Shooting Sport Events

[ThePhotoBinder]

Trying to find out why when I shoot at sporting event at night my photos come out grany?What am I doing wrong? How can get the picture more crisp? What setting should my camera be at, with or without a flash? Try both still get grany photos.

[Hogleg 44]

Originally Posted by ThePhotoBinder

Trying to find out why when I shoot at sporting event at night my photos come out grany?What am I doing wrong? How can get the picture more crisp? What setting should my camera be at, with or without a flash? Try both still get grany photos.

I have ideas but your question can probably answered better by others. However, you really need to state what kind of camera/equipment you are using and any other pertinent data you can add about what you are doing.

[Wes]

I'll echo what Paul said. If you're shooting digital, what's your ISO setting?

[ThePhotoBinder]

I use Nikon D100 body/ Lens Nikon 75 - 300mm
I kept changing the ISO up as the sun went down I was shooting without a flash There where stadum lights so it wasn't dark. The pictures look good on the camera when I took them, but when I got home different story. Also I shoot some is raw and some in Large Fine JPG didn't matter

[boxofrocks]

The D100 is very noisy (grainy) at higher ISOs. Above 640, you really start to see it. There is really not much you can do other than make sure your photo is properly exposed to begin with; adjusting the levels of an underexposed shot only makes the noise worse.

I have the same problem with my D2H; the D200 is better, but higher ISOs will always be more noisy than lower ones.

[ThePhotoBinder]

So if I shoot with a flash and lower the ISO do you think this would help?

[txphotog]

Also your lens is probably 5.6 on the long end- really "slow" for night time poorly lit sports. Try using the fastest lens you have. Also try a noise removal program such as noise ninja.

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

Higher ISO= Higher Noise
Less Light=Higher ISO
Stadium Lights and Lights in Gym's may look bright but if you took out a handheld light meter and read the area or a "spot" you would see that the levels are actually quite low. Your eye may fool you into thinking the light level "looks" a lot higher than you would ever think!
A flash will do little to help light up a kid 30 yards away on a football field-most flash's really drop off on lighting up a scene after about 30 ft-Studio Strobes will reach farther.

Solution is FAST PRIME LENSE of 2.0 or more which when you are looking at 100mm or bigger=$$$$$$$.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...sc&fi=all&pn=1

[ThePhotoBinder]

Thank you all for the great info. I have my son Middle School foot ball game today I will try some different settings at his game. During the day I don't have the problem with the grainy photos like at night most of the picture come out pretty crisp.
May have to invest in a faster lens. What would be a good lens to shoot sport Events that is not to exspensive for Nikon D100