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Category: Action & Sports Pictures

Photography Question 

Kraig Henry 		 

Sports Photography in Low Light


 
  here comes the BOOM!!!
here comes the BOOM!!!
Zoomed in to 300mm
Football Scrimmage; Sigma DG 70-300mm 1:4-5.6 lense 7:00pm; neighborhood field

Kraig Henry

  
  Flying Tackle
Flying Tackle
Zoomed in to 300mm
Football Scrimmage; Sigma DG 70-300mm 1:4-5.6 lense 5:00pm; neighborhood field

Kraig Henry

  
 
I generally take youth sports pictures. All summer, I've been taking baseball pics and I have had a lot of success with my Nikon D80 and a Sigma DG 70-300mm 1:4-5.6 lens. Now that football is here, I get great pics at Saturday morning practice and scrimmages but evening pratices are an adventure. I understand a little about the lighting conditions (I have set the camera through program mode to take pics inside without the flash at concerts), but I wanted to know is that possible at a sporting event?


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August 30, 2007

 

Kraig Henry 		  If anyone could offer an alternative lens that could be used I would appreciated that as well. Also is it possible to shoot a night game? (7:30pm in Oct or Nov)


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August 30, 2007

 

Pete H 		  Hello Kraig,
Options:
1) Buy some fast glass (expensive)
2) Raise the ISO
3) Get a high-powered flash
I don't mean to sound abrupt, but those are about all you can do. Oh, except for "don't shoot at night" Kidding. ;)
Pete


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August 30, 2007

 

John G. Clifford Jr 		  Also, get out of program mode. Shoot in aperture-priority or shutter-priority. Many sports photographers shoot in shutter-priority because stopping action is more important than depth of field ... but I'd shoot in aperture-priority mode and choose the widest aperture to ensure the highest shutter speed possible.
Raise your ISO to at least 400 if not 800. Your Nikon should take acceptable images at ISO 800 ... they won't be as good as at ISO 100, but would you rather have grainy and sharp or smooth and blurry? ISO, shutter speed, available light ... pick any two.
Now you know why pro sports photographers have those massive f/2.8 lenses that cost more than many used cars!


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August 30, 2007

 

Kraig Henry 		 
 
  LaSalle College Halftime Show 1
LaSalle College Halftime Show 1
Program Mode:
Nikon D80
White Balance set to flouresent -3
ISO 1600
8:00pm
Stadium Light

Kraig Henry

  
  LaSalle College Halftime Show 2
LaSalle College Halftime Show 2
Program Mode:
Nikon D80
White Balance set to flouresent -3
ISO 1600
8:00pm
Stadium Light

Kraig Henry

  
 
Pete
I have a SB 800 AF Speedlight is that what you'd consider a high powered flash or is there something else. I see what I can do about the fast glass...

John
Last night my kids played a half time scrimmage at the LaSalle College Football game. The college field had better light than any rec field we'll play on but I've seen better. I set the camera ISO to 1600 and set the white balance to flouresent and the shots weren't to bad. A monopod could have helped. I'll try that (aperture-priority or shutter-priority)


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August 31, 2007

 
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