Shooting Basketball - Best Recommended Equipment

<p>Thanks - That's great - have fun.</p>

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<p>This will be my first venture with 2 bodies</p>

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<p>Driving two bodies is relatively easy once you get the knack, just take it easy the first night out and think it through before hand, especially how you are going to sling them. <br>

I would wrap the smaller lens / camera on a wrist strap and sling the telephoto around my neck I let the smaller lens/camera drop off my wrist and dangle whilst I am using the telephoto.<br>

This is hard on the forearm sometimes but it suits me - it doesn't suit everyone - so I suggest you have a play with a few alternatives.<br>

I recall a few threads about shooting with two cameras or managing two cameras on the Wedding Forum - you might want to search for those – perhaps there are some here on the Sports Forum too.<br>

Good Luck<br>

PS here are some – I don’t know how relevant to your situation - just the first few as my search result:<br>

<a href="../wedding-photography-forum/00TpeK">http://www.photo.net/wedding-photography-forum/00TpeK</a><br>

<a href="../wedding-photography-forum/00TpbK">http://www.photo.net/wedding-photography-forum/00TpbK</a><br>

<a href="../wedding-photography-forum/00XcGi">http://www.photo.net/wedding-photography-forum/00XcGi</a></p>

<p>WW</p>

<p>I've shot some high school basketball and last night shot college basketball (University of Iowa - Carver H. Arena) from down on the court. Here's my 2c.<br>

<em>First off, I find that using flash while on the court or near the court is tasteless. </em> The players don't want it. If you can't take low light action photos without flash then step aside and buy faster lenses - or bump up the ISO, turn off the flash and do some noise reduction at home!<br>

<strong>Lenses I use for High school basketball in old gyms: </strong> 35 1.8, 50 1.4, 85 1.4. I don't have a 30 1.4 lens (Sigma) but if I did I would use it. There's no way I can use a 2.8 lens in a high school gym. Nothing slower than a 1.8 is going to touch my Nikon body. I bounce between the 3 lenses above. I shoot for 12 minutes with each of them and enjoy the different perspectives. Try and shoot with a 2.8 lens and you'll be cussing at your $1000+ purchase.<br>

<strong>Lenses I use for College basketball in fantastic arenas (like the Univ of Iowa): </strong>same as above (35 1.8, 50 1.4 and 85 1.4) plus a 28-75 2.8 ...and if I feel like lugging it around - the 70-200 2.8. Now these arenas can handle 2.8 with no problem. It's easy to shoot at 1/160th at 5.0 with an ISO of 1000 or 1200. Heck - that's almost as easy as outdoor soccer! Most other press pass photographers were using 70-200 2.8. Not me - too heavy - even with the VR lens option - of which most of them didn't have. And if you're courtside - you don't need 200mm unless you're trying to capture action on the opposite end of the court.<br>

<strong>If I had to take one lens to shoot indoor basketball in both poor light and great light? </strong> Give me my <strong>50mm 1.4</strong> and I'll bring you back some wonderful photos everytime....and the lens is light enough to manage without extra blur from the weight.<br>

Here's a couple images from the High School games:<br>

Photo below:<br>

Model: <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/view?q=&psc=G&filter=1&camera=NIKON D300">NIKON D300</a> with the Sigma 50mm 1.4 lens<br />ISO: <em>500</em><br />Exposure: <em>1/250 sec</em><br />Aperture: <em>1.6</em><br />Focal Length: <em>50mm</em><br />Flash Used: <em>No</em><br>

<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_afopmc_EnDc/TQugVmbXFvI/AAAAAAAAOy8/mK5edh6Oc54/s512/20101130Davis%20Bball_4972.JPG" alt="" width="342" height="512" /><br>

Photo below:<br>

Model: <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/view?q=&psc=G&filter=1&camera=NIKON D90">NIKON D90</a> with the new Sigma 85mm 1.4 lens<br />ISO: <em>1000</em><br />Exposure: <em>1/125 sec</em><br />Aperture: <em>4.0</em><br />Focal Length: <em>85mm</em><br>

Flash Used: <em>No</em><br /><br /><br>

<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_afopmc_EnDc/TUOVTpTDNDI/AAAAAAAAQb8/22q9fx2F_Fk/s512/2011-01-18%20Basketball_0390_filtered%20pc01.jpg" alt="" width="342" height="512" /></p>

<p>Jeff B - You really brought clarity to my dilemma about fixed vs zoom lenses for this kind of shooting. While I'd love a 28-75, it's just not fast enough for me. I am getting great shots with me 85mm but ache for that wider-angle shot so often. When budget permits, I'm going for a 50mm next. <br>

Thanks for so eloquently helping me figure this out. I agree...nothing slower than a 1.8 is what works great.</p>

<p>You're welcome Robin. I know that you can find some very nice used 50mm 1.8 lens for around $100 in the Nikon world. Not sure about Canon but I assume the same. It's the best $100 you can spend.</p>

<p>whats your budget?????</p>

 

<p>I use several lenses including a Canon 50mm f/1.4, a 85mm f/1.8 and a 70-200mm f/2.8 and a Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8. The Tamron and the Canon 70-200mm lens are the most used unless its a dark gym, then I use the higher speed lenses. I have a Canon 1D Mark III and a 40D. There is no question that the Mark III's faster 10fps is way better than the 40D's 6fps. As I shoot for a local paper, I'm looking for emotion in action, or somthing that can tell a story with just one photo. These lenses get me there, most of the time.<br>

<a rel="nofollow" href="../photo/10949901&size=lg"><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/10949901-md.jpg" border="0" alt="2010 VHSL State Basketball Championships-9" width="477" height="700" /></a><br />VHSL Championship game. Copyright @2009 Marcus J. Wilson Sr.</p>