topic Re: sports settings in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

sports settings

jrtf — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 20:31:00 GMT

Hi - I am new to sports photography. Can anyone give me some suggested settings on action shots for cloudy or early evening hours? I am going to a football game friday and was asked to take pics of a friends son. I have a rebel xi and a tamron 18-270 lens

Re: sports settings

ScottyP — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 02:51:28 GMT

I would use TV mode. It is shutter priority mode, meaning you set a shutter speed fast enough to freeze the action and the camera will set the aperture to match. If you cannot get enough light to make a good exposure at the necessary shutter speed even with the camera opening the lens up to its max aperture then you have to increase ISO until you have a decent exposure.

For football action shots, I'd say you at least 1/400th of a second shutter speed, if not faster. Check your shots to see if your shutter is fast enough to freeze your action.

Re: sports settings

ScottyP — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 09:59:46 GMT

Also:

The autofocus mode should be AI FOCUS. The autofocus will track the subject continuously when it is moving but will settle when he is not.

The shooting mode should be CONTINUOUS so it will fire off a burst if you hold the shutter button down.

I would leave leave white balance on auto.

Re: sports settings

cicopo — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 12:22:35 GMT

Agree with above but you also need to set the AF to AI Servo. I have owned & shot action with that lens in good light but it may not be great in low light.

Re: sports settings

ebiggs1 — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 14:16:04 GMT

The Tamron 18-270mm is a decent lens for what it is. Especially the newer version. But it is likely way too slow at focusing for sports. All these super zoom range lenses are slow to focus. Even in good light, let alone poor like. Like an evening football game at the typical high school field.

I almost never, to always never, use auto WB or auto ISO. So, I don't recommend you do so either. I assume you have a Rebel XSI ? With that lens you are going to need a pretty high ISO anyway. I will guess 1600. Set your WB to whatever type lights your school uses.

Another consideration is where you stand or where you shoot from. Are you located in the stands or are you allowed on the field and up close? The end zome or the side line? It makes a big difference.

There are two ways to go at this. AV and TV. In Av the camera will select the highest SS it can. You lock the lens at its widest aperture or whatever. Or, TV, where you select a SS you can live with and the camera will select the correct aperture. Both have their advantanges and disadvantages.

For your first time out I would not use AI-Servo. Use One Shot. Learn the ropes first. Better yet can you go ahead of time and try on some willing subjects?

Lastly the best thing you can do is to shoot RAW. Not jpegs. Far more ability to edit and adjust the photos after the fact with RAW.

Re: sports settings

ebiggs1 — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 14:22:03 GMT

I can not emphasize enough to shoot RAW. The Tamron 18-270mm shows huge amounts of CA especially at the long end. This can be dealt with in post editing far better with a RAW file opposed to a jpg. It also has large amounts of pincushion distortion that also can be dealt with to a degree in post editing.

Let us know how you do.

Re: sports settings

ScottyP — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 04:41:07 GMT

+100 on shooting RAW

I almost said to do so but didn't considering you'd need to process all the Raw images and get a program to do so, and it went beyond your question.

Re: sports settings

jrtf — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 13:25:36 GMT

Thank you to you all. This lens is brand new and if I don't like it can take it back. Is there something else I should look at? I want an all around purpose lens as my child has a couple more years of lacrosse and then not sure what I will use action/zoom regularly for.

100+ RAW? I normally shoot in raw but not sure what the 100+ is

I have lightroom and elements for photoediting but am also looking into other options for that.

Thanks fo much for the help - fingers are crossed.

Re: sports settings

ebiggs1 — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 13:41:44 GMT

100+ just means Scotty and I both prefer RAW files over jpg,....most of the time.

If you have PS Elements that is all you really need. MPO, is Lightroom is better but it dosen't do as much. If you use either, the conversion should be un-noticed.

But if you don't know how to use the software, RAW is probably not worth it. Because it imposes the recorded settings the camera used. They do not get saved or do they alter the original RAW file. This is a huge difference between the two. Plus jpg's are squeezed each time you save it. Never save one if you didn't edit it.

The photo below was pretty under-exposed but shot in RAW. It was cloudy and raining but RAW helped pull it out. Even had the adjustment to get some detail in all the extremely dark areas.

As to your desire for a different and better lens, what is your budget? I always tell folks that are inquiring suggestions on pohotography gear, remember your son if only this age once. After this it is lost forever!

But mostly learn to use LR and/or Elements and shoot RAW.

Re: sports settings

jrtf — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 14:44:37 GMT

Thanks - sounds like I have what I need just continue on working through the learning curve. I got the lens for $350 and would likely cap an investment around $500 which I know is not much when it comes to lens purchasing. But if there is something better that I can afford I can just return this one.

Re: sports settings

ebiggs1 — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 14:56:48 GMT

Are you opposed to buying used or refurbished? You could probably stay pretty close to the $500 price point. Maybe just a tad bit more. Canon "L" glass is a very good buy on the used market. Third party lenses not so much, so beware.

From what you have it will not be difficult to get better lenses. Sorry to be so blunt but a $350 dollar lens is just that a $350 dollar lens.

Re: sports settings

cicopo — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 21:14:25 GMT

Before I make my recommendation I do want to point out I have owned & shot the original version of the Tamron 18-270 & got good results shooting action & this summer I borrowed (from a friend who had just bought it) the new version to shoot on my 7D2. I had a hard time telling which I shot with the Tamron & which were from my L series lens when viewed on a high quality 24 inch monitor & they could very easily have been sent for publishing even after cropping. That said it wouldn't be my low light lens on any body so I'd recommend looking at the Canon 70-200 f4 L (the non IS) as a start or a prime that's even faster than f4. Otherwise your AF will struggle on action when the light goes away.

Re: sports settings

ebiggs1 — Sat, 26 Sep 2015 13:27:46 GMT

"Otherwise your AF will struggle on action when the light goes away."

It is one of the slowest focusing lenses ever tried. Definitely not a good choice for poor light or sports. When its good it is OK but when it's not, it's not. IMHO, of course.