Using 580EXII Flash for LAX

[Paul S]

Last night by the 3rd QTR all my 40d could do is take underexposed photos. Ugg.
I was shooting M @ 400 - 2.8 - ISO3200.
Could I have used a camera mounted flash with good results ?

One of the shoots before the lights went out
BTW the goalie caught the ball on that play

[namasste]

I'm interested as well since I have a game to shoot this Friday @ 7pm. I suspect that the answer will be that it can certainly be used (assuming player safety first so be aware of your angles so as not to blind a keeper or something while firing). My guess is that you'll have to watch your range closely and just shoot the tighter stuff to get really good results.

Now that I think of it...could it be done strobist style with a couple of flash guns on stands mounted on either side of the field just behind where the net is?

[FlyingPhotog]

Now that I think of it...could it be done strobist style with a couple of flash guns on stands mounted on either side of the field just behind where the net is?

I don't think the players would care for this idea...

Plus, unless you were shooting from behind the net as well, the best you could hope for would be rim-lit subjects if not complete silouettes (sp?)...

[namasste]

I don't think the players would care for this idea...

Plus, unless you were shooting from behind the net as well, the best you could hope for would be rim-lit subjects if not complete silouettes (sp?)...

good point.

[Palladium]

the exif for the image posted above displays as...

Camera Make: Canon
Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Image Date: 2008:04:30 18:36:41
Flash Used: No
Focal Length: 300.0mm
CCD Width: 4.58mm
Exposure Time: 0.0016 s (1/640)
Aperture: f/2.8
ISO equiv: 800
White Balance: Auto
Metering Mode: Spot
Exposure: Manual
Exposure Mode: Manual

[Paul S]

FWIW the above photo was taken in the second QTR. When there was still a fair amount of light left. So that's OK. no flash needed for that one.

Scott, Tonight I shoot the second half of G LAX with the 70-200 2.8 & flash. In all and all I wasn't crazy about the results. It reminded my of shooting Basket ball w the flash. Ugg Thats why I ended up with a set of AB's. Must be an age thing - seems I can't remember S### anymore syndrome.

Also I asked the players if the flash bothered them and the reply was they didn't even notice the flash.

[IODebbie]

I shot a CIF LAX playoff game on Monday night. I shot with a 30D and a Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8. I had it on full manual, 1600 ISO, 2.8 and 1/250. I used a monopod mounted flash (under the camera) and came up with shots like this at 8:30 p.m. (totally dark with average to below average field lighting):

http://photos.imageevent.com/pokemom/eltorolacrosse2008/ethsvarsitylacrosse/cifplayoffsvsjserra/large/JSerra%2004-28-08%20385.jpg

No one even seemed to notice the flash and I was shooting from the sidelines. I know lots of people don't like the way that flash shots look, but when the field isn't very well lit (which is true of many of the high school fields), I don't think you have much choice.

[namasste]

Thanks Paul and Debbie. I know what you mean about shooting basketball with on camera flash...I'm still in recovery from last season so I am in no hurry to start shooting with flash again already!:lol:

Debbie, did you have an assistant hold the monopod with the flash while you shot? The image looks good, maybe needs a fuzz of NR but it's definitely a keeper. Glad to see it can be done even if I'm not looking forward to jumping back into it. If it doesn't pour tomorrow, I'll be needing some flash by the second half for sure with a 7pm start.

[IODebbie]

I have my camera mounted on the monopod ... with the flash mounted underneath. So, I hold the monopod, flash and camera. There was a football thread around here somewhere with the setup - it really helps reduce red eye/demon eye and get light up under the helmets/facemasks ... Here it is (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=227467&referrerid=102172). If you go to the second page, he has photos of the setup. Looks strange, works well. :)

[Paul S]

I have my camera mounted on the monopod ... with the flash mounted underneath. So, I hold the monopod, flash and camera. There was a football thread around here somewhere with the setup - it really helps reduce red eye/demon eye and get light up under the helmets/facemasks ... Here it is (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=227467&referrerid=102172). If you go to the second page, he has photos of the setup. Looks strange, works well. :)

Debbie, Thanks for sharing, Off to the hardware store :) BTW what were your flash settings set to?

Thanks, Paul

[dmwierz]

BTW what were your flash settings set to?

Why would this be any different than shooting football with a flash? There were dozens of "What settings?" posts last Fall, so you should have tons of stuff to look through.

I shoot night field sports at ISO800, f/2.8-f/4.0 and 1/250s, with the flash on ETTL-II, using the FEC to adjust exposure. Some shoot the flash on manual, and this works, too. I like to simplify things, though, and the 580EX and EXII actually do pretty well in ETTL-II mode.

For the thousandth (?) time, while you may not like the "look", you can get much higher effective shutter speeds, better color saturation and whiter whites (sounds like laundry detergent) and reduce the impact of light-cycling using flash. When done correctly, you will minimize the flash look and reduce red-eye. And, unless you fire the flash from 5 feet away, on high power, with a player looking directly at you, the flash will probably not even be noticed. You will be the most if not the only self-conscious person on the field regarding the flash.

Based on shooting a few hundred night football games, I would never shoot night sports under ambient light if I had the chance to use flash. The only down side is the occasional red eye you'll get (especially with shots taken at a longer distance) but this is easily fixed in post processing.

And before anyone asks, no you shouldn't use High Speed Sync (HSS). Lotsa stuff has been written on this topic, too.