Swim Meet Pics (what lens)

[richea33]

What is a good zoom lens combination for the digital rebel in order to shoot fast action in low light conditions (indoor swim meet w/flourescents). I am leaning towards the 75-300 IS, but hoping some with experience may be able to share a proven option. Kit lens provides reasonable pictures w/flash, but not so sharp.

[DocFrankenstein]

I've shot swim meets before and IMO 70-300 is too slow (and maybe too long) if there is such a thing.

70-200 2.8 L or Sigma EX should be your lense of choice.

[timmyquest]

70-200 f/2.8

Or if that doesnt fit your budget the f/4 version.

[ron chappel]

The IS feature likely won't help alot.It's meant to stabilise for camera movement not for freezing action at slow shutter speeds.
Combined with flash it could be a good option though.

Don't expect a much more overall sharpness from that lens compared to the 18-55 kit zoom.At 300mm it could well be worse

The 70-200/4 is the cheapest of the razor sharp zooms.Also the sigma 70-200/2.8,while not quite as sharp ,is heaps better than the 75-300.
Sadly there are no inbetween options

[J Rabin]

I once took pics at Women's Ivy League short course Championships (25M).
1. Will they allow you on deck? Even parents not usually. Coaches, messeurs, lane judges, etc. Heck, if you're close enough, a 50mm f/1.8 will take great pictures!
2. If you're using digital (I was not), no matter the indoor light, no matter RAW, bring grey card and do white balance.
3. Set camera ISO at 1600 or minimum 800 depending on lighting. You're going to need a shutter speed of 1/400 or higher. 1/250 minimum depending on where you are relative to motion (end or side).
4. Try NOT to meter on water. Meter palm of hand +1EC or blue near pool edges. Keep camera in manual. Take test shots. Use the histogram, but do not trust it. It is a luminance histogram of the whole scene, not of the small athlete in 300,000+ gallons of water.
5. Practice slow panning with monopod or handheld before event at swim meets or practices. IS offers benefit, but does not help athlete blur, unsteady hands at full zoom, or slow lenses, etc. Don't even dream IS will magically create better shots with unpracticed skill. But, YOU CAN.
4. The lens you mention is not only too slow an f/stop (even with high ISO), it focuses too slow, especially in low light it may hunt. Not the ideal indoor sport lens.
5. For a zoom, which offers composition/crop flexibility, the cheapest minimum way in is the 70-200 f/4. Under gym lighting, together with using hi-speed sync flash, and hi ISO, you can achieve 1/400 exposures. Shoot wide open at f/4. Of course the 70-200 f/2.8 is better(maybe with 1.4xTC), the 70-200 f/2.8 IS is even better, and then 300 f/4 prime..... Then rich people or pros who get free gear....
6. If you are closer, then a fast 135mm will work. As noted above, any good fast lens will work if you're close enough. If you will always be farther, now and future, look at 200mm f/2.8 at lower price than zoom.

It's a beautiful sport....

[J Rabin]

Oh, and make sure canon camera is in AI Servo using center focus point.

[richea33]

Thanks for the responses all. Some great advise J Rabin and yes I can get on the deck, so close pics are possible, but the swimmers are fast and wet :). What do you mean by gray card and WB? Are you suggesting to adjust WB on gray card? I have been metering off the water and thought that may be causing a problem. I took RAW pics at my first meet at ISO 800 and made post adjustments to underexposed images. Last meet I shot RAW at ISO 400 and forced flash at 1/200. Not sure which method I like better. I will give your suggestions a try. I am stationed in Germany and the local photo store wants over $1000 for the Sigma 70-200/2.8. Still looking.

Steve
[/img]

[Jon]

What do you mean by gray card and WB? Are you suggesting to adjust WB on gray card?

Yes - the lighting for swimming pools is usually some god-awful combination of fluorescents or gas-discharge bulbs, and there's all that aqua colouration from the pool to contend with. Doing a custom WB under those conditions will greatly simplify your post-processing.

[J Rabin]

Richea:
1. Prev poster noted awful lighting. Read manual, buy $5 Kodak grey card, and do white-balance before event. It's so easy with digital vs to slides.
2. OK, you have Rebel & kit lens and not lot $. Don't agonize forever. Buy Canon 70-200mmL f/4. You will NOT regret purchase, leaving it on camera for all uses 10 years from now. I have stopped action with velodrome cyclists at 10:30PM under lights sprinting 55 KPH+ with Canon 10D using 100mm @ f/4, ISO 1600, 1/400, and speedlight flash. So, sports can be done with a good f/4 lens.
3. If you absolutely can't afford that, you can buy a Canon 135mm f/2.8 consumer lens. It will work fine from pool deck. But, you will use legs quickly to do the zooming, bumping people.
Enjoy, J

[Mike H]

Check with the meet organizers on flash photography. I've only shot two swim meets myself, but on both occasions they used flash to start the races and strictly forbid its use by photographers.

Mike H

[mdude85]

Tomorrow I'll be taking indoor swimming shots...thanks for these tips so far.

[stevo12886]

Ok, all that sounds great. I started swimming this year, so likely will take some pictures for yearbook ect. The question i have is how to deal with the humidity? Its exteremely humid at indoor pools, how would you protect your camera?

[DocFrankenstein]

Ok, all that sounds great. I started swimming this year, so likely will take some pictures for yearbook ect. The question i have is how to deal with the humidity? Its exteremely humid at indoor pools, how would you protect your camera?
UV filter is a must. I don't want to get a spash of chlorinated water on my front element. :?

I think you'll get water on it sooner or later. I just used a garbage bag over my camera.

[FlipsidE]

Yeah, for indoor, low-light, the 70-200 f/2.8 is almost a must. It's a bit on the expensive side though. Just be ready to open your wallet quite wide. If you are thinking about getting an 1.4x TC, also, to make it into a 98-280, you'll probably end up spending close to twice the cost of a the DRebel kit.

FlipsidE

[ralee]

Hi

I have shot alot of swim meets. Are you shooting in a 50 meter pool and short course or just a 25 meter pool. If it is a 50 just be careful that they do allow flash but you also have to keep an eye on the other side of the pool (obviously no flash when they are on the starting blocks). Is the pool a 6 or 8 lane pool. If it is an eight lane then the 75-300 will work. And yes if you can afford the 70-200 f2.8L it is the best( I use it) and if not then the 70 -200 f4L is next best. Actually one of my photography partners still shoots with the 75-300IS and gets pretty good results combined with 550 flash. Last word of advice is that when shooting lane( 1 or 6 or 8) outside lanes be careful to not shoot when swimmer is too close because they might complain to the officials about the flash. Also if you can tweak your wallet then get the 70-200 f4, it is not that much more than the 75-300IS in price but is much better in sharpness and focus speed.

Rob

[Andy_T]

I am stationed in Germany and the local photo store wants over $1000 for the Sigma 70-200/2.8.

Steve,

look at that: http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=80379&item=3848499 802&rd=1&ssPageName=WD1V

Haven't dealt with them, but their feedback is pretty good. $ 1000 is too much.

Best regards,
Andy

[rkoshy]

I am stationed in Germany and the local photo store wants over $1000 for the Sigma 70-200/2.8.

Steve,

look at that: http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=80379&item=3848499 802&rd=1&ssPageName=WD1V

Haven't dealt with them, but their feedback is pretty good. $ 1000 is too much.

Best regards,
Andy

I purchased it in the US from "DeltaInternational" for $699 (new).

[mdude85]

thank you for all the comments! My first meet was this weekend and I got about 15 keepers (out of 400, lol)

here is one. the comments about the shutter speeds and ISOs worked out well. And being on deck helped.



http://mdude.homeip.net/swimming/experimentalshot.jpg

[drisley]

Beautiful! I love the "splash" on the left.

[stevo12886]

mdude,
hey, you dont happen to know wich tech swimmer that is do you....i think i may know him!

[mblanton]

I would personally go with the 50mm 1.8. That should give you pretty fast speeds at ISO800. If you have money to burn track down a 200mm 1.8...that is what most of the indoor olympic shooters were using, but it won't come cheap.

Mike

[mdude85]

mdude,
hey, you dont happen to know wich tech swimmer that is do you....i think i may know him!
It is Onur Uras

[stevo12886]

ok, thats cool. I wasnt sure if it was sam morgan or not.

[mdude85]

btw thank you drisley for the comment.

[zwollenaar]

I have the same question but with outdoor swim meet about noon time. What lenses are for best result? Is flash needed?