Basketball novice shooting advice

[lana_ferreira1]

<p>As a novice, I really need some advice shooting school basketball games. My photos are really grainy. I have a Nikon D7000 with a Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 lens. I have fiddled around with different settings to no avail.<br /><br />Can someone please advise me in layman's terms the settings I should use? I also have no idea which settings I should use on optical stabilizer on the lens. Any help would be appreciated.<br>

The photo that I posted to my gallery has the following settings. <br>

<img src="webkit-fake-url://7426a824-e53d-4146-b3a7-a1503d0d3b61/image.tiff" alt="" /></p>

<p> </p>

[BrianS1664879711]

I shot kiddie basketball for several years. Really

challenging. Fast ASA film (or ISO setting, in your

case) and fast shutter speeds seemed best. No

matter, it was tough. I started using a flash and got

much better results. But some umpires didn't like

flashes, especially when I was shooting from the

sidelines and end of court rather than from the

stands. I have way more bad shots than good.

[LenMarriott]

<p>Lana, Welcome to PN. If <a href="/photo/18177280&size=lg">this photo</a> is an example of 'really grainy' then you have a much lower tolerance for grain (noise) than I have. I'm using the D5100 which has the same sensor as the D7000 and so, though I don't shoot much basketball, I think I may be able to shed a bit of light on the subject. High school basketball courts are usually poorly lit so, in order to get the shot, one must shoot wide open while using a high enough shutter speed to freeze the action. Now the only variable is the ISO, which, on Auto, will force the ISO sometimes as high as 6400 where you are most likely to experience noise. I'll trade 'sharp' for 'noise' every time. But that's just me. Check out <a href="/gallery/tag-search/search?query_string=d5100+6400&sort_order=1">a few of my images shot at ISO 6400</a> & tell me if you think they are 'too grainy'. (you won't hurt my feelings if you do). :-) Granted, I did have better, TV quality lighting, but only a kit lens of f5.6. Best, Len.</p>

[eric_arnold]

<p>you need a shutter in the vicinity of 1/500 <strong>min.</strong> to freeze fast motion such as basketball, maybe even 1/800 or 1/1000. with that shutter, you'll almost always be at 2.8 and a high ISO in dim light. another variable to pay attention to is your focus settings. you should be in AF-C and decouple shutter button from focus with AF-On. you probably dont want to use OS at shutter speeds higher than 1/200 unless you arent shooting from a stable platform. FWIW, that photo isnt super noisy, but you can see motion blur in the shooter's non-shooting hand, indicating too-slow of a shutter speed. your larger issue here is technique. ideally, you want to show the ball in the air, capturing the action rather than right before it. which is less dynamic and more static. so, you want to anticipate the action, then follow it, with a burst of shots showing the action sequence. it takes lots of practice to make perfect, so be patient.</p>

[elliot1]

<p>As is often the case in school gyms, the lighting systems will typically be poor for photography and fast shutter speeds will often not be possible as you may have already discovered (due to fluctuation in light output which can dramatically affect the consistency of light and white balance). So you want to shoot at the highest shutter speed and lowest ISO that gives you the results you are looking for.</p>

<p>The best way to solve the grain/noise issue is shoot RAW if you are not already doing do and use advanced software with high quality image processing abilities that can reduce grain/noise with minimal loss of IQ. There are several such program available and they are not expensive. The results are excellent. High ISO shots will be noise/grain free and have still have excellent detail.</p>

<p>Another option is to consider using a prime lens with a faster aperture. This will help lower the ISO and thus reduce noise/grain a bit more.</p>

[Robin Smith]

<p>This season I am at 1/500-1/800 at f2.8 and ISO 6400-10,000. The current gym is very dark. Using a 135 f2 lens helps in keeping the ISO down, but not in getting great focus as the depth of field is less. I usually shoot at 1/800th and auto ISO or on manual getting the first few images as a test and going from there.</p>

[robert_bouknight1]

<p>I had fun shooting my son playing HS BB, posted here a number of times about the issues involved.</p>

<p>In our dreadfully lit home HS gym, I could not use a 2.8 lens and keep enough shutter speed (1/500 or higher is best) at a reasonable ISO. See if you can shoot with a fast 50mm lens on the baseline if at all possible. The 50/1.8G or older 1.4AFD are good choices, or maybe the 35/1.8 AFS DX. The 50/1.8D will work but is a good bit softer at around f/2 than the other choices. My setup in the home gym was an FX camera with typically an 85/1.8, shooting at f2.2, 1/500, auto ISO floating around 8-9000.</p>

<p>Also, you might find better conditions at away gyms. Some of the newer gyms have enough quality lighting to make a 2.8 zoom viable.</p>

<p> </p>

[lana_ferreira1]

I am anxious to apply everyone's advice at the next game. Thank you to all.

I did look at your beautiful photos Len Marriott. I should be so lucky.

I may not make it down to a game this week but next week for sure. I will post my findings.

 

Again, thank you.

[henryp]

<blockquote>

<p>In our dreadfully lit home HS gym...</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Over the course of 20 years I have shot several thousand high school and college basketball games. 90+% of the time I used on-camera flash, always after checking with both coaches and the refs. None every had any objection and most times the players told me they were unaware my flash was firing.<br>

If there's room a seat on the floor at the end of the court with the key to your left is a good vantage point. I prefer a slightly wide angle lens there and almost never try to shoot anything past half court but (since most players are right-handed) you often get them driving towards the basket facing you.<br>

In most high school gyms the light is terrible. Even when the quantity is adequate, the quality is awful. Flash helps freeze motion, control color cast from mercury vapor lamps, balance contrast, fill in shadows from gym lighting that is only directly overhead, aid contrast and add specularity. YMMV</p>

<p>Henry Posner<br /><strong>B&H Photo-Video</strong></p>