First basketball game of the season - first game with the Mark III

[sbressler]

First game of the season and first basketball game with a Mark III (had the XTi last season). Comments and criticism please!

For those interested: all shots taken at ISO 3200 with a 70-200 f/2.8 IS at f/2.8 with shutter speeds between 1/320s - 1/400s.

#1:


#2:



#3:



#4:



#5:



#6:



#7:

[michael_]

they look a little soft and maybe shutter speeds a fraction to low

[Sauk]

If you can try to get a shutter speed of at least 320 or 400. That seems to stop the action pretty good .

I wish I had a Mark III lol That is my dream camera right now

[Torcidas]

Pictures are little soft or images are soft or you make some error when you reduce their size. But if i look pictures I like 2nd most.

[topher04r1]

Scott, they look good man ... good action, good color etc. You did a LOT of things right here and it shows.... I'm not quite sure what the other posters have in mind for sharpness or prehaps they dont understand that everything isn't razor sharp when you shoot things at f/2.8 ...who knows.... Sure you could hit them with a little bit of USM if that makes you happy but do keep in mind that USM will sharpen your noise as well...... Good stuff, looking forward to seeing more !

[sbressler]

Thanks for all your feedback, guys. I'd say that #2 is really the only one that I particularly like of this batch (both in expression and sharpness), but I figured I'd share a few.

Regarding shutter speed, I'd love to go higher but the light in the gym doesn't really afford that. I'm already pushing the limits shooting all of this at ISO 3200. Anyway, perhaps I'll try to shoot some at 1/500 next time and just bring up the exposure later and hope for the best...

I'm still unsure whether the softness that I see in far too many of my pictures are more my fault and a result of using large apertures or if it's an issue with my camera (and thus look forward to the sub-mirror fix). Anyway, I'm generally extremely happy with what my Mark III allows me over my now-too-tiny XTi.

Will post some more pictures next time I shoot. Thanks again for the comments.

[Sauk]

with that camera and how well that ISO works you could even try 6400 or whatever option is above 3200 for that camera.

Your exposure looks great, but try the 400 next time and just adjust afterwards because I really dont see much noise right now if at all in those images.

That camera can handle a lot take it to it's limits

[sbressler]

Thanks, yeah maybe I'll try 6400 (to let you know, no, there's nothing in between 3200 and 6400 (H)) or rather just underexpose a tiny bit.

I'm so used to exposing +2/3 most of the time that it's hard to go back to just being ok with 0EV.

[michael_]

Originally Posted by topher04r1

Scott, they look good man ... good action, good color etc. You did a LOT of things right here and it shows.... I'm not quite sure what the other posters have in mind for sharpness or prehaps they dont understand that everything isn't razor sharp when you shoot things at f/2.8 ...who knows.... Sure you could hit them with a little bit of USM if that makes you happy but do keep in mind that USM will sharpen your noise as well...... Good stuff, looking forward to seeing more !

i disagree shooting with the 70-200 2.8 at 2.8 should yield sharp shots, these are def soft even the OP has agreed with it, i have shots at 1/200 at 2.8 which are sharp with the same lens so saying that the images wont be sharp at 2.8 doesnt make sense.

[michael_]

Originally Posted by sbressler

Thanks, yeah maybe I'll try 6400 (to let you know, no, there's nothing in between 3200 and 6400 (H)) or rather just underexpose a tiny bit.

I'm so used to exposing +2/3 most of the time that it's hard to go back to just being ok with 0EV.

yeah id go for the underexposing, much easier to bring a photo back if underexposed than over exposed