HS Basketball w/ Canon 50mm f/1.4

This is the first time I have been able to get out and shoot some basketball this season. This was the first time I used my 50mm f/1.4 for sports. I liked being able to shoot at 1/640, f/2.5, ISO 2000, but the jury is still out for me whether I like the quality. C&C appreciated.

#1

Thank you for posting these. I've been wanting to see what the 50mm f/1.4 can do. I think its a nice length for basketball as I my 70-200 is too much when close to the action. The pics are nice and can stand a bit of touching up post productions. For example, the color looks a bit green. Now i'm really thinking of getting this lens which is a deal compared to the f/1.2 L.

I shot w/ my 70-200 last year and felt like I got far more keepers than I did w/ the 50 1.4. I liked being able to be under the basket, but I still found myself sitting off to one side in order to get faces in the shot.

To much noise and yellow skin for my taste.

I'm surprised at the depth of field. In one, I can almost read the letters of a sweatshirt of a spectator. I'm a total newbie, but I expected more bokeh.

I'm getting ready to buy my 1st equipment & had tentatively chosen 85mm f/1.8 over the 50mm f/1.4 ... but now I think I'll search for some more 50mm pics to study. Those shots look like you're standing inside the court rather than at the baseline!

Pretty good results, Chris. It's about what I can get in a HS gym with that lens as well. As someone mentioned, might want to work on that WB a bit!

The 85mm f/1.8 is still quickest to focus, but you wouldn't have been able to get the full-body shots as you got with the 50 f/1.4. Both work pretty well, just different.

Also someone mentioned the backgrounds. You'll always get better looking BG with the 85 too. That's been my experience having and shooting both the Canon 50 and 85.

dave

Thanks everyone for the comments. I used a custom WB using an expo disc. I think the problem was at center court there was a row of lights that were different color than the rest of the gym. I tried to fix in post, but I am still trying to learn how to do a better job fixing the pics. I will have another opportunity this week shooting a varsity girls game in the same gym.

Nice job. I tried using the 50mm f/1.4 but it didn't wanna focus fast enough. Now I use the 85mm f/1.8 which is just a tad too tight, frankly, but it focuses much quicker. Too bad the 50 didn't operate like the 85.

I found the same thing with the 50 1.4

I think snyderman nailed it....I have tried both the 50 f/1.4 as well as the 85....the 85 is much faster to focus, but from the same spot on the floor, you can't get the full body shots. It is a give and take profession.

I think I agree with all the comments. I tried using it during another game and didn't get the results I was hoping for.

It seems to me that the 50 gets more of the spirit of the game by capturing full-body and adjacent players... but (looking at other threads), the 85 seems to get a much better "portrait" (1/2 body) shot of an individual player. I've pretty much decided to get the 85 as my first lens - mostly because of comments about faster focus on the 85.

I shoot with the 85mm 1.8 on a T2i body and get a lot of pics out of focus. I am not happy with my combo. Still thinking of getting of upgrading to the 7d.

bubbygator wrote in post #11845146
It seems to me that the 50 gets more of the spirit of the game by capturing full-body and adjacent players... but (looking at other threads), the 85 seems to get a much better "portrait" (1/2 body) shot of an individual player.

Yep. It's an individual choice. Personally I'd rather get eyes and face in focus, even if it's a tighter shot (with the 85). Other may prefer the 50.

A couple of similar shots, one with the 50mm f/1.4 and the next with 85mm f.1.8. Judge for yourself the output of each. Different results, but both will work shooting HS basketball.

50mm f.1.4 at f/2, 1/640 and ISO 2500