Best Sports Camera

Wilson - Cameata has offered me a solution. I bought the factory demo D2H for 1499 - I have 3 weeks to try the camera out -if not satisfied I can return it for full creidt and then I can buy the D200. Happy New Years !

I have to say I agree with Wilson Tsoi that 3fps isn't sufficient to "capture the moment".

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I have used both a Canon 10D (3fps) and more recently, a Canon 5D (also 3fps), and I have far better success anticipating and waiting for the "right moment", then capturing the photo. Here are some comments on shooting gymnastics and soccer:

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This fall/winter, I've taken lots of gymnastics photos, and found that for most events, conducted in dimly lit gymnasiums, I was shooting at ISO800 (on the 5D), with either a 50mm f/1.4 or 100mmf/2.8 from the judges table...and it paid to know the routines, and to anticipate the moment when the gymnast reversed direction and was momentarily motionless. For gymnastics, I'd shoot individual shots (much more successfully than just letting the camera blast away!), and use either manual focus (for some events like vault) or predictive auto-focus for other events (floor exercises), or "single-shot" focus, held at a specific focus point for others (rings, P-bars, Pommel).

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For sports with rapidly changing focus distances (e.g. soccer), I've found that I'm most successful shooting with predictive autofocus, and a specifically selected focus point (I don't let the camera decide which focus point to use!)...and image stabilization (mode2) on my Canon 100-400 f/4.5-5.6. I also don't let the camera "blast away" but rather decide specifically when to take the photo. With soccer, it takes a lot of shots to get a few really great ones! Wide-open aperture (e.g. f4.5-5.6) provides nice selective focus on the 5D...little too much depth-of-field on the 10D. I'd prefer f/2.8 to f/5.6...specifically to give better selective focus.

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I lust after f/2.8 telephotos...there is never enough light! Gymnastics has proven especially tough to photograph, though I've done pretty well...but almost everything (except the awards ceremony) has been shot with my 50mm f1.4.

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Richard Mitchell

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<a href="http://www.touchinglightphotography.com">Touching Light Photography </a>

Roland:

 

What flash are you using for Basketball games? Your shots look great! Any regulations against flash (there are for gymnastics!).

 

Richard Mitchell

Hi Richard, I use 2 White-Lightning Ultra 600's. I put one on each corner of the court on the side that I am shooting. That covers me for half court. I aim the strobes roughly at the top of the key. Strobes are pointed directly at court in those images. Sometimes I bounce off the ceiling. I like both bouncing and direct but the direct gives me a sharper image and the colors pop more. And I can shoot at a lower ISO with direct. Those shots were 200ISO f/4. This was my first time lighting basketball and I think I did OK. Oh, and no one complained about the flashes going off.

Ron

I personally own a Nikon D70 and have used it on several occasions for photographing my

brother's soccer games. It works just fine. No matter what camera you get, you should

practice with it and also learn the rules of the sports that you will be shooting, so that you

will be able to anticipate where the action is going to be. Without this ability, it does not

matter how many fps your camera shoots, you will miss shots. This technique with soccer

is easy to implement: simply follow the ball, that is usually where the best action is going

to be. One last piece of advice: Invest in some reading materials on the subject. I

personally have a book on sports photography called "Digital Sports Photography" by G.

Newman Lowrance. It goes through everything, from equipment to where to set up for the

most dramatic shots. I know this is probably more info than you needed, but hope it

helps. Feel free to email me for more help. Post some pictures after you take them.

Kyle

Roland-

 

Thanks for your answer regarding your use of flash at basketball games!

 

Richard