Stop Action Shots

Hey,

I'm interested in taking some stop action shots, but before I do that, I need to be able to!

I currently have a Canon Rebel XSi 18-55mm Lens, and I know how to set shutter speed, and aperture and such, but I've yet to be successful in a non-blurry shot.

I was wondering if someone could help me out here.

I am not sure what shutter speed I should set when inside/outside.

Thanks!

Depends what action you're trying to stop. Action freeze is entirely due to shutter speed - it has to be high.

Most ball sports (rugby, football etc) you want at least 1/500th. Some other things you want higher again.

So, it depends what you're trying to freeze but certainly 1/250th or higher for most things.

Also if things are moving you really want the AI Servo focus mode not One Shot. That means it will continually adjust focus onto the object as you track it.

inside is hard unless you have a flash, you need a fast shutter speed, probably 1/40 with a flash at least. without a flash outside, i think something like 1/160 will do the job. of course you have to compensate the fast shutter speed with having an aperture as wide as possible and maybe even cranking up the iso (if you aren't using flash). i am speaking off the top of my head though, so my information might not be 100% correct, but it should give you an idea to start out with... just play around with it more, but keep in mind that the faster the shutter speed, the more likely your fast-moving subject will freeze

Alright perfect.

Let's go for a classic example.

What shutter speed would you recommend for dropping something in a glass of water with indoor lights with a polarized filter?

I would think 1/500 minimum mabe up to 1/1000...crank that ISO!!

And a flash(flashes). Indoor lighting is bad, im a bit confused as to why you'd use a polarised filter indoors but if you do that'll cut even more light out.

So that'd be high shutter speed, wide open and high ISO. And may still not work.

If you want to freeze the water droplets/substance, your going to need decent lighting like, halogen downlights or a spotlight at least. Otherwise you will need to CRANK the ISO up to at least 800minimum i'm guessing, most probably higher.

You will need a shutter speed of around 1/1000th-1/2000th from when i have previously tried it. Use the widest aperture you can, which i think is 3.5 and possibly use manual focus or pre focus on the spot where you want to take the photo. Also, ditch the CPL until you get the hang of it, as it will cut out around 2-3 stops of light as well.

Post your results!

Alright thanks everyone!

I'll take a crack at it tomorrow, getting late here.

Make sure to remove polarizing filter.
It doesn’t benefit this type of shots, but it reduces light by 1 to 2 stops.

Hermeto wrote in post #7202904
Make sure to remove polarizing filter.
It doesn’t benefit this type of shots, but it reduces light by 1 to 2 stops.

Correct.

Also, I don't like using ISO 1600 on the XSi unless I have to. ISO 800 looks good, but going to 1600 is a bit noisy if you can avoid it.

For the type of shot you describe I think you'll find that flash will give you the greatest flexibility. As well as giving you a pulse of light that will "freeze" the action, you'll have enough light to allow use of a narrow aperture in order to get a good depth of field, and still use a low ISO.

If you are trying to track and freeze models on a runway in indoor lighting what shutter speed would you recommend?

oval291 wrote in post #7203787
If you are trying to track and freeze models on a runway in indoor lighting what shutter speed would you recommend?

Not to be a smarta**, but I'd recommend reading up on proper exposure so that you can put that new 5D2 to some good use.

We don't know what the light conditions are. You need to make the decision about shutter speed based on what light is present and how fast the models are moving. The great thing about digital is that you can chimp your shots a few times to see if the shutter speed you are using is adequate enough for the lighting conditions and for stopping motion.

1/8000

oval291 wrote in post #7203787
If you are trying to track and freeze models on a runway in indoor lighting what shutter speed would you recommend?

egordon99 wrote in post #7204733
1/8000

1/8000 can almost freeze shotgun pellets in mid air. Just a small blur.

Been there done that, hardest part is timing the shot!

Remember there is a fine line between freezing action and keeping it looking natural. Think water falls or fountains.
Too much shutter speed and you have little balls floating in air.
Too little and you have a motion effect.