What setting for hockey?

[Ferco]

OK better clarify for the Americans here lol this is Field Hockey I'm talking about; the boring one :lol:
Anyway went out yesterday and took my first attempts; unfortunately I can't post them here as they're at my college and most of the guys are U18
Anyway I found I was getting some good results with my 70-200mm 2.8
I shot at 2.8 and got top shutter speeds; usually 1/4000 so excellent freeze frame shots with the ball in flight etc. :D

Anyway I just wanted to ask what most people here shoot with for their settings- like AI Servo I'd imagine, but what metering; I think I was using evaluative metering etc.

Thanks for any help, Richard

[AB8ND]

You don't need to shoot at 1/4000 to stop action, 1/500 will do fine and in a pinch 1/250th can get the job done. You must remember though the "don't hand hold anything slower than the focal length of your lens" rule, which in the case of your 70-200 on a cropped body would be 1/320th. At 1/500th you should be able to stop any player movement, the ball might be a bit blurred, but then that would just add motion to the photo.

Jack

[Stacas]

Richard,

If I was you I'd use your 300mm for hockey...the more reach, the better. If you're getting speeds of 1/4000th then you can afford the drop from f/2.8 to f/4, and you'll easily sustain some useful speed. I'd disagree with Jack slightly, in that I'd recommend something slightly faster than 1/500th, especially as you can afford to with the readings you're getting. For hockey, there's a lot of lateral movement as well as head-on, so if you can get to 1/1000th at around f/4 then that should be perfect for you.

I have a page hidden within my site with some hockey pics on for you to have a look at...a mixture of speeds, from 1/1000th all the way up 1/4000th, and in between...

http://www.stacas.co.uk/portfolio/hockey.htm

Different sports can be shot at different speeds, but use the light you have and if your camera produces good enough results at high ISOs then make the most of it.

As for metering and focus options, they're purely a personal decision...couldn't suggest anything that should be better than anything else.

Cheers, Simon.

[Ferco]

Thanks- will have another go on Tuesday; will see how that works out :D