EOS 600D Advice for nighttime sports photos

[Panthergreen]

Hello, I've got an old EOS 600D with an efs 55-250mm lens which I've started using for my kids sports photos. The oldest has started playing at night time under lights which are pretty bright but I know from my previous Nikon that taking photos turn out blurry etc. What are some settings I can try to get some decent shots? I know there are much better cameras and lenses out there but this is all I can afford at the moment. Thanks in advance.

[Panthergreen]

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10161710536581763&type=3

Here's a facebook link that hopefully works with the RAW files

I've also snipped the info from one of the pics too

[deebatman316]

There isn't EXIF (metadata) with these pictures. They also appear to been have converted from RAW to JPEG. If you have Google Drive you could share them that way with a link.

[wq9nsc]

Your shutter speed is WAY too slow for action sports!  I try to stay at 1/800 minimum but with a f4 lens you will have to go lower but 1/500 is marginal shutter speed for any fast moving sport and anything much slower is just going to be motion blur. 

I shoot RAW files in manual mode (shutter speed set fast enough to freeze motion, lens wide open (lowest aperture number), and ISO set to auto to complete the exposure triangle.

These were from senior night boys' soccer shot at night on a field with OK but not great lighting @ 1/1,000 shutter speed using a f2.8 glass and camera bodies that handle high ISO very well.  You are using a f4 lens and a camera with lesser high ISO capability so your shutter speed will be below optimal but it has to be MUCH faster than what you used for those photos to freeze motion.

Rodger

1DX Mark II, EF 70-200 f2.8, 1/1000, f2.8, ISO 10,0001DX III, EF 400 f2.8, 1/1000, f2.8, ISO 10,0001DX Mark II, EF 70-200 f2.8, 1/1000, f2.8, ISO 12,800

[deebatman316]

The OP's lens is a variable aperture lens F/4-5.6 so the more they zoom the less light enters the camera. The OP will most definitely have to push the ISO to ISO 1600 or ISO 3200 (if available) a lot of older cameras like my EOS 40D had a max of ISO 1000. Then the expanded ISO range was ISO 1600 (H1) and ISO (3200) (H2). It also depends on how far the OP is away from the action. They may not have to zoom in as much decreases the maximum aperture.

[Panthergreen]

Thanks everyone, I'll be at another game this Friday so will continue practicing, clearly the shutter speed is an issue, I thought I had it set much faster but it mustn't have been...

[ebiggs1]

" If you have Google Drive you could share them that way with a link."

To what end they won't look any different except to be much larger files. The issue is oblivious. 

[deebatman316]

I wanted to look at the EXIF Data to see what settings they used. The OP later edited their post to include a screenshot of the EXIF Data. But the slow shutter speed is causing the pictures to be out of focus.

[ebiggs1]

I am going to repeat this advice.

" Make sure you use raw and you have a photo editor like DPP4."

It is you best course for better photos. Along with that reset the camera first off. Do it now, complete reset which means clearing all custom settings, too. After reset, set it to Av mode. ISO 1600 or 3200. WB doesn't matter as it can be set in DPP4 as many other settings can be. Use One shot and just the center focus point, turn the others off. Never use Ai-servo. With these settings the camera will select the fastest SS it can for proper exposure relieving you from that setting. Good luck.

[Architect1776]

Take photos setting your ISO higher and higher until it reaches a point where noise is unacceptable to you. 

That becomes your working ISO. Always keep your aperture wide open and set the shutter as high as you can with the highest ISO. under field lights or indoor lights the light will be consistent.