Night Football Flash?

Yesterday I shot my first "paid" sports gig and I wasn't happy with the results. I'm shooting with a Nikon D3 and 70-

200VR f/2.8 lens. I bought this camera because of it's awesome hi-ISO capabilities. I've shot plenty of night games

with it in Auto ISO and have been very happy with the results typically ranging from ISO 2000 - 6400. However, the

company I shot for wants the faces of the players lit to see detail.

 

So I added my SB-800 in iTTL mode with the FP setting for high flash sync. Camera was set in Manual mode,

shutter at 1/500, aperture f/2.8 and ISO 3200 (had to turn auto ISO off because it will automatically go to the lowest

setting when flash is on).

 

The problem is I'm now limited to one perfectly lit shot in a sequence, followed by a somewhat dimmer shot and any

shots after that are underexposed. Not only that, when ever the player gets within 20 feet of me (running toward me

on the sidelines), they're blown out....why? So now instead of shooting 3 - 10 shots while following a play I've got to

time it perfectly to get one or two. And, even then I may get an overexposed shot if they're too close. Why isn't the

flash metering reducing the power output for the close shots?

 

Here's my main concern. With the high ISO capability, logic tells me I should be able to increase my ISO, say to

ISO 5000 and the camera would automatically reduce the power output of my sb-800 and therefore speed up recycle

time, is that a correct asuumption? And, how much do I gain by adding a Quantum power pack for my flash? Does

the risk of burning out my sb-800 outweigh the faster recycle time?

 

Even crazier (and would look ridiculous), if using two sb-800's cuts the work each does in half it should reduce

recycle time even more when using a Quantum Turbo (I think it will power up to two). If I mounted one sb-800 to the

camera and one to my mono-pod or even on a bracket, would that work?

 

Any suggestions??

 

Joey

If you shoot flash at 1/500 sec with D3, your flash must operate in the FP mode, and the effective power/range drops

down drastically. I never shoot with flash at that high ISO, but perhaps it does operates Auto FP at higher than

1000 ISO? - make sure you know that - but that perhaps does not matter at all since you do not have the power that

you need.

 

Not sure if adding more flashes in FP mode will work auto exposure ? Since the FP is now the CLS compatible

Auto FP, perhaps it will work with, then again, it does not have power for more than the first flash ?

 

If you must shoot flash at 1/500, then get a D70 camera, and shoot full flash manual power, or iTTL, but no FP

there. For fast sequence reduce power to lower ratio to get very few shots well exposed.

 

The FP mode and the CLS mode is not really suited well or intended for fast frames per seconds shooting

sports at any reasonable distance. You are trying to use your flash system and mode well beyond the limitations.

Your expectation to shoot this way are unreasonable for long football distances with a long telephoto lens.

 

Adding a Quantum potent battery will improve a bit, but will most likely blow out your flash tube by overheating, if

shooting the way you described.

 

Getting much more powerful flash would be advice, or remotely trigerred set of strong studio strobes would be

advisable, but not at 1/500 on D3. On D3 you would need to use the max X-sync speed, or get a camera with leaf

central shutter, or possibly the D70. Read more about the wonders of the flash sync speed on D70.

 

Another possible advice, get SB-900 as it supposedly zooms/narrows the light beam much better, or use a sort of

BetterBeamer device for SB-800, but that is also beyond the limitations of your type shooting.

High Speed Sync is typically used to shoot wide open in sunlight -- not for stopping action at night with flash. Use the flash to stop the action, not the shutter speed.

Here are some basic On Camera <a href="http://www.geocities.com/stalker+of+the+web/sportsflash.html"

target="_blank">Sports Flash</a> Tips. On the D3 your flash sync is 1/250. As a general rule you will get three frames

with a SB800 at 9fps during a burst before the flash has to recycle. If you were shooting at the FP High Speed Sync,

then you basically were exposing manually with your shutting of your TTL. <br>

When I have shot high school football with flash I use manual with TTL f/2.8 @ 1/250 or shutter priority at 1/250. realize

you will most likely only get three flashes with TTL until flash does not have enough power to fire. <br>

 

With the D3 I have shot High school football at f/2.8 @ 1/250 with ISO 8000 with good results so I am a little surprised

you would need flash at all.<div></div>

http://www.davehoffmannphoto.com/imageEngineer/2008/07/night-football-with-flash/

 

i found this while looking for answers as well