Finally getting the 7D dialed in for basketball - GREAT results!

ChrisK10 wrote in post #9571426
Dave

I used center point focus for the last two games and I didn't see a difference in keeper rate. The only thing I would have to get used to is when I was trying to frame two players side by side. I focused on the team I was shooting, but then the photo didn't always come out centered. Oh well live and learn. After all this is all a big journey for me and I'm loving every minute of it.

Chris

Chris:

Good to know that yours works as advertised. Mine will likely be going back to Canon for a look-see and hopefully a fix. I was using centerpoint on shots like the two players during foul shots. Neither player was in focus in 9/10 tries. No idea WHERE the focus was but not on the player where the centerpoint was clearly pointed; not on the crowd behind and there was nothing between the players and the lens to grab onto either. The camera just missed accurate focus for whatever reason.

Something definitely out of whack with centerpoint only focusing on my 7D.

dave

snyderman wrote in post #9574170
Olly:

Absolutely NONE! The high ISO performance on the 7D is incredibly good. No NR on any of the shots! All processing, and minimal, was done in DPP only. Just crop, adjust contrast/brightness and sharpness.

dave

nice one dave, im now wondering if my 7d has more noise than normal !!!

Olly_K1 wrote in post #9574222
nice one dave, im now wondering if my 7d has more noise than normal !!!

uh-oh! Hopefully this isn't opening a can of worms for another 7D owner!

Usually shoot at ISO 2500 in the home gym and haven't done any NR on those, either.

Just be sure to get proper exposure. Underexposing usually leads to very visible noise the the images. Do what you have to with regard to ISO, but defintely expose the shots well enough to keep the noise in check.

dave

Thanks again, I do try to overexpose a little when using high iso's. Im gonna do some test shots I think over the weekend. im 99% sure there's nothing wrong with the camera

Interesting comparison between my 7D and my 40D at a soccer match under floodlights. Both set at AV mode, both aiming at a minimum of 1/500 sec shutter speed. The 40D was pushed to 1600 ISO to achieve the desired shutter speed whilst the 7D needed to hit 6400 to reach the same shutter speed.
As I've already mentioned elsewhere the AI servo was already suspect as was the noise even at 800 ISO. Mines been back 3 weeks now and I'm waiting for either a fix or replacement.

Red Dog wrote in post #9574473
Interesting comparison between my 7D and my 40D at a soccer match under floodlights. Both set at AV mode, both aiming at a minimum of 1/500 sec shutter speed. The 40D was pushed to 1600 ISO to achieve the desired shutter speed whilst the 7D needed to hit 6400 to reach the same shutter speed.
As I've already mentioned elsewhere the AI servo was already suspect as was the noise even at 800 ISO. Mines been back 3 weeks now and I'm waiting for either a fix or replacement.

Something doesn't sound right there. Having replaced a 50D for the 7D, first time out shooting basketball I used pretty much the same settings. Actually, was able to LOWER the ISO on the 7D from the 50D settings to get similar shutter speeds.

the biggest improvements in shooting basketball with the 7D over the 50D is the WB is nearly perfect straight from the camera and the noise levels are pretty much non-existent.

Now that I've got a focus 'work-around' going on with the 7D, the results are pretty good!

Hope things work out with yours. Finickey little ba&tard's, aren't they?!!!

dave

dave

Wow Dave those are great. I am guessing the great lighting had a HUGE role is this, no? I will definitely try the other focusing mode and see what I can turn up.

awesome lighting...beats the heck out of some of the caves I been shooting in lately. Nice job !

43 North wrote in post #9578893
Wow Dave those are great. I am guessing the great lighting had a HUGE role is this, no? I will definitely try the other focusing mode and see what I can turn up.

Thanks 43 North. Appreciate the kind words. Lighting was everything. Gym is only 2 years old, I believe. The lights had flat-bottomed, cone shaped reflectors pointing back up to a very white ceiling which bounds the light very evenly throughout the entire venue. I was shooting f/2, ISO 2000 and 1/800 in this place!

Nothing like the usual dungeon gyms I usually shoot in! Needed some shots in our team's away (red) jerseys, so went to shoot in a snowstorm! Slow ride home that night!

dave

SBK1 wrote in post #9579059
awesome lighting...beats the heck out of some of the caves I been shooting in lately. Nice job !

No what you mean. Our home gym is 'ok' at best! However, we have three nearly new gyms in conference high schools that I go to so I can get a) better shots than at home; b) the kids in their road red jerseys.

The posted shots were from Tallmadge HS. The other two newer gyms with GREAT lighting are Highland (Medina) and Barberton.

Our kids are getting a new high-school (and gym!) for the 2012 school year ... one year after my son graduates! Great ....

dave

WOW nice shots Dave! That 7D and the 85mm 1.8 is a great combo!

Sweet! 2, 6 and 7 are awesome!

LTZ470 wrote in post #9583246
WOW nice shots Dave! That 7D and the 85mm 1.8 is a great combo!

Yeah, now that I'm using your centerpoint expanded focus mode recommendation!

Thanks again!

dave

mckinleypics wrote in post #9583257
Sweet! 2, 6 and 7 are awesome!

Thanks Dave! And yeah, I love shooting Prescott, (#22) because of his awesome 'gameface' he has going on. He looks tough when he's playing but he's really a shy, quiet and reserved kid anywhere else.

dave

Nice job....keep up the good work.