1st sports shots, exposure

[SRF34]

My first attempt with a dslr and sports. Soccer pix were shot at 8:30am (very sunny), lax pix at 11:30am (sun/clouds). If you dble click on a picture and then click "more info" on the right side you will see settings.

http://picasaweb.google.com/BlanchardPix/SportsTestShots

30d with a 70-200 L. IS was off. I was set at av priority 3.2, ISO 640 and let the shutter do the rest - between 1/5000 and 1/8000. Used CFn #4, focusing with thumb, AI Servo, used all AF points.

Questions:

Looks like blown highlights on soccer pix, histogram confirms. Did the light blue shirt thow off exposure?

When I went to lacrosse, I left camera settings the same but adjusted EC down one click (1/3 I think.) Highlights seem to be better?

I would like to see more sharpness. Did I miss the focus and what should I work on for sharper images and more vibrant colors?

Thanks for any and all feedback and criticism!

[vetkrazy]

I have a couple of questions. Why were you using ISO 640? If you look at your histogram your whites are not overexposed. At ISO 640 your shutter was up at 1/8000. For either sport 1/2500 would have been enough. In bright sun and the aperture wide open, ISO 200 is a good start. Second did you shoot jpeg or raw. I know raw is a bit more work, but it can save your butt sometimes. Third, why 3.2 and not f/2.8? Were you using CFn 4-1 or 4-3? 4-3 doesn't set the exposure until the shutter fires. For sports you are much better served using the center AF point. You can use Zoombrowser to check your focus point.
When I am shooting in the bright sun, and here in the desert that is most days, I start with: AV, ISO 200, f/2.8, AI Servo, center point AF and EC at +1/3. Check your histogram and go from there. Also, I never use IS for sports.

[Aleksandar]

I have the exact same setup but my settings are a little different. I use AV, ISO 100, only the center focus point on and wide open at F/2.8 (you can see the details in the EXIF data). Here's some pictures I took today at those settings in almost the same conditions. Coincedentally, I had IS on; I know it doesn't help with moving objects but does it do anything negative to images?


1.)http://www.xcelluploader.com//files/21/Soccer%20Pictures/IMG_5397.jpg
2.)http://www.xcelluploader.com//files/21/Soccer%20Pictures/IMG_5400.jpg
3.)http://www.xcelluploader.com//files/21/Soccer%20Pictures/IMG_5408.jpg
4.)http://www.xcelluploader.com//files/21/Soccer%20Pictures/IMG_5432.jpg
5.)http://www.xcelluploader.com//files/21/Soccer%20Pictures/IMG_5445.jpg

[SRF34]

I have a couple of questions. Why were you using ISO 640? If you look at your histogram your whites are not overexposed. At ISO 640 your shutter was up at 1/8000. For either sport 1/2500 would have been enough. In bright sun and the aperture wide open, ISO 200 is a good start. Second did you shoot jpeg or raw. I know raw is a bit more work, but it can save your butt sometimes. Third, why 3.2 and not f/2.8? Were you using CFn 4-1 or 4-3?

No specific reason on ISO 640. My thought on 3.2 vs 2.8 was to give me a little more DoF which could help me with clean focus on the athlete. Is my thinking correct? I shot jpeg. I was using CFn 4-3. Will dropping ISO down to 100 or 200 help to increase color saturation? I will try those ideas. I have a lot to learn! :)

[BIG H]

Why use the center focus point only? Page 66 in the 20D manual states:
When the AF point selection is automatic, the camera first uses the center AF point to focus. During autofocusing, if the subject moves away from the center AF point, focus tracking continues as long as the subject is covered by another AF point!
Your subjects are moving - it's too hard to keep that one little square on target!

[vetkrazy]

SRF34 The simple answer is yes. You have to think of your exposure as a triangle: shutter speed, aperture and iso. You want balance, if you start by maxing out something, then exposure suffers. Each sport has a level of speed. For little league you can get way with a shutter of 1/1000-1/1600 but for college level I want to be above 1/2500. Since I always shoot wide open, iso 200 normally gets me in the ball park. I check a couple of test shoots and adjust accordingly. If you shoot jpeg you can use a picture style and add saturation and sharpness in camera. Much like a point & shoot camera. You can also adjust the saturation, contrast and sharpness in post. The reality is that a dSLR must have post work done to bring out the best in it. The only time I shoot jpeg is for the paper when it is a deadline. I shoot raw 99%. That allows me total control over my photo. As for dof, you want your lens wide open, you want dof in a landscape not a action picture. Wide open, focused on the action and blur out that distracting background. Bryan Peterson's book "Understanding Exposure" would be a good starting point.

BIG H: I have no problem keeping that little red box on the action. I use CFn 4-3 which transfers focus control to the "*". I use my thumb to hold focus and when ready hit the shutter button. Focus is controlled by contrast, the camera is always looking for differences in contrast. If you have all 9 points active and a player comes into you focus area from the side the camera could very well take focus there and the player you want to be in focus will then be out of focus.

[SRF34]

. Bryan Peterson's book "Understanding Exposure" would be a good starting point..


Already ordered it! Just waiting for it to arrive. I am planning on staying with jpeg for now. Is it better to adjust sharpness and color in the camera or leave it for post processing? Thanks.

[vetkrazy]

That is probably personal taste. Try out your in camera settings and see what you like. For me I shoot in neutral and adjust in post.

[mdrtoys]

Well for sports most pros that I know shoot jpeg, they want buffer as big as possible...

Bigger buffer = bigger burst of shots per sequence = more keepers

As for 2.8 vs 3.2 that's a matter of preference. Just because the lens is all the way open doesn't mean you'll get the best shots. You can kick the f stop down a little and compensate with the shutter speed and still freeze the action.

One thing I know for certain, every piece of glass I own isn't sharpest at 2.8

[vetkrazy]

Well for sports most pros that I know shoot jpeg, they want buffer as big as possible...

Bigger buffer = bigger burst of shots per sequence = more keepers

As for 2.8 vs 3.2 that's a matter of preference. Just because the lens is all the way open doesn't mean you'll get the best shots. You can kick the f stop down a little and compensate with the shutter speed and still freeze the action.

One thing I know for certain, every piece of glass I own isn't sharpest at 2.8

I can only answer from my experience. When I submit to the paper all they require is a 800x600 jpeg, minimal post. But my SID requires a completely processed photo ready for print. I recently shot the State College Fastpitch Championships. The local paper requested photos of each game for the next days paper. Because of the deadline I shot jpeg+raw. Did a quick touch up on the jpeg's and sent them off. The SID, head coach and the parents all want large prints and posters from the event. I basically shoot 99% raw.

As for the big buffer, I don't know about others but I have never shot a 22 shot burst. That is what Canon claims you get with a 512mb card shooting raw ( 1DMIIN ). I have never had my buffer fill. A play at second I might shoot a six shoot burst. A sequence of a pitcher thru his/her motion might be 10. Higher frame rate does not equate to more keepers, just more frames. FPS does not replace timing. The highest majority of my shots are 1 to 3 shot bursts.

I agree that most lenses are not at their sharpest either wide open or stepped all the way down. But pictures from a dSLR are not sharp and are meant to be post processed. That is what post processing is for. The reason I shoot at f/2.8 is not to freeze the action but to bring my subject into prime focus and to blur out the background. Most backgrounds at sporting events are crowds of people, chain link fences, cars, tents, etc. I want minimize that distraction and have your focus go directly to the subject. I have found that all my 2.8 lens are good wide open and then with a little sharpening very crisp. You must keep in mind that a digital pictures is made up of millions of square bytes. It is in processing that those little square corners get smoothed out and give you that "sharpness."

[S.Horton]

My first attempt with a dslr and sports. Soccer pix were shot at 8:30am (very sunny), lax pix at 11:30am (sun/clouds). If you dble click on a picture and then click "more info" on the right side you will see settings.

http://picasaweb.google.com/BlanchardPix/SportsTestShots

30d with a 70-200 L. IS was off. I was set at av priority 3.2, ISO 640 and let the shutter do the rest - between 1/5000 and 1/8000. Used CFn #4, focusing with thumb, AI Servo, used all AF points.

Questions:

Looks like blown highlights on soccer pix, histogram confirms. Did the light blue shirt thow off exposure?

When I went to lacrosse, I left camera settings the same but adjusted EC down one click (1/3 I think.) Highlights seem to be better?

I would like to see more sharpness. Did I miss the focus and what should I work on for sharper images and more vibrant colors?

Thanks for any and all feedback and criticism!

What do you do on the PC / Mac to post-process your photographs now?

[SRF34]

What do you do on the PC / Mac to post-process your photographs now?

I will process through Photoshop Elements, using levels and sharpening. These photos were untouched other than cropped. I figure the better I get on the output, the less processing I have to do, therefore the better photographer I become. At least thats the idea :D . I have been using a SD700 PnS that is surprisingly sharp and vibrant. I did read last nite while searching that supposedly the pocket cameras are programmed with more sharpness and saturation than the dslr's. Any suggestions on workflow order when processing through PSE or PS or specific tricks?

Also, is there a way when viewing a photo in this forum to be able to see the camera settings used? If so, how?

[Aleksandar]

Also, is there a way when viewing a photo in this forum to be able to see the camera settings used? If so, how?

If you mean viewing the EXIF data in your browser, I don't know of a way in IE but I use an extension for Firefox called FxIF which shows all the pertinent data just by right-clicking on the picture and selecting "Properties."