Sports Photography

[Mike Farley]

Thom Hogan writes about his experiences on a course lead by Peter Read Miller, a US based pro who shoots for Sports Illustrated. There are some useful tips which could help you improve your own photography when shooting sports. I also found it interesting to read about how top spec Canon and Nikon DSLRs perform. They are in a different league compared to the kit most of us own when it comes to action shots.

http://www.dslrbodies.com/newsviews/som ... iffer.html

[davidc]

Really enjoyed that article. The AF on the 5d3 is the same as the 1DX (I think) though the burst rate is lower to make it less suitable for sports. David B - very keen to hear your thoughts on the 1DX too!

Mike, which DO lens do you own again?

[Mike Farley]

Really enjoyed that article. The AF on the 5d3 is the same as the 1DX (I think) though the burst rate is lower to make it less suitable for sports. David B - very keen to hear your thoughts on the 1DX too!

Mike, which DO lens do you own again?

I believe that the 5D3 shares some components of its AF with the 1Dx, but it is not the same. Otherwise Canon would have a harder job justifying the price differential and would be competing against itself with the two cameras.

My DO lens is the 70-300, which has the virtue of being compact but the tests claim that it does not perform any better than the budget equivalent.

[davidb]

David

I don't know what I can say about the 1DX. I know the manual is thick and I don't usually read manuals. I have tried to use some of the features (one of the pictures I took at Biggin Hill benefited(?) from one of them - see CRITIQUE and "Shadow"). Sports photography is not generally my thing although I'm hoping to do the Tour de France through London on 7th July. Just need to find a good spot - any suggestions?

I am very much an amateur trying to use a professional camera. After retiring I wanted to upgrade an EOS 550D to the best and most robust body I could buy. The 1DX being a professional therefore, hopefully, a robust camera it should last me a long time. I won't have the money to upgrade every few years to it's going to have to last.

I have changed the way I use the camera. Until a few months ago it was set at P (programmed) but after one of our speakers said "control the camera not let the camera control you" I changed to AV (aperture priority) and I hope that some of the results reflect this although I have to remember to change the setting each time I go out! (I'm using the 550D in the same way although it is getting fewer outings these days.)

You're welcome to have a look over the 1DX if you would like to pay my fare to Singapore!!

[Mike Farley]

I have changed the way I use the camera. Until a few months ago it was set at P (programmed) but after one of our speakers said "control the camera not let the camera control you" I changed to AV (aperture priority) and I hope that some of the results reflect this although I have to remember to change the setting each time I go out! (I'm using the 550D in the same way although it is getting fewer outings these days.)

Aperture priority is the most common setting for those who want to have a degree of control, although the camera is still doing some of the work as it is calculating the shutter speed. If you want full control, manual is the way to go, but that is not normally necessary. Specifying the aperture allows the user to manage DOF and/or ensure that the lens is set to its optimum aperture. You need to watch that shutter speeds do not drop too low, but these days I invariably use auto ISO which resolves that issue. There will be occasions when you will want to set the shutter speed to freeze the action or get motion blur, for example. It's just a case of deciding what you want to achieve and then selecting the options on the camera which will enable you to get it.

Incidentally, most P modes have a shift capability. If you do not like the suggested settings, then aperture and shutter speed can be adjusted simultaneously. Should you find yourself constantly making alterations, that would suggest that either AV or TV is the way to go as you can then prioritise aperture or shutter speed according to your needs and speed up the shooting process.

[Mike Farley]

David

The 1DX being a professional therefore, hopefully, a robust camera it should last me a long time. I won't have the money to upgrade every few years to it's going to have to last.

The 1Dx is built to withstand the rigours of professional use, so it would be disappointing if it did not last for as long as you want to use it. There is a lot to be said for keeping a camera over an extensive period and learning how to get the best out of it. I find it difficult to believe that there is anything which such a camera cannot do well when set up correctly. Over time, MP resolution will creep up, but the benefit will only be obvious in really large prints and 18 MP is more than enough for a decent A3. Few people will ever want to exceed that on a regular basis. Maybe when the club moves to 8K digital projection will issues start to arise, but that day is a long, long way off.

What I do find interesting is that prints shown at the annual "Take a View" landscape are printed above A3 size and one person who consistently does well uses a 10 MP Panasonic LX5, chosen for its portability. There are no obvious uality issues, although no doubt specialist printing helps. There really is no need to invest in new equipment for the purposes of producing the occasional large print.

My recent purchases have gone the other way and I have bought inexpensive cameras and some carefully chosen consumer grade glass in my quest for lighter models which do not break my back carrying them when I am out and about. The resulting images have done well and I defy anyone to identify the camera and lens combo used for any given shot.