EOS Rebel T7 nighttime soccer photos coming out dark and noisy

[Lkcphotos31]

Hello! I am currently in the middle of shooting soccer games for the night time winter season and my photos have been coming out very noisy and dark which leads to hours of editing. I am currently using a rebel t7 with a borrowed 100-400 4.5-5.6. I’m looking to upgrade to a mirroless camera in the future but for now do you think I should rent a 70-200 f2.8 or some sort of canon mirrorless camera . Which do you think would be more beneficial to me? Thanks for your help! 

[stevet1]

Lkcphotos31,

When you shoot your soccer games, what settings do you use on your camera?

And, are the fields brightly lit, or dimly lit?

Steve Thomas

[rs-eos · Accepted solution]

While an f/2.8 aperture can help, the 70-200 would be a problem if you're using your 100-400mm beyond the 200mm focal length.   So I'd first check your photos to see what focal lengths were used.  If they are all around say 240mm or less, the 70-200mm would do well.

However, that lens wouldn't dramatically be reducing ISO.  At most, two stops.   Though since you also say that your images are dark, I believe you'd be finding that you wouldn't really be able to reduce ISO.

e.g. say one of your dark images was captured at f/5.6, and ISO 12800 (assuming you're keeping a fixed shutter to either freeze the action or add a bit of motion blur).  If this image is 1-stop underexposed, an f/2.8 lens (which gives two extra stops of light-gathering) would not give you the correct exposure, but you'd still need to be at IOS 6400.

Going forward, yes, you'd need a much better performing camera in terms of its ISO performance.  You'd still find the nee to use high ISO values, but the amount of actual noise at those values will be far less on a modern camera compared to your Rebel T7.

[Tintype_18]

Lens speed? As mentioned, list all the settings so a solution can be made. I have a T7 and love it...especially when I price the newer cameras. Then I kiss it.

[ebiggs1]

First before you buy any new lens change your shooting style to raw format. Get a post editor like DPP4 which is free form Canon. You can d/l it from the web site.

As Ricky accurately pointed out a faster, low f-number, lens can help, it is of limited help. Shooting raw and DPP4 can get you those two stops all by itself for free. If that helps then consider a faster lens which can also get you two stops. Now you are talking with a 4 stop advantage.

The noise is a function of high ISO numbers. ISO has to be reduced if noise is the main most important thing to reduce. There is a fine line as to whether noise or exposure is king. Remember all photography gear has its limits and at some point you will reach it.

On a reasonably lighted soccer field an ef 100-400 4.5-5.6 lens along with a reasonably high ISO number and raw and DPP4 should get you decent results. IMHO, I would use Av mode and set the lens wide open. Choose a fairly high ISO number say 1600-3200 to start, may have change it later. This will tell the T7 to set the correct SS for correct exposure. Use One Shot and just the center focus point with the lens set to AF. We are hoping for a SS in the 1/500 or faster if possible.

You can try Auto ISO but set lower and upper limits you can live with. Most if not all the pro sports photographers have gone to Auto ISO. Its a good idea to imitate what they do.

[Lkcphotos31]

I do shoot raw but I have a mac book and cant seem to find a download for DPP4.