice the noise as much as I did before. Makes me a little upset now that I just shipped it off after selling it but that money did pay for some of this.

I will post some more of us shooting in a dreary dark cave and how well some of them came out!

Ross

[hckyguy14]

I don't think I will ever get as good of photos as that unless I get myself a 2.8 IS lense.

I am going to assume I'll never get the right lighting with a 300mm f/4.0

[DavidEB]

I've done goalie photos with 300 f4 -- you don't need quite as high a shutter speed for goalie shots as for skaters, and you can go to ISO3200. but the subject separation isn't as good as what Ross shows here, with the fine DOF.

[hckyguy14]

would the Sigma 70-200mm F/2.8 EX DG MACRO APO HSM lens work for hockey? Or because it is Macro it would be no good for hockey?

[metalman1010]

would the Sigma 70-200mm F/2.8 EX DG MACRO APO HSM lens work for hockey? Or because it is Macro it would be no good for hockey?

I think you are talking about the exact same lens that all the other Hockey photogs are using from this page. I don't see a problem with using it at all. From all the other guys that I talk too that lens is just a hair softer than the L version others are using.

Ross