Canon EOS Rebel T5 settings

[Raelene1]

I use my camera to shoot a lot of my sons football games and started out using the sports mode and I did get some good shots but when it came to the important one my pictures are blurry and out of focus. I have researched and tried other settings and still nothing. Last night's game I took over 1,200 pictures of which only 300 were actually worth keeping. Can someone please help me out with what settings I need to use to get nicer action shots.

[ebiggs1]

I am going to respectively reject most of what John Hoffman suggests and recommends. The problem here with the first two responders is they are advanced and they think everybody is at that level.  Sometimes they get 'testie' when beginners and others don't see exactly what they are suggesting.

I work with beginners a lot so here is what I am suggesting you do.  As someone already stated nighttime football is a challeneg to shoot.  You will not get 100% of your shots. 

OK now for the goodies.  Where you shoot from is the single most important part of this whole thing.  If you are in the bleachers  get as close to the field as possible, on the field if even better. 

Set the T5 to Av not Tv. Select the most open aperture of your lens such as f4 if possible but whatever is the fastest.  Set your ISO to 1600 although be prepared to go up, 3200 or down 800, if need be. At this point don't use auto ISO unless you limit it to these values. Select and use just the center focus point. Do not use all of them or even a few of them. Just the center. Use One Shot not Ai-servo.  One shot is best for now.

When using Av as opposed to Tv, the T5 will select the fastest SS possible for correct exposure.  There may be some blurry shots but at least you get one.  You are at a big disadvantage with the lens you are using since it is pretty slow. Keep that in mind. Shooting from the bleachers is also a disadvantage. Nobody gets every shot, not even the pros with the best of equipment. 

Good luck Friday night and please come back and let me know how you did. One more thing, kido, you have to learn to walk before you learn to run. All the advanced featuers will come in due time.

[ebiggs1]

"I wouldn't consider 1/500 fast enough for sports/action. I recommend at least 1/1000."

Of course I would be in favor of the fastest SS possible but, 1/500 is fast enough to stop most human actions.  There is a rule that is commonly applied to tele lenses.  It says to use the reciprocal of the FL.  Example you have a 300mm lens you need a SS of 1/300.  You can use 1/250 or better 1/500 since most cameras don't have 1/300. The T5 is a little more complicated because it has a 1.6x crop factor associated with it.  You must multiply each number by that 1.6x factor.  I.E. 300mm becomes 480mm (300 x 1.6) and the recip becomes 1/400 up to 1/800.  Here again most cameras do not have SS with that exact number so 1/500 for the lowest and 1/1000 is better. These a very basic and generalities and are not hard fast rules. All rules are made to be broken, Right?

[Waddizzle]

"Set the T5 to Av not Tv. Select the most open aperture of your lens such as f4 if possible but whatever is the fastest.  Set your ISO to 1600 although be prepared to go up, 3200 or down 800, if need be. At this point don't use auto ISO unless you limit it to these values. Select and use just the center focus point. Do not use all of them or even a few of them. Just the center. Use One Shot not Ai-servo.  One shot is best for now."

Good luck following all of that.

[ebiggs1]

"Set the T5 to Av not Tv. Select the most open aperture of your lens such as f4 if possible but whatever is the fastest.  Set your ISO to 1600 although be prepared to go up, 3200 or down 800, if need be. At this point don't use auto ISO unless you limit it to these values. Select and use just the center focus point. Do not use all of them or even a few of them. Just the center. Use One Shot not Ai-servo.  One shot is best for now."

"Good luck following all of that."

The OP will have a better chance following that than all the other "recommendations" made. 

[Waddizzle]

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@ebiggs1 wrote:

"Set the T5 to Av not Tv. Select the most open aperture of your lens such as f4 if possible but whatever is the fastest.  Set your ISO to 1600 although be prepared to go up, 3200 or down 800, if need be. At this point don't use auto ISO unless you limit it to these values. Select and use just the center focus point. Do not use all of them or even a few of them. Just the center. Use One Shot not Ai-servo.  One shot is best for now."

"Good luck following all of that."

The OP will have a better chance following that than all the other "recommendations" made. 

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BREAKING NEWS:  You are the only one who posted specific instructions.  I am not sure if the OP speaks photography, yet.

[ebiggs1]

You have just refreshed my decision to 'ignore' you.

[John_SD]

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@ebiggs1 wrote:

I am going to respectively reject most of what John Hoffman suggests and recommends. The problem here with the first two responders is they are advanced and they think everybody is at that level.  Sometimes they get 'testie'... 

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Ernie, I must confess I always get a good laugh out of your postings. Don't ever change! 🙂

[ebiggs1]

"I must confess I always get a good laugh out of your postings."

It's a gift. 

[Raelene1]

Should I leave the ISO on auto or change it?

[jrhoffman75]

As alluded to above there is something called Exposure Triangle. Exposure is controlled by shutter speed, lens opening (f/stop) and ISO.

If you select shutter speed (Tv) then you are left with two variables (aperture and ISO).

If you manually select ISO the camera will open up the lens to a wider and wider f/stop util it is max open. But it may be too dark for proper exposure even under those conditions.

Auto ISO will start increasing the ISO higher and higher once lens is max open.

Under your night conditions you should use Auto ISO.