sports shooting ?'s

[hdd]

on the XTI, which mode is best to use on average? I know it has the sports mode, but its auto and doesnt turn out perfect 24/7. Mainly Ill be shooting my kids playing baseball. I'd like to try and someway capture the bat in motion before they hit the ball. I know that wont be easy, but whats a ideal setting to use to quick fast action. Im just learning shutter speed and so forth so its new to me. Im sure its simple to everyone else here:p

The lens I have to work with are in my sig... nothing great and nothing quick so im sure that will factor in bigtime also. Im assuming a quick shutter speed will be just that. The lower the number, the slower? Also, flash or no flash for that?

[Roy Webber]

On my 100-400, I generally set my ISO to 400 on TV mode at 2,000sec.

Set focus to A1 sevo, with only the centre focussing point active.

The 100-400 stabiliser is usually set to panning mode 2

[hdd]

Roy, ive been reading and it seems some like the AV modes while others like the TV. I tried TV with my kid throwing a little ball inside and it seemed to catch the image ok at ISO1600 since it was indoors and the shutter of 1/250. Again, im shooting freehand with no IS so its hard to get a steady shot im finding out:)

i guess its something ill have to play with and find out for the most part.

i was just looking for a ballpark starting point as to how most attempt it

[basroil]

if the lighting is not even (shadows across a base) or changing (rolling cloud cover), Av is the way to go. else, M all the way.

[ps249]

On my 100-400, I generally set my ISO to 400 on TV mode at 2,000sec.

Set focus to A1 sevo, with only the centre focussing point active.

The 100-400 stabiliser is usually set to panning mode 2


Why would you need IS with a speed of 1/2000 ???

[Familiaphoto]

Of the lenses you have I would look at your Sigma, it will have reach you'll need. Even shooting my son's T-Ball I need all the reach I can get when shooting across the field.

As for settings. First off do not use a auto mode, even the sports one. Put yourself in TV so you can maintain the shutter speed you need to stop the action. As Roy said above get up to 1000 or 2000 sec shutter to stop the action. In TV mode your XTi will then pick the apeture needed. As for ISO. I like to keep it as low as I can and generally have a goal of 200 to 400 at the outside. Don't be afraid of going to 400 on your XTi you will get very nice pics at that ISO.

Then go off an practice, with the 3fps on the XTi timing will help you get the shot you mention you want.

Attached is a shot my wife took of our son last year with her XTi and 28-135 IS. The XTi is definitely capable of what you are after.

[Phil Light]

...As for settings. First off do not use a auto mode, even the sports one. Put yourself in TV so you can maintain the shutter speed you need to stop the action. As Roy said above get up to 1000 or 2000 sec shutter to stop the action. In TV mode your XTi will then pick the apeture needed. As for ISO. I like to keep it as low as I can and generally have a goal of 200 to 400 at the outside. Don't be afraid of going to 400 on your XTi you will get very nice pics at that ISO...

Ditto!!! A fast shutter speed should be your priority, not aperture. I agree about keeping the ISO as low as you can, but if you need to bump it up to raise the shutter speed, I would do it. Noise caused by a higher ISO may be undesireable, but not as undesireable as a blurred shot. Sports shots are most impressive when you can freeze the ball in mid-air. (I shoot sports for a local high school sports magazine)

[pjtemplin]

Putting yourself in Tv mode might result in underexposed photos, since the consumer cameras don't have Safety Shift.

Putting yourself in Av mode might result in overexposed photos, since your target shutter speed of 1/2000 is only one stop before the maximum shutter speed of 1/4000.

Your lens has a 2/3 stop difference from end to end. I'd recommend Tv in your case, with an eye on the viewfinder for when it says your shutter speed is too low for proper exposure, or Av with the lens zoomed telephoto and left there (set to 5.6). Either way, you'll have to fiddle with ISO to get to the speeds you want.

For daytime sports, you'll probably have no luck trying to use flash as main light in the hopes of stopping action - you won't be close enough and your flash isn't strong enough. It might make a nice fill, but probably can't keep up with your shooting if you did try.

Set focus to A1 sevo

It's A I servo, as in Artificial Intelligence, not A1 steak sauce. ;)

[pieq314]

I would use Av mode, set aperture at maximum. If the shutter speed is less than 1/1000 sec, I would increase ISO as well.

[hdd]

thanks everyone! some handy tips to get me started!

PG, thats the basic photo im trying to get. Maybe so sliding into base shots also. But keep in mind, the kids are ages 4-6 so trying to get them still isnt easy.

I keep testing on my 3 year old and TV mode 1/2000 with a ISO of 400 seems to be doing well in decent light catching him running. Either way, even my worst shots are better than my point and shoot

[ryant35]

Aperture priority, f/5, 1/1600 sec, ISO 100.
I'm only shooting at ISO 100 because there was direct sunlight.

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k173/ryant35/IMG_2818.jpg

[Bumgardnern]

I have not had my first baseball assignment for the year yet, but I have shot baseball many times before.

I think that with a 3 year old you can probably get away with a slower shutter speed like 1/500. I have always been a fan of AV mode. I set my aperture to 2.8-4 so that I get a nice blurred background and set the ISO so that I can get a shutter speed of at least 1/500 depending on the action that I am shooting.

[hdd]

i guess its just gonna take trail and error:) Ryan, great shot!

Bumgardner, thats the one thing i notice about AV. Nice blurred BG.. ill end up trying both the same day just to see which I like

[nicksan]

Yeah, I made the mistake of using M when it was overcast. It was also my first time shooting any kind of sports and I thought I would just take a reading of the field, set things up, and shoot away. Needless to say the clouds played havoc on everything. I found myself chimping and changing settings all the time.

Still, I managed to get pretty good results...just keep those shutter speeds high and use burst mode!
http://nicksan.zenfolio.com/img/v1/p1019143105-4.jpg

if the lighting is not even (shadows across a base) or changing (rolling cloud cover), Av is the way to go. else, M all the way.

[bobbyz]

I think it will be very hard with the lenses you mention. You need lot more focal length even with small kids. Also depens on your access to the field.

As far as camera settings/mode, don't use any of the pre-programmed modes. Either shoot wide open in Av mode and better yet manual mode. Set your lens to the widest aperture (whether in Av mode or manual). That will always give you the fastest shutter speed. So no point on using Tv mode. In sports you want to have full control of your aperture which Tv mode won't let you. What's the point of having say f2.8 lens anc shooting at f5.6 (assuming light is good).

Bump ISO to keep shutter speed say 1/500 or higher. You can use palm of your hand or grass for initial exposure calculations. Expose for the face, don't worry much about the uniforms. Here shooting in manul mode helps as camera metering system can easily be fooled by colr of the uniforms. Same goes for back grounds, based on them, exposure will change if using Av or Tv mode, that's why most sports folks use manual exposure mode.

If shooting action, you will do better in AI servo mode.

[hdd]

i notice everyone says keep the aperture wide open.. let me make sure I udnerstand that right. The smaller the aperture number, the wider open it is correct?

[ryant35]

i notice everyone says keep the aperture wide open.. let me make sure I udnerstand that right. The smaller the aperture number, the wider open it is correct?


yup.

[bobbyz]

2 reasons to have aperture wide open (smallest number)

1. You get fastest shutter speed for given ISO
2. You get best background blur at given subject to camera and subject to bg disatnce

Now all lenses are not same and some require stopping down a bit for sharper shots but that's why you pay top dollars for stuff which you can shoot wide open.

[hdd]

thanks again. I take its ok to use the flash indoors on the AV settings also? Its hard to hold steady in low light(natural) for a good shot. Again, my lenses arent the best so i know that plays some role to.

http://www.delanofarms.net/cropcn2.jpg

one photo in AV mode. I cant remember the exact settings but I know it was wide open and without flash of coarse. It focused on his eyes pretty well, but still needs some work

[Familiaphoto]

thanks everyone! some handy tips to get me started!

PG, thats the basic photo im trying to get. Maybe so sliding into base shots also. But keep in mind, the kids are ages 4-6 so trying to get them still isnt easy.

I keep testing on my 3 year old and TV mode 1/2000 with a ISO of 400 seems to be doing well in decent light catching him running. Either way, even my worst shots are better than my point and shoot

Glad to hear that helps a bit. My son in that pic was 6 and had just moved off the Tee as we do coach pitch the second half of the season here. Again, keep your shutter speed up and you'll stop the action. One thing to remember is that with the lenses you have you might have issues shooting across the field. 70mm won't help much shooting action at 3rd base if you are on the 1st base side.

Best of luck, I'm sure you'll get some keepers.

[PhotosGuy]

Sports Shooting Tutorials and Advice (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=135417)

Need an exposure crutch? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=89123)

[hdd]

in our games we can actaully get on the field with the kids and help them. Since they dont know the basics yet. So I can get close ups.. but when they get older, I wont be able to get on the field of coarse;)

[pjtemplin]

I take its ok to use the flash indoors on the AV settings also?

It's important to learn the camera's logic with flash and the four main exposure modes (P, Av, Tv, M).

In P, the camera takes control for you, calculates aperture/shutter for minimum blur, and uses flash as main light. You'll likely get a dark background in P.
In Av, the camera calculates "two separate exposures": one using the aperture and ISO set (i.e. varying the shutter speed) to expose the entire scene properly, and one using the aperture and ISO set (i.e. varying the flash power) to front-light your subject.
In Tv, the camera calculates "two separate exposures": one using the shutter and ISO set (i.e. varying the aperture) to expose the entire scene properly, and one using the resulting aperture and ISO (i.e. then varying the flash power) to front-light your subject.
In M, the camera exposes the scene using the aperture/ISO/shutter you've set, and fires the flash appropriately based on the aperture and ISO set. You run the risk of overexposing your photo (if you go too wide/high/long), or progressively shifting the lighting burden to flash as you underexpose the scene with ambient light.

See the flash forums for FAR more information than my short babble here.

[hdd]

pj, i noticed that most of the BG's were extremely dark in P mode.. now I know why:)