Soft Photo's when shooting some bball shots

I believe the main cause is the ss, there are other contributing issues, but I think its the ss mostly... 1/200 just isnt enough, you need upwards of 1/500 or better or possibly flash in your situation.

I use a 85 1.8, but I dont know if this would even give you enough light without a flash...

i am not removing it intentionally so I am not sure how its being removed.. I do run it through Noiseware but i have a purchased version that is not suppose to remove that data.

thnx

ItzBitzHair wrote in post #5568300
i am not removing it intentionally so I am not sure how its being removed.. I do run it through Noiseware but i have a purchased version that is not suppose to remove that data.

thnx

Itz - do you "Save for Web" in Photoshop? If so, this will remove EXIF, just like what was said up thread a ways.

Also, as had been said before, 1/200s will not stop action for even the youngest of kids playing basketball. If this is the best that the ambient light will let you get, your only options are to throw in the towel and watch the game, buy a new camera that will let you shoot higher than ISO3200, or the best solution IMO is to use flash. The "thing" you are looking for is a flash bracket, like those made by Stroboframe. It would be best to use off-camera flash, though.

As I have suggested before to you, watch the third episode in the podcast listed in my signature for a bunch of info on how to shoot indoor sports with flash and strobes.

I will do so.. I have it on my ipod. I will have to put my studies on hold as my grandmother passed and I am preparing to go to Ark for the Services.

Thnx again for all the help .. I will work on the camera flash solutiosn form this poin on cause yes that gym light was horrible. Especially to be such a nice gym..

thnx

Does flickr strip data when it resizes pictures?

I am not sure but most of my linked photo's are on flickr maybe that is the issue

ItzBitzHair wrote in post #5572377
I am not sure but most of my linked photo's are on flickr maybe that is the issue

Yeah. Im not sure.

I know DPP doesnt strip it when you convert from RAW and I know CS3 doesnt strip it when you use the "save as" feature.

I believe it is removed when you link it, mine does when I link photos from my smugmug site..

No biggie, you provided us with the info we neded...

Get the flash going. That is the only way it's going to improve. As Superdiver said, 1/200 is just not enough for sharpness throughout the photo. If you have to 430s, yes you will need the transmitter. Your only other option would be to try the 50 1.8 if the 85 is too close, or start changing your approach to shooting hoops with the 85. Focus on stuff only from the foul line back. That's about all I can think of for your. Flash is the easiest answer. I use it every game.

Joe - While I understand how the 85 might be "too tight", I have to say this: I've shot a LOT of basketball over the years, and by far the lens I use most is the 70-200 f/2.8L. Now, on my MkIIN, this is the equivalent of a 91mm lens. Very few of my shots are taken at the 70mm length, though. If I find I'm too tight, I just moved further away from the hoop.

The 85 on a XXD camera equates to a 136mm lens, which might be a little tight, but then again, if so, just zoom with your feet. Or use a 70-200 and employ a flash if your ambient light can't support f/2.8 - or heck, shoot with a flash/strobe ANYWAYS since the results will be much sharper, with better color saturation, no issues with lights color cycling, etc.

The 50, even on a 1.6X body, is gonna be way loose for all but the few shots taken right under the basket. A lot of action happens between mid-court and the top of the key, and a 50 will end up being to wide for almost all of this.

dmwierz wrote in post #5581012
Joe - While I understand how the 85 might be "too tight", I have to say this: I've shot a LOT of basketball over the years, and by far the lens I use most is the 70-200 f/2.8L. Now, on my MkIIN, this is the equivalent of a 91mm lens. Very few of my shots are taken at the 70mm length, though. If I find I'm too tight, I just moved further away from the hoop.

The 85 on a XXD camera equates to a 136mm lens, which might be a little tight, but then again, if so, just zoom with your feet. Or use a 70-200 and employ a flash if your ambient light can't support f/2.8 - or heck, shoot with a flash/strobe ANYWAYS since the results will be much sharper, with better color saturation, no issues with lights color cycling, etc.

The 50, even on a 1.6X body, is gonna be way loose for all but the few shots taken right under the basket. A lot of action happens between mid-court and the top of the key, and a 50 will end up being to wide for almost all of this.

I agree with Dennis on this. I shoot the majority of my hoops (actually almost exclusively) with the 70-200. Even then, I find better than 50% of those are just over 100mm (135ish on the 1.3 crop of the MkII). I know of a few guys around here that shoot hoops with a 135 f2. Personally, I picked up a 100mm f2 to try out this season which is very close to the 85 on a 1.6 crop body. Be patient, let the action come to you and I think you'll see where a prime can be awesome. Still, I'll repeat my earlier comment which has been echoed by otheres here, get the flash going.

I plan to get the flash bracket.. but as far as flash my only options are a 430ex. I have 2 of them I can use.

I dont have a transmitter though.. I need to figure this out. Seconly I have 2 Shoe Mount Clamps Just have never tries to use any of these.

I just need to figure out what I am missing and get it so that I can maybe use my 430s on my shoe mount clamps and use one on each side of the court should help out some

I will work on that next.

dmwierz wrote in post #5581012
Joe - While I understand how the 85 might be "too tight", I have to say this: I've shot a LOT of basketball over the years, and by far the lens I use most is the 70-200 f/2.8L. Now, on my MkIIN, this is the equivalent of a 91mm lens. Very few of my shots are taken at the 70mm length, though. If I find I'm too tight, I just moved further away from the hoop.

The 85 on a XXD camera equates to a 136mm lens, which might be a little tight, but then again, if so, just zoom with your feet. Or use a 70-200 and employ a flash if your ambient light can't support f/2.8 - or heck, shoot with a flash/strobe ANYWAYS since the results will be much sharper, with better color saturation, no issues with lights color cycling, etc.

The 50, even on a 1.6X body, is gonna be way loose for all but the few shots taken right under the basket. A lot of action happens between mid-court and the top of the key, and a 50 will end up being to wide for almost all of this.

If the 85 is too close for him and he is on the base line, there might not be ANY room to zoom wih his feet. I shoot in 5 HS gyms in the winter, one of them is awful because there is about two feet between the wall and the court under one of the baskets.

I got the 85 last winter and used it pretty much exclusively. But, I shoot hoops different than most. I use on camera flash. It is allowed here and it's something I have been doing for 12 years. Never once have I been asked to turn it off. The photographers for the competing newspapers do the same, but this is off topic.

If the OP can't back up, I reasoned that a nifty fifty could suffice in some instances. Yes it is not as fast to focus as the 85, but then again nothing really is.

Then move sideways towards the corner. The problem with the 50 is unless the action is RIGHT under the basket or RIGHT in front of you, it's simply too loose. Plus, it's not really known for its fast AF, as Joe says.

Joe Cyr wrote in post #5580575
Get the flash going. That is the only way it's going to improve. As Superdiver said, 1/200 is just not enough for sharpness throughout the photo. If you have to 430s, yes you will need the transmitter. Your only other option would be to try the 50 1.8 if the 85 is too close, or start changing your approach to shooting hoops with the 85. Focus on stuff only from the foul line back. That's about all I can think of for your. Flash is the easiest answer. I use it every game.

Itz

I tried and tried to get good basketball shots using ambient light. Upgraded to a 1D Mark III to get higher ISO and better focusing, used the 85mm f/1.8 rather than the 70-200 f/2.8, and used the expodisk/shot a white card to get custom white balance.

Yes, you can get better without a flash but you'll always be limited, always compensating, always frustrated, always a day late and a dollar short.

Like you, I shoot in gyms with horrible lighting. Not enough light and the light that is available is of poor quality (inconsistent color and light cycling). Strangely enough, shooting in a gym with better light was the thing that convinced me that I needed to get strobes. It became clear that I could take a decent pic if I had decent light (surprise!) but there was no way to get a high quality (pro) image without high quality light. There was no way I could approach the quality of an Adam Lewis or a Dennis W. so this amateur followed the lead and advice of the pros on this site and got strobe lights.

Bring on volleyball and basketball. Forget ISO 3200/6400, razor thin DOF, motion blur, noise, light cycling, off color bulbs and let me put my 70-200 back on the camera.

I learned a lot shooting ambient but as Joe says, supplemental lighting is only way to improve.