best setting for 7D to photograph Squash game...

[lukx]

Friend asked me to photograph the tournament he will be playing in.
I'm total newbie regarding sport photography so what settings would be the best regarding af (central point with expansion, zone af?), shoudl use aperture priority or shutter with high times? but what how fast to freeze player hitting the ball? I will use 17-55 f/2.8 lens but I will loose some f because of polarizing filter to get rid of reflections from glass, so I guess I will have to bump up ISO big time because I don;t think using flash while having glass in front of me is a good idea, plus it might annoy players.

[sando]

I'd go for central with expansion, or 'all' points, and Servo.

I'd start at 1/500 and wide open, then adjust ISO to suit before getting to iso3200 and then start slowing the shutter.

If you can get a 430EX, you could rig one up in the viewing gallery and shoot wireless flash too - which would help with freezing the action.

[lukx]

by "all" you mean total auto AF? Yes I got 580EXII flash, but wouldn't it be disturbing players, the flashes?

[RonnieA]

A polarizing filter cuts light by 2 stops or so, and I suspect you'll need every bit of f/2.8, especially without flash. Leave it off. Keep your lens hood on and plant it against the court glass to reduce glare.

Shoot in Manual mode to better control exposure, with AI Servo and center point only. Set custom function so * button handles AF.

I've never flashed/strobed an indoor sporting event. I know it will freeze the player, but question whether it will freeze a swung racquet and moving ball. From my experience with baseball, a shutter speed of around 1/5000 or better is needed to totally freeze a batter swinging a bat at a pitched ball. That said, if you end up shooting ambient, then you'll have to deal with some motion blur.

[sando]

by "all" you mean total auto AF? Yes I got 580EXII flash, but wouldn't it be disturbing players, the flashes?Yes, all. It shouldm identify the player and focus correctly. If you find it isn't switch to centre.

If it's just a friend playing then it should be fine, I wouldn't flash at a pro event - though basketball is an event where pro-flashes are set-up as a matter of course.

A polarizing filter cuts light by 2 stops or so, and I suspect you'll need every bit of f/2.8, especially without flash. Leave it off. Keep your lens hood on and plant it against the court glass to reduce glare.

Shoot in Manual mode to better control exposure, with AI Servo and center point only. Set custom function so * button handles AF.

I've never flashed/strobed an indoor sporting event. I know it will freeze the player, but question whether it will freeze a swung racquet and moving ball. From my experience with baseball, a shutter speed of around 1/5000 or better is needed to totally freeze a batter swinging a bat at a pitched ball. That said, if you end up shooting ambient, then you'll have to deal with some motion blur.

[lukx]

Set custom function so * button handles AF.


Isn't it assigned already to AF-ON button ?
Or I should set AF-ON to something different than AF+Metering ?

[RonnieA]

Isn't it assigned already to AF-ON button ?
Or I should set AF-ON to something different than AF+Metering ?

Not sure in the case of the 7d. But with every camera I've owned, a custom function needs to be set to move AF from half depressing the shutter button to the * button. Setting up a camera this way is merely a personal choice.