100-400mm IS Gen II at a hockey game

Thought I would try the new 100-400 IS Gen II at a hockey game this evening. First of all, let me say, that I shot at ISO settings that I have never shot a hockey game at before - that is ISO 5000 on my 5D3 - usually I stop at ISO 3200 on the 5D3. In fact, since I got the 7D2 I have retired the 5D3 for sports - but with the 100-400, I think it is better on a full frame so I brought the 5D3 out of retirement and gave it a shot.

I lowered the Shutter Speed to 1/640 which I don't like doing as I think 1/1000 is necessary to freeze the action in hockey and I chucked a lot of pictures that would have worked at 1/1000 this evening - but ISO 5000 was freaking me out a bit so that was my max tonight - but I think after looking at what I got, that I will try 1/800 next to see if this makes me happier - I bumped all the images 'about' 0.5 exposure in Lightroom.

So, below is a few images, I think the first hockey game, on the new 100-400 Gen II.

I want to jump ahead and say, that if the next generation Canon cameras can make 6400 ISO as good as 3200 ISO that this 100-400 lens will be replacing a lot of 70-200 2.8 lenses as the goto sports lens - and that full frame cameras, like a 5D4 with 'good' ISO 6400 and a good buffer will be a serious consideration.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/qbNK​DD

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/qt5r​mv

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/pwfY​m9

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/qbNL​1F

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/qbQj​Rg

Finding the whites a bit hard on my eyes.

Me too.

I like the white whites!

Looks perfect on my NEC PA 271W!

My 5dmkiii normally is for landscapes, but it's nice to see it used in some action work!

Great job! Hockey is prob the most challenging of all sports to capture in stills...

markesc wrote in post #17342351
I like the white whites!

Looks perfect on my NEC PA 271W!

My 5dmkiii normally is for landscapes, but it's nice to see it used in some action work!

Great job! Hockey is prob the most challenging of all sports to capture in stills...

However, blowing them out is not necessary. In fact, it pretty much renders the shots as nothing more than keepsakes.

Strontium wrote in post #17342354
However, blowing them out is not necessary. In fact, it pretty much renders the shots as nothing more than keepsakes.

Wow! That is certainly open for debate. There is no pertinent detail in the ice, or in the white of the wall. I would have blown them intentionally to get the exposure up where an ISO of 12,800, or at least 6400, is irrelevant. Losing shadow and dark detail that matters, just to capture whites that don't seems a bit silly to me. I've shot a few hockey games. My goal is usually the players and the action. I don't much care if I get any detail in the ice.

OP, nice work. It makes me want to try similar stuff with my 6D/100-400. I've never tried indoor anything with that lens.

I like the white whites too. I think I'd take the compromise of iso 6400 + light noise reduction over the lowering of shutter speed though. I'm not a sports photographer, but I'd imagine that shutter speed is probably the number one priority most of the time.

Go ahead and bump that ISO up at sports games, you would rather want a crisp but slightly noisy picture than a clean blurry picture.

I ain't afraid of high ISO!

I use the highlights slider in Lightroom to tame the whites after over exposing to keep the ice from looking gray. It will usually bring back some detail in the ice. Here is an example, shot at ISO 6400, 1/1250sec and f/4 using a 70-200 f/4 IS lens:

GeoKras1989 wrote in post #17342450
Wow! That is certainly open for debate. There is no pertinent detail in the ice, or in the white of the wall. I would have blown them intentionally to get the exposure up where an ISO of 12,800, or at least 6400, is irrelevant. Losing shadow and dark detail that matters, just to capture whites that don't seems a bit silly to me. I've shot a few hockey games. My goal is usually the players and the action. I don't much care if I get any detail in the ice.

OP, nice work. It makes me want to try similar stuff with my 6D/100-400. I've never tried indoor anything with that lens.

While there is no "pertinent" detail in the background, I find hockey shots more pleasing when the ice and backboard don't look like a product photo background.

Different strokes, for different folks I guess. Shooting a 6D, I'm sure you know how far shadow detail can be pushed with those files. While the 6D is king, the 5DIII is no slouch in that regard.

Unless you're shooting for a news outlet and have to fire the files off to them without any post, I don't see why keeping the backboard from clipping and pushing the shadows (which can be done pretty well with both cameras) in post is such a blasphemous thing.

Nice shots OP. The exposure on the main subjects looks good. I have never ever had a parent complain about loss of detail in the ice or boards over the years. Suffice it to say this is clearly not like a wedding dress or feather detail in a bird.

Thanks for posting your findings with this lens.

Kind like aviation imagery where I'm far less concerned with how the sky and cloud look in the background than I am with the aircraft in the foreground.

It would be nice if lighting happens to work out to provide some good details, but my focus (pun intended) will always be with the primary subject.

Plus there is the time (and expertise) required to post process in order to get more details out of the background, I lack both most of the times.

I appreciate the diverse opinions the exposures and processing has created. I have generally overtime moved my exposures and whites 'higher' in hockey as the 'parents' like seeing their kids on the ice and not particularly the ice itself. That said, none of the whites is blown according to Lightroom - and believe it or not there is still room to spare - so the comments about 'blown' whites is not technically accurate but I understand the nature of the comments and I do appreciate the feedback.

Since this lens is new I wanted to post some quick pictures so I uploaded them late at night and did the editing quickly - and, I can see why the 'too white' comments were made and I might agree on some of them that it can be dialled back a little - but they are, after a few years of doing this at horrible arena light minor league hockey games, close to what I have settled on.

Another game this evening at another dark arena so I will try ISO 6400 and 1/1000 and see how it works.

I regularly use ISO 10,000 for sports with the 5D-3 and no publication has complained about noise. I assume you are not going to blow these up to 16x20, so don't be afraid to go above ISO 5000. Just get the exposure correct!

so game 2 results at 6400 ISO, 1/1000, 5D3 and the 100-400 IS 2

from a sport perspective, at least hockey, i am at a bit of a dilemma as I like the reach of the 100-400 on a full frame but I think it is a little too tight on a Crop - but, I think I have determined that the 7D2 has a faster AI Servo setup with a higher hit rate (at least slightly) than the 5D3

i'm happy at 1/6400 and 1/1000

pictures from game 2 with the new lens

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/qsm8​Qs

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/qd4K​8m

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/qusu​na

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/qusw​8K