Sorry 1D MK4 and 1D MK3. I typically ise a 16-35mm 1:2.8L I have an 85 1.2L but because of how the events are layes out I need the flexebility of a wide angle zoom when close. If I am in the stands I can use a prime but the 85mm requires too much croping in afterwards and makes the problem worse. My bugger zoom is a 4.5-5.6L so that forces me to push the ISO higer. Cant really change my position as I am not the house photographer and I am limitted where I can stand.
I will definetly work on inproving my post processing skills.
Just for illistration I am attacking a jpj that is cropped but not much else as far as post processing...(shot at F3.2 1/640, iso 10,000)
@mgrabow wrote:Sorry 1D MK4 and 1D MK3. I typically ise a 16-35mm 1:2.8L I have an 85 1.2L but because of how the events are layes out I need the flexebility of a wide angle zoom when close. If I am in the stands I can use a prime but the 85mm requires too much croping in afterwards and makes the problem worse. My bugger zoom is a 4.5-5.6L so that forces me to push the ISO higer. Cant really change my position as I am not the house photographer and I am limitted where I can stand.
16-35mm is sorta wide to get many types of sports shots... though it's better on an APS-H camera like yours when you can get as close as in your example. Plus f2.8 is the max aperture it or practically any other zoom provides. At least it's got USM focus, which is fast in most cases. (Don't know what your bigger f4.5-5.6L zoom is, but I would guess it's the 70-300L that has USM and is also fast focusing, though the aperture somewhat limits it to "good light" conditions).
85/1.2L is a wonderful portraiture lens. But even though it's USM, it is not the fastest focusing or most ideal for sports/action. With such an extremely large aperture lens capable of rendering razor thin depth of field, a "long throw" focus mechanism is used to emphasize accuracy, at some cost to speed. This is not typical of USM lenses. They are usually the fastest focusing. For example, the EF 85/1.8 USM is noticeably faster focusing than the 85/1.2L. 85/1.2L II is faster than the original, but still not as fast as the f1.8 lens (which is also a lot smaller and lighter). EF 28/1.8, EF 50/1.4, EF 85/1.8, EF 100/2, EF 135/2L are all very fast focusing USM lenses. So are the EF 70-200/2.8 and 70-200/4 lenses, though they are one or two or even three stops "slower".
Looking at your shot, I don't see that foucs is likely to be your concern, but see another likely problem... the type of lighting being used. I'm guessing it's either flourescent, sodium vapor or mercury vapor. All these types of lighting are quite challenging for most cameras, because the lamps actually cycle on and off at a high rate (120 times per second in the US, 100 hz in some other parts of the world). This "fools" the camera meter and often the white balance as well. Another reason to shoot RAW, to have more latitude to correct missed exposure or white balance. The relatively recently introduced Canon 7DII has a new feature that's said to be able to compensate for this lighting effect. I haven't used it (yet), but if it works reasonably well it might be a real game changer for those of us who get stuck shooting in these types of lighting conditions often.
You should further research and experiment with noise reduction. I've had the good fortune to get some guidance from someone who did a lot of testing with 7D (original) like my cameras, and has provided a lot of info on high ISO work with them. It's a combination of using extra + Exposure Compensation, using a Noiseware plug-in with Photoshop. and with particularly high ISOs even applying different noise reduction in each of the color channels.
At least you can be certain you're getting much better shots than the folks with camera phones, in the background of your sample shot! 
"I was a wedding photographer for years"
Hmm, OK, you should be very well aware of the basics of photography? Right? Just some observations more than actual procedure is:
Your equipment. There isn't any new camera that has significantly better high ISO than your 1D Mk IV. Perhaps the 5D Mk III is slightly better but unlikly very much better to warrant changing. The 1Dx is better but is not grain free, So on this point I am saying stick with the 1D Mk IV as the best choice for you. Probably should give the ole Mk III a rest.
You said the have to crop the 85mm f1.2 but not the 16-35mm? Are you sure about that? And you do know that huge apertures are not generally as sharp as the same focal length lens with a smaller one. And it does make a get deal of difference where you are when you shoot, which could let you get by with a slower shutter or lower ISO. As a wedding photographer you should be aware of that.
All Tim Campbell's reasoning is spot on, as usual, but I am going to add do get Lightroom 5.7. LR 6 is out but knowing Adobe it is best to wait for LR 6.1 before you buy it. Anyhow, LR uses ACR 9 which is absolutely the best RAW converter there is. And RAW is where you should be. NEVER shoot in jpg!
The first thing you should apply is lens correction. After that you can do your sharpening. And remember less is more when you edit. A wedding photographer is well aware of that fact, too. As a wedding photographer for many years myself I am not telling you anything new.
Right, of course right?
