Football Photography and D700...

<p>I am going to be taking photos at a Western Mass Warriors football game tomorrow. It's a charity game for the Springfield Massachusetts Shriner's Hospital for Children. I am doing this because it's a good cause, and my son is a patient at the hospital. I am somewhat nervous because I am shooting, for the first time, an event with my D700. I have been practicing with moving people and focusing and so forth. But, I struggle with the focusing part, which is huge. I am considering shooting with my D80, because I am comfortable with it and I know the camera well. I am asking you fellow Nikon users for some guidance. I would like to shoot with my D700, and am looking for some suggestions or tips on shooting football players in action. I am a nature photographer at heart...so, shooting at an athletic event will be challenging for me. I would appreciate any advice that could be given to me pertaining to shooting. The coach knows I am a rookie. I would appreciate it if no one would try to talk me out of doing this event, or statements about why I am doing this~ it's a done deal, and for a good cause. I have a Nikon 70-200mm and a Nikon 24-70mm and a SB900. I will be on the field and have access to any area. My son is going to be doing the coin toss from his wheel chair and made an honorary team captain, team jersey and all. I am excited, yet very nervous all at the same time. Thank you.</p>

<p>Sounds like it'll be fantastic! I understand your nervousness, wanting to do your best.<br>

If you can get it right I assume the D700 AF system is a lot better than the D80, and certainly the image quality will be way above it, though your 70-200 will maybe be a little short for some shots due to the lack of crop on the D700.<br>

I suppose this is all down to the AF settings. I use 21 Points, Continuous, Release + Focus, Single Point using the central focus point, AF Lock On to Short or Off. Like a lot of others I also set it up so the button on the back does the focussing and not the shutter button.<br>

It's very tricky using something you're not familiar with, it just needs lots of trial and error.<br>

Hope you get more feedback here too. Best of luck.<br>

Steve</p>

 

<p>The D700 (in the DX mode) can also be a 'crop' camera....so the AF 70-200mm lens will be good to use.</p>

<p>The SB-900 may not be needed. If you have the urge to move out of the way quickly, a speedlight attached to your camera may be something you not need to figure out what happens to it.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I am struggling to figure out how to set the camera up for 21 point focus...I feel like a dolt saying that, but it is what it is. Thank you for understanding.</p>

<p>If you can go tonight to a local ball park or soccer field and see if there are any games. You will have plenty of action and this should help you get use to shooting fast action shots with your camera and lens. The quality of your camera and the 70-200 will do just fine. Yes you don't have the 300mm to use but you will find out that you cam crop and still have great pictures. Hope you read this in time to hit the parks for some action practice.</p>

<p>I am going to pack up the kiddos and head to Forest Park, where there are always basketball games going on during the summer. Thanks a lot guys and I will check in later.</p>

<p>This gives a good rundown of the D700 AF settings http://www.digitalartandmore.com/page2/page60/page60.html<br>

As do many other places.<br>

Steve</p>

 

<p>jennifer, the autofocus settings are in the custom settings menu (pencil), settings a1-a9.<br>

your a1 setting, AF-C priority selection controls whether the frame must be in focus for the shutter to be released; a3, Dynamic AF area, lets you choose number of focus points for dynamic area AF (this is where 21 points can be specified).<br>

if you need quick explanations of all the AF settings, press the ? button (directly below MENU).<br>

if i'm not mistaken, you also own the 70-300 VR lens. i don't know your stature or state of physical conditioning, but you may find it difficult to manage following the action at a football game with a heavy lens like your 70-200. it's by far the superior optic, to be sure, but unless you use support (tripod or monopod), you'll be able to shoot more proactively with the longer, lighter lens (IMHO).<br>

"there ain't nothin' to it but to do it," as the saying goes. relax, take lots of photos and have fun. i'm sure everything will turn out fine.</p>

 

<p>There is some serious misconception here about D700 and the DX crop mode.</p>

<p>The DX crop mode on D700 WILL NOT make your 70-200 lens to have equivalent focal length of a 200 x 1.5 = 300mm lens.</p>

<p>You need to use D80 with the 70-200 to get the 1.5x equivalent 300 mm reach, magnification usually provided by the denser pixels on real DX format camera. </p>

<p>D700 DX crop mode, not only will not provide you with the equivalent 300 mm lens reach, but also will reduce the picture size to 5 MP, as well as picture quality.</p>

<p>"...but also will reduce the picture size to 5 MP, as well as picture quality."</p>

<p>But, there always seems to be one -- try shooting at <strong>ISO 5000</strong> or <strong>ISO 6400</strong> on a Nikon D80 body, 10 Mpixel and all. It is not going to give very good results. A DX-image on the D700 will still print to 8x10-inch size, and for the Internet ... no problems at all with a smaller NEF (RAW) or .jpg image.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>The 70-200/2.8 Nikkor is a full frame FX lens, and needs to be used as FX lens on the FX camera.</p>

<p>Using 70-200/2.8 Nikkor on D700 camera in DX mode is just pure nonsense.</p>

<p>Since it will not give you 300 mm lens magnification, there is absolutely no reason to use this lens in the crop mode.</p>

<p> I would suggect to get a good 1.4X tele converter, on the 70-200, on D700, and shoot at any ISO the camera provides, in FX mode.</p>

<p>Nikon has engineered the D700 (and the D3) to be either a DX or a FX camera. It is a menu selection.</p>

<p>Here is one example of a 6.68 Mb .jpg image taken at a local spring football game. A Nikon D700 in DX mode, a AF 80-200mm f2.8D Nikkor lens [<strong>not </strong>a DX lens,] and ISO 4000.</p>

<p>It does work just like Nikon engineered the camera to do....</p><div></div>

<p>i would bring both bodies and the 70-300 just in case. you can mount the 24-70 on the d80 and the 70-200 on the d700 to take advantage of the d700's superior AF for action. if 200mm isnt enough reach, switch to the 70-300. other option is mount the 70-300 on the d80, but that only gives you a little more wiggle room over the 70200, which will be much brighter in the viewfinder.</p>

<p>you have a huge advantage as far as access to the field, so be sure to use it. also, a monopod could help in steadying the 70-200 while you're waiting for the action to develop.</p>

<p>as far as shooting action, you definitely want to set the d700's focus mode switch to AF-C, continuous. you could also set the fps speed to CH, but you may want to limit it to 6--8 is sometimes too fast. hopefully you have extra batteries and memory cards.</p>

<p>right away you will notice just how much better the d700 is for action than the d80. the shutter is much more responsive, for one thing. if you're also using the d80, set it up for AF-C, continuous shooting as well. i would try to avoid matrix metering with the d80 and go for spot or CW. one of the more important issues you might have as far as end result is getting the WB right. if you're shooting jpeg--and you should be for action, or at least RAW+jpeg-- start with florescent WB setting for stadium lights. i'd toggle through and take some sample pics with different WB settings to find the best one.</p>

<p>most important thing is probably maintain a high enough shutter to freeze motion. and make sure there's contrast between your main subject and the background. you may not want to use matrix metering on the d700 either if the results aren't what you expected. check the LCD when you can and make appropriate adjustments in-between shots.</p>

<p>oh, and good luck!</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Jerry,<br>

Seems that you got stucked on the DX format providing the 1.5X magnification ?<br>

"Nikon has engineered the D700 (and the D3) to be either a DX or a FX camera." - and the FX mode is for FX lenses, and the DX mode is for DX lenses.</p>

<p>You have the choice to be different and use FX lens in DX mode on D700, but you get no benefit to use FX lens in DX mode, except the smaller picture size.</p>

<p>The DX sensor Nikon cameras (D80/D200/D300) provide the 1.5X crop or lens magnification, because the pixels are denser on the DX sensor. and therefore a 200mm lens behaves like a 300mm lens. (200 x 1.5).</p>

<p>This is not the case with D700 where the DX just masks out the field to provide the DX angle of view, but does not provide the 1.5X magnification from use of FX lenses in DX mode. So there is no benefit to use FX lens in DX mode on D700.</p>

<p>D700 is not a DX camera, and will never provide any lens magnification. That is in crop DX mode, your lenses do not get the magnification of 1.5X, that would be possible with DX cameras like D80/D300, etc.</p>

<p>Jennifer, If time permits let us know how the shoot went this evening for you. There will be fellow shooters waiting to answer any questions or help with any problems. Good luck tomorrow at the football game. Get some good pictures of that coin toss and the Team Captain with his team Jersey. One more suggestion, if you have a monopole take with you.</p>

<p>"This is not the case with D700 where the DX just masks out the field to provide the DX angle of view, but does not provide the 1.5X magnification from use of FX lenses in DX mode. So there is no benefit to use FX lens in DX mode on D700."</p>

<p>Frank -<br>

Can you please post a D80 image taken at ISO 4000 to show how well it would work? Or one taken with a D200?</p>

<p>To my knowledge, Nikon has not made a <em>DX 70-200mm f2.8</em> or a <em>DX 80-200mm f2.8</em> lens, so the D700 crop that is not 1.5 in DX mode is something that cannot be confirmed with a sample image.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Great info gents, again I appreciate it. Tim, I did pretty decently tonight. I asked some guys if they minded if I practiced by shooting them playing pick-up basketball. I think I nailed the focusing issue and thank you for suggesting for me to go out because it helped. Eric, I am going to bring the D80 with me, in case I get stuck. Frank, I am waiting for the teleconverter, it's out of stock at B & H, but it will be in my bag when I get the in stock email. And William, I am strong like bull, lol, though the weight is killing my hand. I am not so anxious right now. My batteries are finished charging and I must hit the hay. Thanks again all. I knew I could come to you with my worries and get answers (sounds cheesy, but it's true).</p>

<p>Jennifer, I don't think you'll need the teleconverter if you're able to stand on the sidelines unless you want extreme close-ups. The 70-200 should work fine even in FX mode.</p>

<p>If you get tired - yes, it's a heavy combination - set the camera down from time to time of let it hang from your shoulder to give your hands a rest. Don't try to be Superman.</p>

<p>The most important thing is to have a fast enough shutter speed. If the day becomes overcast, consider boosting the ISO up to 800 or 1600 and keep the lens as wide open as you can without sacrificing too much depth of field. You won't lose very much image quality at ISO 1600 on a D700, and if it's between that and blurred shots, go for the fast shutter speed. Shutter speeds in the 1/250 to 1/500 range ought to be fine. If you're shooting faster than that, dial the ISO back down to recoup a bit of IQ.</p>

<p>Take plenty of memory cards and a spare battery (or at least a fully charged one)!</p>

<p>I'd suggest shooting RAW+JPEG if you have enough memory. If you're good at RAW conversion, maybe just stick with RAW so you'll have faster write times.</p>

<p>I don't think the flash will be necessary or desirable during the action. It's probably more important for managing shadows for portraits and group poses after the game.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>D700 is not a DX camera, and will never provide any lens magnification. That is in crop DX mode, your lenses do not get the magnification of 1.5X, that would be possible with DX cameras like D80/D300, etc.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>This doesn't make any sense. A crop is a crop. It doesn't "magnify" anything, it just cuts off the edges so you see only what would have been the center of a 24x36 mm frame. The only thing that gives you more magnification/compression is additional focal length.</p>

<p>The following three combinations lead to EXACTLY the same composition just with potentially different numbers of pixels and slightly different amounts of diffraction and noise:</p>

<p>(1) Shooting at 200 mm with a DX camera.<br>

(2) Shooting at 200 mm with an FX camera in DX mode.<br>

(3) Shooting at 200 mm with an FX camera in FX mode and cropping out the center of the frame in post processing.</p>

<p>None of these three options gives more magnification. Shooting with a 300 mm lens on FX would give a similar field of view to 200 mm on DX, but the magnification and compression effects would be higher and the DOF would be more narrow.</p>

<p>Then again, none of this helps the OP shoot her football game, so maybe the technical debate should be redirected to a different thread.</p>

 

<p>Shooting with an FX lens in DX mode on the D700 = shooting in FX mode and crop the picture in Photoshop.</p>

<p>For future reference if you do any high speed shooting in dynamic turn the AF points down as much as possible the more you use the more the camera has to think, this results in a slower more sluggish AF and may result in out of focus frames.<br>

Simple but effective.<br>

Best of luck.</p>

<p>Frank, the D700 makes fine cropped photos in DX mode, the only difference is with the D700 the cropped image will be roughly 6mp instead of 12mp. But you still get the advantage of great low-light performance, so for sports you will be able to set high shutter speeds and not suffer noticeably from high ISO noise. Add to that the VR capability in dx lenses and you can use lower shutter speeds and lower the ISO speed. Either way you'll have a great sports photos. </p>

<p>Actually, generally speaking the VR capability of lenses is no great help in sports photography. VR will prevent blur from camera shakeat low speeds, but it does nothing to stop action. For that you will need to shoot at higher shutter speeds. The only thing DX will give you is more reach for your lenses. <br>

Also it's true that a crop is a crop whether in camera or after the shot. Difference in IQ you should be able to see is that on a Dx camera, you get you 10 or 12 megpaixels in the image and on the D700 your cropped image either before or after equals much less resolution. </p>

<p>So, I am back from the game. I did pretty decently (so did my son, Braeden). I shot with my 70-200, 21 point focus, AF-C, and some luck~ the sun was wicked bright and the trees in the background were dark, so I had to find a happy medium...I was right there on the side lines, so the 70-200 worked out well for me. Great team, great game, great cause. Thanks for your help...you all helped me a great deal.</p><div></div>

<p>Congratulations on the successful shoot Jennifer. <br>

Something that wasn't mentioned, and may help you for your next shoot. For sport, or for anything really, the best way to set your camera up is to remove the focusing function from your shutter so that the shutter button only meters and actuates the shutter. This is certainly a feature that has been pushed by NPS in the past. The focusing is reassinged to your AF-On button on the rear of the camera. The camera is set to af-c mode. This means, that to focus on a single static subject (ie, portrait), you simply tap the af-on button to get the focus, then you can engage with your subject, release your finger from the shutter button, and recompose without having to worry about the camera trying to focus again, particularly if you are using the focus recompose technique. For sport, to track focus, you hold your thumb on the AF-On button to maintain focus, and if you want to stop the autofocus at any stage, then you simply lift off your thumb. To resume focus, just depress the AF-On with your thumb again. This also makes the camera a lot easier to use with af-s lenses, where you can autofocus or manual focus with ease, and not have to worry about the camera try to refocus for you after you have manually adjusted your lens, as your depress the shutter. </p>

<p>This is not something I would go out and try at an event without practice. It may feel strange at first, but once you get the hange of it, you lilkely wouldn't set your camera any other way. If you get a chance to speak with a pro shooter at an event, check out his setup, and he/she will almost certainly be using the af-on technique.</p>