how to shoot badminton?

[clarity]

anyone have any ideas on shooting
badminton in a gym? i have a rebel
and a 50mm, the coach doesnt want
me to use a flash. also il be sitting very
close to the players. maybe about 15-20
feet away? thanks :cool:

[norcal99]

I'm far from being an expert but here's a few things I can think of assuming you're using a DSLR. Set the camera to al servo mode, bump up the ISO to at least 1000, keep the f/stop under 2.8 and that should give you a shutter speed fast enough to capture stills. These are usually the settings I use for shooting indoor volleyball games but with a Tamron 28-70 F/2.8. You should have no problems. Feel free to add to this list of "to do things." I'm still pretty new to this but these settings have worked for me. Good luck and post em when you're finished!

[Sundin]

I too have a digital rebel with the 50mm lens (the default one) and the lowest it can go is 5.6.. so does that make it impossible to capture stills with this lens?

[stealth]

Clarity,

I'm no expert on Badminton, although I was fortunate enough to get into the English Nationals just over a month ago. Please visit http://www.sportpictures.co.uk/cpg132/index.php?cat=6 to see some on the images that I took.

Although I shoot with N***n there are as suggested by Norcal and Sundin some absolute minimums. I personally was shooting with a 70-200 F2.8 Sigma Zoom. Because my f1.8 50mm had not arrived in time. The lights on the courts were not very bright and so my settings were around 160th of a second, f2.8 at ISO 1600 (The highest setting on my camera) The politically correct place to take the photographs from was positioned next to the umpires chair, at the end of net.

You then have two choices, shoot through or around the net for the player on the other side of the net or shoot the player on your side. I will suggest three lenses that will deal with badminton. You could like myself shoot with a 70-200, or maybe a 50mm which canon do a very reasonable f1.8 lens, or get a f2.8 lens in the region of 17 - 70, this allows for you to capture the player as they reach towards you to collect a shot from near the net.

Absolute minimum you will need a lens with at least f2.8, unless the players should be playing outside!

The one thing that can really make a shot is to try and avoid having a distracting background. I very quickly learnt to shoot the action as it passed some of 'dead' areas behind them. Pick your background first, then pray that the player / players pass through that area. Otherwise, you could also try taking pictures of details in the games. Preparing to serve, receiving a new shuttle, arguing with themselves, tantrums with rackets, concentration. For a really good shot you ideally need, eyes, shuttle and racket all together in the frame.

Have fun, work with what you have got and be sure to learn from the images that you have taken. But the most important of these is to enjoy trying to capture the decisive moment.

good luck.