70-200 IS and hockey

Shooting some hockey tomorrow, using 70-200 IS 2.8 (MK1) on a 5D. Plan to shoot at iso 1600 and using center point focus, probably AI Servo focus mode. Should I even bother leaving IS on when I'm shooting or don't bother? Will it slow the focus down at all? They are 6 years old and under so the hockey won't be that fast so hopefully I can get some sharp shots with 1/500 sec.

IS is pretty useless if you're shooting shutter speeds that fast. IS is supposed to reduce camera shake, and you won't suffer any at shutter speeds that fast. Turn it off.

Sounds good to me.

First off, IS will assist you a small bit if you are hand holding even at higher speeds. But if you are putting it on a monopod you are best to turn it off.

Also for 6 year olds 1/500 is going to be plenty fast if you can get it.

The 5D and your 70-200 f/2.8 will be a very good combo to get for hockey photos.

Also a small hint for getting your WB correct.

Take a shot of the ice anywhere there isn't any lines or advertising right before the zam does it's resurface and try and get a "spike" on your Histogram right smack dab in the middle for your exposure with that shot.

Use it as your Custom WB and your ice won't come out yellowish. It's a great trick to use if you don't have a grey card or the AWB in the camera get's thrown off by the different lights throughout the rink.

I think your biggest trick is to get photos of kids not grouped up in a bunch around the puck!

Ross

carloman wrote in post #11348402
Shooting some hockey tomorrow, using 70-200 IS 2.8 (MK1) on a 5D. Plan to shoot at iso 1600 and using center point focus, probably AI Servo focus mode. Should I even bother leaving IS on when I'm shooting or don't bother? Will it slow the focus down at all? They are 6 years old and under so the hockey won't be that fast so hopefully I can get some sharp shots with 1/500 sec.

ISO1600, f/2.8 and 1/500 sound like a very well lit arena. Most of the places I see that 6-year olds play in are 1 to 2 stops darker than that.

JeffreyG wrote in post #11348822
ISO1600, f/2.8 and 1/500 sound like a very well lit arena. Most of the places I see that 6-year olds play in are 1 to 2 stops darker than that.

That's what I was going to say. Around here, 1/400 f/2.8 and ISO 6400 are pretty much as good as it gets!

metalman1010 wrote in post #11348805
Also a small hint for getting your WB correct.

Take a shot of the ice anywhere there isn't any lines or advertising right before the zam does it's resurface and try and get a "spike" on your Histogram right smack dab in the middle for your exposure with that shot.

Use it as your Custom WB and your ice won't come out yellowish. It's a great trick to use if you don't have a grey card or the AWB in the camera get's thrown off by the different lights throughout the rink.

What a great tip! Thanks for sharing that one.

Get to the rink early and acquire the custom white balance off of the ice before the Zamboni cuts the ice for the game. The snow gives a better color cast of the lights than a freshly cut sheet of ice. Diffuse vs specular source - all that stuff.

Also, it sounds like you are planning on shooting manual, whick is the only way to go for hockey. My son plays midget and most rinks he plays in are dark caves. I'm lucky to get 3200, 2.8 at 1/500. I skipped the IS when I bought my 70-200 since my primary goal for that lens was for my son's hockey.

Have fun.

Thanks everyone for the great advice! I really like the whitebance tip. I was planning to shoot raw but maybe this way I can nail the color!

Definitely shoot RAW and shoot in manual so that your light meter doesn't get thrown off by the ref's black pants or something.

I have shot in two hockey rinks (once for an adult league game and once for a church broomball session) and it is challenging even with a fast prime and ISO 1600.

I am guessing that you'll have to bump the exposure slider up on a lot of your photos when you look at them in post.

I've also used the white plastic surface of the boards for a WB (in post processing with Lightroom).

The white of sweaters (players and refs) can also be used as a check on WB in PP. That being said, I always shoot RAW.

Glenn

Thanks for that great whitebalance tip and all the great advice! I can't believe how simple it was to get great color in that rink. Here are some pics all with 5D classic, custom white balance from rink ice, 70-200 IS@ 2.8 in AV mode, iso 1600 overexposed by 1 stop no sharpening

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some more

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last one and thanks for all the help everyone.

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