g.richardson

Nice photos Wilson, some of the best basketball ones I've seen. Keep up the good work!

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First off, shutter speed does not affect focus, but it does of course affect sharpness! See here:

 

http://www.photo.net/learn/making-photographs/exposure

 

It sounds like by using Shutter Priority you are forcing your camera to open the lens to near maximum aperture to ensure a correct exposure at your desired shutter speed, which in turn is causing a limited depth of field. Post some results so we can see whats going on.

 

So, possible solutions... I would use Aperture priority and set to about f/8 or f/11, set the ISO rating of the camera high enough so you get at least 1/250 second, you may even need to venture into ISO 800, which is no big deal on the 20D. Set the "drive" on the camera to continuous, and the auto focus to AI Servo using all the focus points. Press down the shutter release halfway so the camera tracks your sons movements, and press fully down to release the shutter. Fire off a few shots at once and see what happens.

Some examples would be useful but here's a couple of things...

 

a) Are you using the centre focusing point, or are you letting the camera choose? Are you sure the cameras not just focusing in the wrong place?

 

b) Are you making sure the camera has achieved focus before firing off shots? The Canon EOS 1 series cameras in AI Servo will fire whenever the photographer presses the shutter release, whether focused or not.

 

c) Well ok, three things... When you track a player using the AI servo mode, do you keep the shutter release pressed down halfway, or do you "pulse" it? It's best to keep your finger halfway pressed on the button, and just release it when you want to stop the AF tracking i.e. when someone walks in the way. There is also an option to use one of the custom buttons to stop the AF, that�s in the manual.

 

From my experience, you cant just point and blast away with AI-Servo, it takes some thought to know when it will lock on and when it's going to lose it. Just watch how the camera focuses, try tracking players without taking any shots.

In a word; yes. The 35-80 is nearly the worst lens in the Canon lineup. I used to work in a camera store, and we had a guy purchase a 1Ds from us then try to return it complaining about the picture quality.... He was using it with the 35-80! His argument being "well a lens is just a lens isn't it?" Good low budget examples to look for are the old 28-70 MKII 3.5-4.5, 28-105mm 3.5-4.5 USM or the 50mm 1.8 and 28mm 2.8 primes. If you want to keep the Digital Rebel and go for wide angle the Sigma 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 is an ok performer, the 17-35 also from Sigma is quite nice, if a bit restricted in range.

The 80-200 is ideal. As far as tips go, position yourself around the boards and either shoot through the Plexiglas or from the playerﾒs benches, if they're not in use. Use Aperture priority mode and set 2.8, this will get the fastest shutter speed and blur the background nicely. Also use Servo AF to track the subject; you may find by selecting the centre focusing point with practice you can control the focusing action better. Experiment with ISO settings, for figure skating if all the rinks lights are on you can get away with ISO 400, but for hockey I would use 800. The D70 has a clever exposure meter so donﾒt bother with any exposure compensation or bracketing. Finally donﾒt forget to fill the frame with the subject and always try to capture faces and expressions!

<p>If I had to sell all my lenses except the 200 2.8 I would still be happy, its one of the most useful lenses around! Sharp, compact, light, fast focusing and cheap. Sure it's not as versatile as a zoom, but examples can be found for about 1/3 of the price of a 70-200mm.</p> <p> BTW Mark, if you use Av and open up the lens to 2.8 you will get the fastest possible shutter speed for the lighting conditions, avoid underexposure and improve your shots. </P><div></div>

Jesica,

 

<p>This post is confusing me, so what its like for you I can only imagine! Here goes my answer: </P>

 

<P> Locate sports mode on your camera. It's on the main dial as a picture of a man running, this will sent up everything for you.

 

<p> Practice with this mode before you load a film into the camera. Point the camera out of a window and hold down the taking button half way, now move around the view looking at different objects. Notice how the camera keeps adjusting the focus? Press down fully to take a shot, if you want to, keep the button pressed and it will fire off shot after shot.

 

<p> Go and buy some Fuji 1600 Superia Color print film. Any decent camera shop should have this. A fast speed film like this one is more sensitive to light, and is better for indoor sports.</P>

 

<p> Go to the rink and start shooting! Use the 70-300 lens. Position yourself down by the boards, and shoot through the plexiglass, dont shoot from the stands the pictures look very flat. Remember, press the button half way and follow action. Watch how the camera focuses and tracks the players. Press fully down to take a shot when you want.</P>

 

<P> Remember when shooting to try and fill the viewfinder with a player, and wait unit s/he is facing the camera before shooting... Photos of the back of a players head from a distance are not worth the film. </P>

 

Give that a try, and dont forget to post some results on here!

"but being true idiots, they never took it out of my $15 X-ray proof/lead lined bag.." Of course not, they didnt need to... they just cranked up the power of the X-Ray machine to see right through it. Would you let someone on a plane with a large lump of an unidentified substance?

Sorry about the typos in the previous post btw!

Although the 70-200 may of more use to you, the 85mm is a darn fine lens. If this is of any help, heres a shot taken with the 85mm 1.8... You can use it hadheld just fine.<div></div>

I am merly passing on the advice that has worked for me and every other sports photographer I have met through my work in photography retail and at various events, some of whom contribute to major tabloids and sports mags.

<p>Use **Aperture Priority** and set your lens to its maximum aperture. This is

what the **pro sports photographers** do. This enables the camera to use the

fastest shutter speed for the lighting conditions, and blurs the background. Say you used shutter priority

set to 1/250th and the light would only allow 1/160 at maximum aperture, the only warning

that your shots would be dull and underexposed you would get is the LCD starts

blinking. Don't bother bracketing, it really does not work for sports. You have framed

the shot very well, so no work needed there.</p>

 

<p>The real problem is the lenses. You Nikon users are very lucky because you can get a second-hand 80-200

2.8 for (relativly) little money. Its not a D lens and doesn't have Silent Wave, but it

is a 2.8 and the most useful investment you can make. Cheapest I've seen one in the

UK was 450GBP. </p><div></div>

"First, don't shoot from the stands; the resulting images are tiny, the players look flattened out, and the results are seldom interesting."

 

I second that! In fact Richards?s contribution is one of the best things I?ve read on the subject, something the "professional" photographers that contribute to my local evening paper should read and take heed...

 

One thing I would add to that is **DONT** use shutter priority (Tv). Most magazines and "people in the know" blindly recommend this mode as a blanket setting for any moving subject, buts it?s awfully restrictive. Use aperture priority (Av) and set your lens wide open, then you always have the fastest shutter speed the conditions will allow.

Most likely its the little ball bearing microswitch that tells the camera if it is being held in the portrait or landscape format (so the pictures are the right way up when you download them). Unless its doing anything else strange, I would ignore it.

OR just check out this guys website http://www.hockeyphotos.com/ he used to have a VERY good article on shooting ice hockey on there...

Why do you want to get lighting gear up in the rafters??? As a player I find even the tinest flash from a fans compact camera a distraction, let alone several studio flashes blinding me at a critial moment! I can almost guarnentee there will be enough light to stop the action with a 2.8 or faster lens and ISO 800 film without resorting to blinding players!

 

If you want better pictures than from the stands, get down to ice level behind the plexi or if you can ask to go inbetween the players benches, whack your 70/80-200/210 2.8 or whatever on the camera and get some nice *frame filling* action shots....

 

I'm going to write a little article pulling together all the hints I picked up along the way when shooting hockey, watch this space and I'll post the address on here.

I would echo Scott?s comments to avoid shutter priority... I prefer to set my 20D (or any other camera) to Av mode and use the widest aperture when shooting ice hockey, this gives me the benefit of the fastest possible shutter speed that the lighting conditions will allow and a nice out-of-focus, hopefully distraction free background.

 

So try setting your camera to Av, widest aperture (which will still give excellent performance on the 28-300L) and AI-Servo AF. Have a play with the focusing points, I find for a distance subject not filling the frame the centre point works best but for close up action having all 9 working helps the camera to track.<div></div>

I must have shot thousands of frames of hockey pictures with my 200mm 2.8 mounted on an EOS 1n, its light and very, very sharp. I did briefly borrow a Sigma 70-200 2.8 and didn't find it as sharp wide open as the Canon, but that?s to be expected really. Also zooming took some getting used to, I had a few good shots ruined by being at the 70mm end when I needed to be nearer to the 200mm and but interestingly not vice versa...

Just a photo.net newbies 2 cents worth... ;-)

 

I had a similar problem with my EOS1 and a very early Tokina 28-70 2.8 lens a while back when I was shooting an awards ceremony in low light with the 540EZ's assist lamp. The lens would hunt for a bit then when it was near to finding focus make little twitching movements back and forth until it locked, whereas my canon 28-70 3.5-4.5 had no problems locking on first time. My best guess was the canon lens had a very light (and hence not much inertia) assembly which required moving for focussing compared to the tokina, which moved a 72mm diameter wedge of glass and metal (the whole front part of the lens and then some) on what felt like a ball bearing dampened gear train, which combined with the EOS1 + 540EZ combo's fairly quick focusing caused it to overshoot the focus point and then franticly try to get back to it? I suspect the slower and less accurate focus on the 630 would'nt have the same effect? As I say, just my theory...

 

Gary

Sorry, this isn�t really an answer to the question, but I thought it may be relevant though. Has anyone found that compared to Press 800, NPZ is a little fussy when it comes to being developed? Only reason I ask is because recently had some very thin underdeveloped looking (grainy, low contrast, light frame numbers) NPZ negs come back from what I thought was a reliable lab, but must have been having a bad day when I called. And its the same lab I've had process countless rolls of press 800, without problems. Just wondered if press 800 is designed to have a little more leighway in terms of developing when at the hands of smaller labs (and press photographers)?

Hi all,

 

This is a question from a long time reader, first time poster! I've

just bought an EOS 1 body and like it very much, especially its

metering which is bang on accurate. Its one and only sore point with

me is its seemingly dull focussing screen. Those of you who use an

EOS 1, which screens do you find give a brighter image without

messing up the superb metering?

 

-Gary