Shooting Basketball?

[Yellow_Fuzzy]

Hi,

I have been asked by a mate to shoot some basketball games for a magazine he is starting up. I have never shot basketball so am after some tips and suggestions in regards to technique,settings and gear to use. It is an indoor professional basketball game, so lighting shouldn't be too bad.

I will be using my Canon 350D Body(with Grip).

Lenses I own:
Canon 18-55mm Kit Lens
Canon 50mm f/1.8
Canon 70-200mm f/4.0 L

Lenses I could borrow from a mate:
Canon 28-70mm f/2.8 L
Canon 135mm f/2.0 L
Canon 100-400mm IS L

Thanks for your help.

Regards,
Zac

[DarrenL]

Hello

Gear
If it were me, I'd take the 50mm 1.8 and 28-70 for tight hoop action and the 135L for candids and down court action. If you had a 70-200 2.8 I'd say take that but I think F4 will be too limiting.

I use a 50mm all the time for basketball but I'd love to use a 70-200 but the lighting is just not good enough.
Have a look here (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=275868) for some hoops from yesterday.

Location
Try a few things, just don't get in the way of the fans views or the cameras (if there are any). I sit on the base line, just outside the edge of the key and point towards the basket.

Settings
My mimimum shutter I am happy with is 1/320. 1/250 and the ball, arms and legs start bluring, above 1/320 corrects almost off of this. Go an ISO that provides you with this and go from there. I'm not sure if the 350D has AI Servo?? If it does, turn it on.

Best of luck and remember to post some images.

Darren

[butcha27]

Hi, what game are you shooting? Most of our stadiums in the NBL are pretty well lit, I've even pulled off photo's using a kit lens at f5.6 with a shutter speed around 1/320! But I use the 70-200 f2.8 ver versatile. I'll probably be shooting the Kings Vs Townsville or Singapore play-off and also the Womens Grand Final too. Love to know what game you'll be at?

[AB8ND]

In most gyms you will need to shot at least iso 1600, this will inable you to use 1/250th at f/2.8. If you are using a lens over 200mm you should bump the speed up to match the focal length. That said you will need lenses with nothing more than 2.8. If you can watch the referees, they run to the same side of the court everytime, this way you can sit or stand under the basket on the other side from them. Of course this is where for the same reason the cheerleaders usually are. Try to shoot around the court, ask the officials if you can sit under the scorers table, if they are at the court edge. Just watch out for the "way to many armpit shots" syndrom that one of my old editors used to say.

Jack