sports settings

[jrtf]

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

[ScottyP]

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.

[ScottyP]

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. 

[cicopo]

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.

[ebiggs1]

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.

[ebiggs1]

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.  

[ScottyP]

+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. 

[jrtf]

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.

[ebiggs1]

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. 

[jrtf]

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.