Youth Basketball with a Nifty Fifty?

[tmalone893]

Do you think you could use the nifty for youth basketball if you were shooting from under the goal. I've never used it for any action shots. I want to get the 85 f1.8 but was hoping that I could get by until I buy one.

[Livinthalife]

I wouldn't use the 50 indoors with fast action, the focus is hit in miss when light isn't good. 50 1.4 or 85 1.8 wouldn't be bad alternatives. but 85 MAYBE too long...depends exactly how far all the action is from where you are under the goal.

[40Dude6aedyk]

Of course you can use it. Why not?

[eigga]

Yes you can use it... actually please use it and post results and thoughts.

[nickybegood1998]

tmalone...I'm glad you asked that question...you must have read my mind because I was wondering the same thing. My boys will be playing youth basketball in the winter (10 and 5 years old) and I was planning on using the 85 f/1.8 and the 50 f/1.4 underneath the goal. I've used the 85 in the past underneath the goal and found it too long when the action was right underneath the basket so I'm looking forward to doing a little playing around. Please post your pictures and I will post mine so we can do some comparisons and get some good CC.

Karman

[tmalone893]

Yes you can use it... actually please use it and post results and thoughts.

tmalone...I'm glad you asked that question...you must have read my mind because I was wondering the same thing. My boys will be playing youth basketball in the winter (10 and 5 years old) and I was planning on using the 85 f/1.8 and the 50 f/1.4 underneath the goal. I've used the 85 in the past underneath the goal and found it too long when the action was right underneath the basket so I'm looking forward to doing a little playing around. Please post your pictures and I will post mine so we can do some comparisons and get some good CC.

Karman

We start practice this week. I'll take some test pics and post them for you to see.

[wyofizz]

I would manual focus. AF will be too slow.

Dave

[sethmo]

I used a 50mm 1.8 once from the slidelines at a highschool game. It wasnt that bad, light was good enough where focusing wasnt a big issue. But I have used an 85mm 1.8 before and I would use that hands down.

[Mike R]

I usually use my 85 1.8 I have also used my 50 f/1.8 and got good results with it.
However I never open up wider than f/2.2

[thekid5]

I use my nifty 50 whenever I am under the basket and get great shots. I will use it both with auto focus and manual focus. It is the lens I use to get a full body shot of a player going in for a layup while shooting under the basket.

On my Mark II, focus is fast and accurate. Sometimes I will manually focus where the players will be while going for a layup and just wait for that to happen. I do not use it at 1.8, usually closer to 2.8.

[tmalone893]

Sometimes I will manually focus where the players will be while going for a layup and just wait for that to happen. I do not use it at 1.8, usually closer to 2.8.

Are you using strobes or a flash? What SS and ISO if you don't mind.

Thanks,

Theron

[northpointphoto]

Last basketball season I shot a 50 f1.8 all season and never had a problem. You should be find with the 50 because you can get wide enough to cover from floor to basket for jump shots and still have a good reach for pretty much anything inside the three point arch (if you crop a bit).

[thekid5]

Originally Posted by thekid5 http://photography-on-the.net/forum/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?p=6893441#post6893441)
Sometimes I will manually focus where the players will be while going for a layup and just wait for that to happen. I do not use it at 1.8, usually closer to 2.8.
Are you using strobes or a flash? What SS and ISO if you don't mind.

I do not shoot with flash or strobe. The SS and ISO is the usual discussed when talking about shooting indoors. SS minimum 400, 500 is better. ISO is at 1600. A friend shoots at 3200 and his pictures look good. He has to clean them up with software and he uses NoiseNinja. I do not know how they look in a tight crop and printed at 8X10.

I have tried shooting wide open at 1.8 but found the depth of field is just too shallow.

[KayakPhotos]

Yeah, 1.8 is WAY shallow.

An example:
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk2/D40riggs/Michael/window3.jpg

[tmalone893]

Last basketball season I shot a 50 f1.8 all season and never had a problem. You should be find with the 50 because you can get wide enough to cover from floor to basket for jump shots and still have a good reach for pretty much anything inside the three point arch (if you crop a bit).

Are the pictures on your flikr account shot with the 50 1.8?

[DDCSD]

Yeah, 1.8 is WAY shallow.

An example:

At one foot, yes. From 10-20 feet away, you'll get get a lot more DOF. :lol:

[northpointphoto]

Are the pictures on your flikr account shot with the 50 1.8?

No, this year im using a Sigma 28-70 f2.8 and a 80-200 f2.8


Here's two shots with the 50mm from last year. Both shot with ambient light.

http://a271.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/40/l_dfc960010cff65503733f7d9acad7116.jpg

http://a141.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/34/l_47e03f6c9c9ea3d3af57ba9f02e7613c.jpg

[22littlereasons]

The auto focus is too slow. I had one for a week and returned it. I now have a f1.4 which provides many more keepers.