High School Hockey round 2

Heres some pictures I took today at my brothers hockey game. I tried keeping in mind some of the criticism you guys gave me last time around so I figured id post here again and see what you guys think.

1.

They're decent enough stock shots and number four is kind of cool even though your shooting the players back but it's still a nice angle. The issue with your images is that they're soft. Hockey rinks normally have pretty poor lighting and can make for low shutter speeds and you may have been shooting through the glass but having sharper images would cetainly make these much better.

Anderson-Photography wrote in post #13529199
They're decent enough stock shots and number four is kind of cool even though your shooting the players back but it's still a nice angle. The issue with your images is that they're soft. Hockey rinks normally have pretty poor lighting and can make for low shutter speeds and you may have been shooting through the glass but having sharper images would cetainly make these much better.

ya the softness bugs me, right now I'm shooting with an xti and iso 1600 is the only way i can get the pictures bright enough, and at 1600 they come out pretty soft on my xti. I'm upgrading to a 7d in january and hoping that after that ill be able to solve the softness problem..

Try getting higher so you're shooting over the glass.

thats the problem, these weren't through the glass... i feel like my camera is getting worse... when I got it the images didn't seem to be this soft but it seems to be getting slowly worse without any major changes in settings so I've been wondering if i damaged the body at some point; i did drop it once about 2 months ago. if i weren't getting a new body in january id get it checked

until i upgrade is there anything else I can do to help with the softness? I believe these were all shot at f2.8, iso 1600, and either 1/400 or 1/500.

For this level of hockey go 1/500 and no lower. If you can bump ISO enough to get that and perhaps f3.2 you will get a bit more dof which may help with focus. Other tips...

1. How are you focusing....AI Servo, Centre Point, highest FPS I hope. You should also learn and read about how to move the AF to the * button on back of camera so you activate it with thumb button instead of half shutter press. Much more effective for sports. Tough to describe, but search for Custom Fn IV I think on here or * button focus and you should find some posts.

2. Have you tweaked some of the other AF settings in the camera. I know my Mk IV has about 30 different settings to really tune the AF and customize it t your way of shooting and your sport, your's may as well.

3. If you are sure you are nailing focus and things are still blurry, check the micro focus on your camera and adjust. there are some simple tests you can do to see if you are front focusing or back focusing. And then you can adjust.

4. If you are not already, use a monopod as it will help stabilize things a bit too.

cstewart wrote in post #13532268
For this level of hockey go 1/500 and no lower. If you can bump ISO enough to get that and perhaps f3.2 you will get a bit more dof which may help with focus. Other tips...

1. How are you focusing....AI Servo, Centre Point, highest FPS I hope. You should also learn and read about how to move the AF to the * button on back of camera so you activate it with thumb button instead of half shutter press. Much more effective for sports. Tough to describe, but search for Custom Fn IV I think on here or * button focus and you should find some posts.

2. Have you tweaked some of the other AF settings in the camera. I know my Mk IV has about 30 different settings to really tune the AF and customize it t your way of shooting and your sport, your's may as well.

3. If you are sure you are nailing focus and things are still blurry, check the micro focus on your camera and adjust. there are some simple tests you can do to see if you are front focusing or back focusing. And then you can adjust.

4. If you are not already, use a monopod as it will help stabilize things a bit too.

the xti only goes up to iso 1600... i know theres a hack to get it to 3200 but I've never bothered doing it as apparently the hack is the same as just adding a stop in post according to what I've read.

1. yes thats what I've got focus set to... and I've looked into the changing the focus to the back before but couldn't find it in my custom functions or my cameras manual, so I'm not sure if the xti has it or not

2. this i haven't done, ill have to look into it

3. not sure if the xti does micro adjustment or not but ill have to look into that as well

4. i use a monopod sometimes, not always. ill have to start using it more often

thanks for the input

Think these look good given the limitations of your camera and think the 7D will help you see a tremendous upgrade with your pictures. Try giving them a little bit of contrast in post to help the colors a bit. Good job on the horizons and action. Keep it up!

Get a ladder and see if you can shoot next to the bench. Go over the glass.

Otherwise, if you can, use a magic eraser to clean a spot on the glass inside and out.

Is it just me, or does the ice look a bit "pinkish" too? Considering the limitations of your gear, your doing fine.

hckyguy1 wrote in post #13533983
the xti only goes up to iso 1600... i know theres a hack to get it to 3200 but I've never bothered doing it as apparently the hack is the same as just adding a stop in post according to what I've read.

1. yes thats what I've got focus set to... and I've looked into the changing the focus to the back before but couldn't find it in my custom functions or my cameras manual, so I'm not sure if the xti has it or not

2. this i haven't done, ill have to look into it

3. not sure if the xti does micro adjustment or not but ill have to look into that as well

4. i use a monopod sometimes, not always. ill have to start using it more often

thanks for the input

ISO3200 with the XTi is pushed,but the quality isn't bad at all. THIS was shot with an XTi, ISO 2400. I'll occasionally bump it up to 3000. With a little noise reduction in PP, it's good.

As far as back-button focus, it's in "Custom Function (C. Fn)", which is in the 2nd settings menu. Set the fourth item to "1".

The XTi has no micro-adjustment.

toadhunter911 wrote in post #13537734
Is it just me, or does the ice look a bit "pinkish" too? Considering the limitations of your gear, your doing fine.

it looks a bit pink to me too.. but then up in the glass looks green.. so no matter which way i tried pushing it, the other area got worse, so i tired to compromise somewhere in the middle

abruckse wrote in post #13537966
As far as back-button focus, it's in "Custom Function (C. Fn)", which is in the 2nd settings menu. Set the fourth item to "1".

thanks! i looked through there but couldn't find it, must have overlooked it.