Boxing with 5D Mark II.

[bristolpete]

Boxing with the 5D2 then.

Simply a delight. I will get that straight out there as perhaps people were expecting me to harp on about how good the D3 was. Well, yes, it was but I found the continual mode slow on Nikon cameras when shooting boxing and testament to that was the sheer speed at which the mark 2 and the 50mm L lens twitched when in servo mode. Naturally I could only work at three frames per second and I kinda know boxing so I still caught some decent stuff. Best of all I put the 17-40 on and went wide for some new slants and dynamic shots of local stuff. Really liking what I got and very, very pleased with the ISO performance of the camera. All of tonight's work was processed in DPP and then cropped in CS4. White balance issues reared up, again due to the MHz of lighting and camera speed, so I applied white points to the nearest thing in the shot, or the brightest point. All images shot at 6400 ISO which is nice. And, if a 5d2 can do this, despite the internet crawling with issues and threads about poor AF, then what will the Mark 4 be capable of. These are the best boxing shots I have nailed since I had Mark 2 cameras - nothing competes with them for detail and speed.
1.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3304/3275766340_df207e25f2.jpg

2.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3329/3274942403_44b0e23042.jpg

3.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3477/3275750290_d2d9e2e0c6.jpg

4.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3406/3274941975_9129c19d0d.jpg

5.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3298/3275753934_aac0972b0b.jpg

6.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3524/3275749348_ee3af51741.jpg

7.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3319/3274930849_12f02b1986.jpg

8.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3396/3275754540_433a17af6d.jpg

[Simon Turkin]

nice stuff very interesting (just not into the black and white)

[joe l.]

I like the B&W, for some reason seems to fit the subject better. I love some of the perspectives you have as well, the last 2 make me feel almost as though you were the cornerman. Nice!

[Simon Turkin]

I like the B&W, for some reason seems to fit the subject better. I love some of the perspectives you have as well, the last 2 make me feel almost as though you were the cornerman. Nice!
I agree to some extent but boxings a colorful sport interesting shorts and nicks and brusing, gloves. Maybe a selective coloring would be cool.

[zacm7]

i think #5 looks very appropriate in B&W nice comp.

[40DAndy]

I really like all the shots, but I really like the black and white ones. Like the post above I think it meets the subject pretty well and gives you that "classic boxing" feel. Black, white, and some selective coloring on a guy who was beat up bruised and bloody could be an interesting photo?

Love the angles at which you took the shots, good work!

[TheHoff]

I really like the whole set. Obviously you're not shooting for a wire service or something where you only require focusing on the action so you had a chance to get some detail shots that other people might miss.

Please, no selective colouring :D your choice of b/w was spot on

[bristolpete]

I agree to some extent but boxings a colorful sport interesting shorts and nicks and brusing, gloves. Maybe a selective coloring would be cool.

No chance - selective colouring should be left in the 1980's where it belongs.....

[bristolpete]

I really like the whole set. Obviously you're not shooting for a wire service or something where you only require focusing on the action so you had a chance to get some detail shots that other people might miss.

Please, no selective colouring :D your choice of b/w was spot on

Thanks. I got loads of action, but prefer the ambience of sport. Always have done....

[TheSportsGuy]

I agree with the others.

The B/W has a great feel to them. I have always thought that very "majestic feeling" sports like boxing and baseball will ALWAYS look good in B/W. It just adds to the old school feel of the sport.

[bristolpete]

I agree with the others.

The B/W has a great feel to them. I have always thought that very "majestic feeling" sports like boxing and baseball will ALWAYS look good in B/W. It just adds to the old school feel of the sport.

Thanks - the tonal range of the 5D2 helps here.

[AdamLewis]

Not really much boxing going on here but theyre interesting looks inside the ring.