Pixtus - Photography Forum, Photographers, Photo Tips

andyz · **Football Camera Settings -** 08-17-2010, 12:07 PM

When I think of stopping the action I think shutter speed. But I often read the preferred settings are Aperture Priority, or many like full manual. This seems contrary to wanting to place the priority on freezing the frame.

I can see Aperture if the field is well lit to shadow. Perhaps AV makes it easier to stay constant?

What if the field has no shadows cast?

Do you change settings (AV, S, M) when its darker and the stadium lighting is all you've got?

Do you like or dislike flash?

What is your preference and why?

Tom · 08-17-2010, 12:19 PM

What is contrary about having it on full manual and freezing the frame?

The actual settings I use depends largely on the situation.

A normal, sunny noon game would be something like this:

White Balance:
5300K
F/3.2
ASA 100
1/2500th

I don't shoot much HS football, so flash is kinda irrelevant to me.

Generally, under lights, the exposure stays fairly constant. So I don't change my exposure. Just set it on manual and you don't have to think about it again.

If we are playing at the new Cowboys stadium, so they have strange light spots, I will shoot in Av, because there will be a huge stop difference in sun and shade and I am not quick enough to make the change there.

andyz · 08-17-2010, 12:27 PM

Manual isn't contrary, but Aperture over Shutter is, at least to me.

You note you set white balance to Kelvin. Do most pros use Kelvin or one of the presets, AWB, Sun, Shade, etc., depending on the conditions? I would assume Kelvin is more accurate, but would need to be changed at an outdoor HS Friday night game. Your Saturday college games would mostly be constant for the daylight.

timbertoes · 08-17-2010, 12:38 PM

except that when one gets very used to using Apeture mode, ..the thumb spins the Apeture on the fly since you can see the shutter speed in the viewfinder.
then again, it usually only one or two, at most 3 stops change anyway...well for me.

also pre-metering locations helps :)

Kalrog · 08-17-2010, 12:41 PM

Why Aperture instead of Shutter? Because I would rather have a bit of blur and a proper exposure than a crisp photo that is too dark. Sometimes the blur works on a picture.

Of course, this is all assuming that we are at the edge of comfort. In broad daylight, I don't think it makes a significant difference either way. But under the lights, it can make enough of a difference... the shutter can always get slower, but the aperture can't always open up more.

Matt_G · 08-17-2010, 12:44 PM

-prefer flash

-always prefer Av or Tv unless panning

-Manual in most lighting conditions especially night football

Comanche · 01:50 PM

Hi Andy - -

I'll assume you are talking about high school football under the lights.

Like many (most?) others, I shoot manual. Why? Because though there are minor shifts in the amount of light depending on where the action is on the field (and that depends on where the light stanchions are located), generally speaking, the light is constant. (Exception - the early part of the games in late summer or early fall when there is still some daylight.)

If you look in the high school stadium database on the TPF, you will see that the vast majority of the stadiums have the essentially the same lighting system. Therefore, a good starting point for any stadium is this:

ISO 3200
Shutter speed of 1/500
Aperture of f 2.8 (for that new 300 f2.8 lens of yours)
AI Servo focusing mode
Continuous shooting mode
No flash

After a few frames, you can play with those basic settings based on that particular stadium.

Why manual? Try either aperture mode or shutter speed mode and you will quickly see that you have a huge variation in exposures. The camera is having to "think" every frame, and it can't quite keep up. Since you are smarter than your camera, I suggest manual.

Flash - it depends on what you are shooting for. In your case, I think you are trying to capture images of your son. Flash would work for that purpose. If you go through this section, you will see some of the photos by Chimper who loves to do "sportraits." He can concentrate on one or two players and get great shots of them. If you are shooting for a newspaper and you really want to get a peak-action shot, flash is too limiting. If you are shooting to sell photos to parents, you also will find flash limiting.

Flash is more difficult to master - but there are lots of tips on this forum on how to do it. I've done it, got reasonably good at it, but do not use flash now - but that's because of the kinds of shots I want.

Just a couple of other tips besides shooting manual.

Use only one focus point. For most situations and cameras, that will be your center focus point. However. when shooting in portrait mode, you may want to use the top-most focusing point so that you focus on the face.
Use the back button on your camera to focus with - not the shutter release. You will feel as though you have much better control that way.
I suggest you shoot RAW. Yes, the buffer will fill up faster and you can't put as many images on a card as with JPG, but if you have an efficient workflow, RAW is no harder to process than JPGs and you will get better results, particularly with noise reduction.

To answer your question about using Av mode. the idea is to shoot as wide open as possible so you have a blurred background and your subject stands out more. That's why good shooters use f 2.8 (or close to it) even in the daytime. Shallow depth of field is important in football, but it also means your camera/lens/photographer combination have to be very good.

As always on this forum, YMMV, but we also want to see your shots! Looking forward to seeing yours on the TPF on Saturday mornings.

andyz · 08-17-2010, 02:47 PM

Doug, thanks for the detailed explanation.

I think I'll give manual a chance and see how it goes. I've been in AV and Shutter priority almost 100% of the time. I'm just afraid that as the lighting changes I won't be reviewing those settings frequently enough and may risk losing more shots. Is there any best practice for watching for this?

I have used back button focusing for awhile now. Its great. I've started getting off the center AF point though for better framing. I found myself at times working on the composition and missing my AF point as a result. I will say that with the 300mm, portrait orientation is more of a challenge.

I am still addicted to rock n roll as I use my 7Ds 8fps before and through some plays. I am not where I can shoot one frame and feel my timing is what I want. So I'll stick with JPGs for now.

John Godwin · 08-17-2010, 03:03 PM

Andy to help me out in changing lighting conditions I use aperture priority.
For night games and indoor stuff where the light is constant I use manual.
Like you I worry about not paying attention to the details. I like to set the camera and then concentrate on getting the shots.

I do not understand why you use JPG's for 8fps. Doesn't the camera still do 8fps in Raw?

Quote:

Originally Posted by andyz

I'm just afraid that as the lighting changes I won't be reviewing those settings frequently enough and may risk losing more shots. Is there any best practice for watching for this?

I am still addicted to rock n roll as I use my 7Ds 8fps before and through some plays. I am not where I can shoot one frame and feel my timing is what I want. So I'll stick with JPGs for now.

hutchm92 · 08-17-2010, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Comanche

Just a couple of other tips besides shooting manual.

Use the back button on your camera to focus with - not the shutter release. You will feel as though you have much better control that way.

I shoot with a 50D. What back button are you using to focus with?

Thanks,
Mar

andyz · 08-17-2010, 03:26 PM

John, the difference is in filling the buffer. 8fps is steady but you shoot 15 RAW and 126 L-JPGs. Granted I don't shoot and shoot for seconds at a time, but I don't want to have to stop and just watch the red light tell me the camera is busy.

Hutch, the 7D has a dedicated button but on my 30D there was a Custom Function setting for this. I also use it on my 5D. I'm sure the 50D has it was well where you can set a button, probably "*", to focus while the shutter button handles the rest of the exposure.

Comanche · 08-17-2010, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andyz

I think I'll give manual a chance and see how it goes. I've been in AV and Shutter priority almost 100% of the time. I'm just afraid that as the lighting changes I won't be reviewing those settings frequently enough and may risk losing more shots. Is there any best practice for watching for this?

I am still addicted to rock n roll as I use my 7Ds 8fps before and through some plays. I am not where I can shoot one frame and feel my timing is what I want. So I'll stick with JPGs for now.

John said it well just above. In the early part of the season, when you have some daylight in the first quarter, go ahead and use Av mode if you are more comfortable with that. Keep the aperture at f 2.8, but once you see the shutter speed go below 1/1000, kick up the ISO. You asked if there is any "best practice", and I guess it would simply be to chimp after each down and see what the shutter speed is. Once the sun is down and you change to manual, you won't have to check - it will stay the same.

While I prefer RAW, there is nothing wrong with JPGs. I think once you get more used to shooting football, you will develop a certain sixth sense that will tell you when to start shooting and you will require fewer frames to get the shot you want. You're correct in saying your 7D will shoot 8 fps even in RAW - its just that the buffer will only take 15 shots.

Once topic I forgot - the end zone is a horrible place to shoot. Few high school stadiums have end zone lighting. Most football stadiums have the light stanchions at (or near) the 25-20 yard lines. That means all play from the 20 into the end zone will be backlit. Yuck! But, this is a good place for flash if you want to try it. Or, you can shoot in RAW and boost the fill light in ACR or other RAW engine. Flash is better, but I'm not man enough to lug around two bodies with lenses plus a flash unit with bracket on the monopod. Too old!

Have fun!