Sports settings?

[Snatcher]

Plan to go to a local footie match on Saturday afternoon. Whitley Bay v Poole in the FA Vase (we won it last year and I was there at Wembley to see the cup lifted). The ko is 3pm so I should imagine the floodlights will be on from the start. I have never tried to photograph a floodlit football match and I am sure it will be quite a challenge

 

What settings would you try initially???? My camera will be a Canon 400D with a Sigma 18 - 200mm lens. Plan to shoot in Tv mode with initial settings 1/500 - 1/1000 ISO 1000 - 1600 and AWB. Was also going to keep the lens hood on. Hopefully can get to optimum settings during the warm up. Anyone tried this sort of thing before?? Any input appreciated team

 

Will post up my results

 

John

Edited January 13, 2010 by Snatcher

[Steve Randles]

You'll get horrible noise at ISO 1600, you'll get that at ISO 800 too...I would start at 400 myself.

 

Sigma 18 - 200mm...is that f3.5-6.3? Go for wide open, f3.5, ISO400 and fastest shutter you can get from those two in manual mode. I think you'll get a faster shutter speed with lens hood off, letting more available light in. Take a test shot, preview it and zoom into the player as much as you can to check for sharpness or if the photo is motion blurred. If motion blur exists, try ISO800, max aperture f3.5 etc etc. Then try with lens hood on, if you test and preview for ten mins...you still have 80 mins left . At half time whizz through your shots and see what you have, again..zooming in to check for motion blur.

 

To test before saturday, try a local area that's floodlit, such as industrial estate or supermarket carpark, this will give you a rough idea for settings. A floodlit playing field will be significantly brighter than the supermarket.

 

Shoot in RAW...duff exposures can be fixed easier and with mucho better results from a RAW file than a jpeg. Take a spare battery, cold and previewing lots will drain your battery super quick.

 

And if your going as part of a group...start a Mexican wave and Photograph that....

 

Steve...

[Snatcher]

Thanks Steve,plenty of food for thought there!!!!!!! Will certainly give all your suggestions a try. Been meaning to try processing in Raw for ages but never got round to it I use Photoshop CS4 - is this compatable with Raw and how would I open/adjust a Raw file in it ?

 

John

[Chippy]

Dont forget to change your AF settings. I'd shoot in "Servo" mode so that the focus will track the subject. Shooting in RAW will also allow you to adjust the white balance when your back at home in the warm

[RobStubbs]

Dont forget to change your AF settings. I'd shoot in "Servo" mode so that the focus will track the subject. Shooting in RAW will also allow you to adjust the white balance when your back at home in the warm

 

That can be useful if very fast moving but I'd probably not bother in these circumstances. You 'may' wish to use one of your modes that does centre or spot focussing - I found sometimes I've had difficulty getting the camera to focus on the right object in a busy frame - so in your case the man with the ball versus 4 players and the goal all around him. On my camera the spot metering seemed to work best (by trial and error).

 

Rob.

[Snatcher]

Thanks for the tips lads Had another go last night at opening a raw file but fell at the first hurdle. Been advised to try opening in Adobe Bridge,well I tried but either have the wrong version or am doing something stupid,probably the latter. Think I need to be "babysat" through it from start to finish with someone who is fluent in Raw.

 

Its Jpeg for the match then

 

John

[Steve Randles]

Go RAW +L (which is RAW + JPEG) John...and I can go through it with you how to open RAW's etc on msn or something...That way, you'll have the best of both worlds. But trust me...its real easy.

 

Steve...

[Janet]

But trust me...its real easy.

 

If I can do it, anyone can! It's well worth it John.

 

Janet

Edited January 14, 2010 by Janet

[RobStubbs]

Thanks for the tips lads Had another go last night at opening a raw file but fell at the first hurdle. Been advised to try opening in Adobe Bridge,well I tried but either have the wrong version or am doing something stupid,probably the latter. Think I need to be "babysat" through it from start to finish with someone who is fluent in Raw.

 

Its Jpeg for the match then

 

John

 

I'm suprised you can't just open the RAW files in the Canon software - I certainly can and you can do some processing there - including converting to JPG etc and adjusting contrast, brightness, sharpness etc.

 

I opted for getting PS elements 6 as Steve suggested and thereafter installing adobes camera raw 4.4.1. I've I've got to do now is install the software on the PC and then find some time to 'play' with it.

 

Rob.

 

P.S. Like Steve said go for both - it gives you double bubble, and you can play with the RAW files at your convenience (I now have about 30 waiting to be messed with)

Edited January 15, 2010 by RobStubbs

[Snatcher]

Thanks will shoot it both as suggested Steve - if the match is not posponed. It has been teeming down here

 

John