Sports photography meter settings reccos?
- Thread starter hrstrat57
- Start date
The ball of choice at the casino!!
Notice the back focus due to my metering error in the ball pic....
Also had only about a 60% keeper rate on the Ito shots from the angle shown.....metering errors.....thanks to all the tips received here (and more to come) I expect to do better next time. I also expect the 55-200 is temporary, need better, faster glass to blurr the backgrounds....I am shocked tho at how sharp this lens is when it hits....blows away the Alpha mount kit stuff....
But compared to my Maxxum 200 2.8?
Ummm not quite
Notice the back focus due to my metering error in the ball pic....
Also had only about a 60% keeper rate on the Ito shots from the angle shown.....metering errors.....thanks to all the tips received here (and more to come) I expect to do better next time. I also expect the 55-200 is temporary, need better, faster glass to blurr the backgrounds....I am shocked tho at how sharp this lens is when it hits....blows away the Alpha mount kit stuff....
But compared to my Maxxum 200 2.8?
Ummm not quite
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Think I figured out the bulk of problem. I was unaware of the focus lock function. Every time I looked at a pic using the multi selector I was changing the focus point...
Fixing that and tips kindly given here should get it done!
( continued read of the manual will help too ha ha)
Fixing that and tips kindly given here should get it done!
( continued read of the manual will help too ha ha)
I have shot (and played and have the surgery scars to prove it!) a lot of tennis in my life. You need at least a shutter speed of 1/250 sec to stop action, 1/000 sec is better. The backgrounds can get very distracting with all the spectators so try to keep the depth of field at a minimum. I shot these images of Steffi Graf, Gabriella Sabatini and Pam Shriver at the Bausch and Lomb Championships at Amelia Island a number of years ago, 1989 to be exact. I used a monopod mounted F2 w/ motor drive, 300mm f/4.5 AIS Nikkor @ f/5.6 (only 2/3 stop down) with High Speed Ektachrome, ASA 160 and manual "follow focus". Tennis is a very challenging sport to photograph, especially in the days before autofocus because the players are constantly in motion and move over a fairly large area. And when you are shooting at a large aperture to get separation from the spectators, who are always close, it only compounds the level of difficulty. Often you are dealing with only 2 feet of depth of field tops with a 300mm lens. You kind of get into a "Zen" mode where you block out everything else and just pay 100% of your attention to what is in the viewfinder. A fire could have broken out behind me and I would have been oblivious to it. It takes a lot of practice but anyone can learn to do it. I did not have my 300mm f/2.8 at the time or I would have used f/4. If you use a lens with a tripod socket, make sure you leave the friction loose so you can rotate the camera 90º quickly I believe I was using my 80-200mm f/4.5 non-AI Nikkor for the shot of Pam.
Those pics are amazing! Kudos for all the work it took before all the automation we take for granted today...
Peace