Manual Sports and Field Settings

[prostie1200]

Up until now I have always used Ap Priority using the existing light, dialling in the ISO settings which gave me the shutter speed I thought the action required.

I have just run across a description of a way of shooting sports and field action which is new to me.

This fellow has put up a series of Basketball action shots using existing the tungsten lighting provided over the play area. He was using Manual on his camera a f1.4 85mm lens and had set his shutter speed at 1/320 and his ISO on Auto (max 1600), WB Tungsten.

I was wondering if any one on the forum had tried these sort of settings.

Cheers

Bria

[Joe]

Depends on the action speed, tipoff, layup shot, dunk,...head on, or across?

Depends on brightness of lighting....as for basketball shots.....Derby Moorgate hall was lovely....Chester Northgate hall was awful!

Shutter priority is an option for action...normally 1/350 or greater (nominal 1/500) for basketball (even the slower UK league stuff!)
However, if manual is used (more reliable with strong lights in a sports hall, which could throw a meter out) set shutter then meter off court floor or back of your hand for accurate required aperture....don't expect anything brighter than f2.8 at ISO 1600. try using the lowest ISO setting to get a fast enough speed with your lens wide open to start with.....then go from there.

There's no 'set' rules over how you shoot this stuff or what lenses to use. much depends on your postion. I used a 17,24 or 50mm for under hoop and jump shots, 90mm for court tracking and 180mm for spot shots and people/face expressions....zooms were out of the question because I didn't own a f2.8 zoom at the time, but if you do, use it at f/2.8.
Ultimately normally indoor sports is more challenging than outdoor daylight sports, especially if you want to fill the frame with action.
I'm not sure about the league these days, but even back 10 years ago you needed a league photopass to start sitting under the hoop in front of the advertising boards! so wide angles might not be used so much if you're a paying spectator sitting on spectator benches.

Most of all, shoot plenty of photos, don't expect them all to be in focus, perfectly composed, of have a moving ball in shot...but do experient...the more you shoot, the more likely of getting cracking shots........
I shot thousands of photos for various mags with a league photopass in the past...I've deliberately refrained from posting loads of basketball shots on the gallery, so I also apologise if I've gone on a bit of a waffle spree here too!
I don't know if this helps???