Settings - Field Hockey

Hey.

I will be taking some shots of a field hockey game. I am very much a nightlife/protrait photographer but have had had some play with ai servo before wehn generally walking around. It is an unpaid job for my cousins local club (who do not have a photographer/had a photographer before anyway...its a small thing).

I have a 5Diii and a 70-200 f2.8 ii at my disposal (also the 17-40mm f4...assuming thats worthless here) and a 50mm f1.8. I managed t grab a second hand 1.4x iii off a friend at a very reasonable price as well.

I am quite happy knowing ISO wont be much of a pain for me (being the 5Diii...2000 is only when noise beings to be noticeable).
The lens is a very nice lens of course...no problems there.
I guess I will have the thing in TV 1/800-1600 for stopping power.

My real questions are therefore:
1) AI servo pattern setting? Centre point in a cross type pattern? Lens settings?
2) I am guessing most at 100-200mm...so wide open or should I be looking at f5.6+?
3)Should I use the 1.4x? It loses a stop of course and there is a hardly noticeable drop in AF speed (supposedly), but the effective 100-280mm f4 is more tempting?

Thanks for any help. I have had a go at tracking and stopping before with passing cars and my of dog hunting squirrels (she will never get one...) and think I could get a few in this.

I noticed in around an f7 type lighting situation...the ai servo AF on even a cross center point found tracking my chocolate labradour pretty difficult...can I assume its because she is quite a low contrast thing in quite a dull environment?

I take field hockey photos and my main camera is the 5D mkiii You are right that you need a shutter speed of at least 1,000th second to freeze action.The for aperture I find that F2.8 Depth of filed is a bit punishing so I prefer F4. Of course that cuts down light and so ISO has to be the scapegoat and often I find myself using well above 2,000. I prefer manual rather than TV because I want control over everything.

I use setting 4 or 5 for the AI Servo but I suggest that you experiment with 2 as well and see which you prefer.

70-200 will give reasonable reach for action along the nearside sideline but I tend to use my 300m F2.8 for middle of the field action. I follow the maxim of shoot tight and crop tighter. I prefer not to use the lenses and then shoot far away thus requiring significant cropping. One pro hockey photographer said to me that it is better to be patient and wait for the action to come to you rather than go seeking it 50 yards away!

Please feel free to look at my Flickr site (link below) where you will find some of my recent field hockey shots.

Ha you kidding right? I am doing my cousins game this coming weekend in Nottingham. He is on the B /2s team wearing black/gold. Down for the weekend for a few shots and beers.

I think I would get away with the 1.4x for 280mm @ f4 as the ISO on the 5Diii is amazing. I do a lot of nightlife/club photography...my usual ISO is around 6400 such as below (1/20 f4 6400 17mm). About 13 noise reduction in LR4 seems to be the sweet spot.

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/80072515@N06/8​464836257/

You mean he plays for Beeston? If so, I will probably see you there! I am at Highfields on Saturday and Sunday. Small world

Must be. They had a white/gold top and black shorts for away kit (saw an away game...they are playing the same team again I saw last time but at home). Pretty sure he is in the 2's.

Looks like I may be picking up some good practice watching you :P.

Just to add to the coincidences, I was born and brought up in Leeds - a real Tyke!

Haha, I am a Huddersfield boy. Was at Leeds Uni for 5 years.

They have two hockey sticks crossed outwards with an orange ball in the centre below them as their logo. Black detail with yellow background.
White away kit with black/gold shorts. Doesnt look like Beeston. Thnik they are playing a team with H at the start....Highfields rings a bell.

Actually think they are playing Belper. Maybe we wont run in to each other.

You are right. Beeston 2nd team are playing Belper on Saturday but alas it is at Belper so our paths will not cross UNLESS you come to Super Sunday at Highfields when Beeston 1st Team are playing Loughborough. £4 entry but a top class game
Enjoy your photography

The way things are shaping up, we will not be able to move on Sunday. Its a big do on the evening but I will see what my cousin is planning and you never know.