college basketball

[izatt82]

I got hired on at my new college as the PJ and these are from my first two basketball games. CC is welcome let me know what you think

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a140/izatt82/IMG_6831.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a140/izatt82/IMG_6973-1.jpg

[Big K]

I think they are both soft and the second has his arm in front of his face. Hopefully the shots you submitted for your job were a bit better.

[hooday]

What lens did you use and what were your camera settings?

[Palladium]

YMMV - but most photogs set up facing the court on the baseline rt. side.

From your images it looks like your on the left side of the baseline. The theory is that most of the game action happens on the players right side as they go toward the basket.

[hooday]

Cleveland Plain Dealer photog, myself and others set up on the left side when under the home team basket by the bench to capture the players and coaches. Under the opposite basket we do set up on the right. I guess it depends on your focus of your shots. IMHO there is no right or wrong position. Your just have to be cognizant of your position and know the adv. and disadv. from a composition, lighting and player viewpoint. It also depends on how many photos there are to cover the game. Sometimes you are forced to sit on the left.

In the first picture from a composition standpoint the player went to the left and used her left hand. Had the shooter been on the right you would have missed the player's face all together. The facial expression adds emotion to the shot. So being on the left was a good vantage point.

In the other shot from a composition standpoint the player chose to use his dominant hand(the Right) and not the left hand which he should have used for the drive to the hoop and the arm came across the face. Had he had better skills and used the left hand, being on the right would have created the same result as the original picture captured. So it is not so cut and dry on which side is better. Depends on so many factors.

So to get to be a better shooter, shoot from both sides during the half if you can and experiment. You will be surprised what you learn and what you can capture from a plethrora of factors.

[izatt82]

i used the nifty 50 on both of these and my XTI my settings were AI servo 1/500 i think and 1600 ISO single focus point 2.2 i think or close to that. not for sure the cheap 50 has a fast enough focus or if the XTI is just not as accurate. I would like to be at 2.8, but to try to keep the noise down i over exposed just a tad or tried to be just right.
normally i like to be closer to the hoop, but because the cheerleaders and the refs wanting to stand right in my way i had to move. I do find my keeper rate to be low or at least it s seems low. shots during the game i think i nailed as far as being on target will be way out of focus. most of the time when i shoot burst the shots are off, so it seems the 50 and XTI are not the best combo, but with the lack of equipment from the school i am forced to use my own. I am in the process of up grading ordered a 1D mark II and its on the way and plans for a new lens are in the works, thinking a fast L prime might be in the line up maybe something else.

what settings do you guys use for basketball?

[izatt82]

Cleveland Plain Dealer photog, myself and others set up on the left side when under the home team basket by the bench to capture the players and coaches. Under the opposite basket we do set up on the right. I guess it depends on your focus of your shots. IMHO there is no right or wrong position. Your just have to be cognizant of your position and know the adv. and disadv. from a composition, lighting and player viewpoint. It also depends on how many photos there are to cover the game. Sometimes you are forced to sit on the left.

In the first picture from a composition standpoint the player went to the left and used her left hand. Had the shooter been on the right you would have missed the player's face all together. The facial expression adds emotion to the shot. So being on the left was a good vantage point.

In the other shot from a composition standpoint the player chose to use his dominant hand(the Right) and not the left hand which he should have used for the drive to the hoop and the arm came across the face. Had he had better skills and used the left hand, being on the right would have created the same result as the original picture captured. So it is not so cut and dry on which side is better. Depends on so many factors.

So to get to be a better shooter, shoot from both sides during the half if you can and experiment. You will be surprised what you learn and what you can capture from a plethrora of factors.


thanks, next time i will move around more try to find a better system of places to be through out the game for different shots.

[izatt82]

i will use this for example, i was using the center focus point and how it focused on number 0 shirt is beyond me. i would think the focus point should be right on his arms some where.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a140/izatt82/IMG_7145.jpg

[Sauk]

i would highly suggest getting a 85 F1.8. Best cheap lens out there for sports, the best.

That looks like a really nice gym by the way, almost new?

I shot from the left side this past game to hide all of the ugly banners they have on the left wall. I knew I would miss some shots, but you have to take the good with the bad sometimes.

[izatt82]

yeah that gym is brand spanking new and very expensive. so the 85 1.8 non L does a lot better than the 50 F1.8? and how much better is the 85 L compaired to the non L? of course there is a big price difference. i think my timing for basketball is getting better took a bit to be able to follow the ball well.

[mattograph]

The 85 1.2 doesn't focus quite as fast as the 1.8. If you shoot lower than 2 on a crop body, my experience is that you never get sharp results for sports -- too shallow dof.

For baseline work, I use the 17-55 2.8. It aint cheap, but it is sweet!

[izatt82]

so on my 1D mark II you guys think i should go with the 85 or a fast zoom to get more versatility? for in the range of 300 the 85 is looking pretty good i would get the 70-200 f2.8L which i do want to get, but 2.8 seems a touch to slow for the indoor gym. unless the ISO performance is that much better on a 1D mark II and i can get away with bringing it up in PS.

[Sauk]

Without a doubt get a 85 1.8 for sports if you're on a budget or the 70-200 if the light is good enough.

But if you shoot 2.0 to 2.2 you should be just fine with DOF.

I would without a doubt recommend the 85 F1.8! Cheap, super fast and light.

[izatt82]

yeah BBall i seem to hover in the 2.2 range. I was the PJ for my last college and still do work for them from time to time, but in their gym i had to shoot at 1.8 and 1/320 to 1/400 and still had to bring them up in PS about .28 or so. the DOF at 1.8 is like a freaking razor and shooting with the 50 i had to shoot the whole game just to try and get something decent that was in focus or at least close.

[TopGear1Ds]

Without a doubt get a 85 1.8 for sports if you're on a budget or the 70-200 if the light is good enough.

But if you shoot 2.0 to 2.2 you should be just fine with DOF.

I would without a doubt recommend the 85 F1.8! Cheap, super fast and light.
I heartily second this. The 85 f/1.8 is the basketball prime. No doubt about it.

[lauderdalems]

For basketball/volleyball
1st choice - 85 1.8
2nd choice 70-200 2.8

[izatt82]

sounding like first on the list is going to be the 85 and then work towards getting the 70-200

[disneydork06]

don't forget about third party lenses. I read the sigma 70-200 2.8 version is pretty nice, as long as you don't get the macro one. When I had a 1.6 crop I loved using the 50 f1.4 lens. When i shot bball in college I would be stuck around the other people using their 70-200 but the 50 brought me in closer to the hoop to get more faces when they went for a straight layup.
with that lens I would usually go F2.0, iso 800 and at least a 1/250 ss. people in the air don't really move that fast.
btw, you will love the mk2 for basketball with the AF and aiservo. I have it so my star button on back would focus with all points and the button next to it is set to middle point. so I can switch back and forth if I don't think one is working well that night. good luck!

[izatt82]

thanks, yeah i think there will be a learning curve on my first pro body have to read the manual and get a bunch of hands on. the number one reason i bought it was, i had a moment with my XTI on the job and i had to try to fix it on the spot. after that i told myself no matter what i will have a backup if i am working for someone. so now the XTI will be my second body or backup. i will feel better having that security of if something goes wrong i am not screwed.