I would have to agree with Brian Wallace about the 85mm f/1.8. I've been using it for indoor sports, and it's VERY fast. I love that it's light and ultra portable, doesn't take up too much space in my bag, and also, the fact that it's cheap!
Thanks for the good video Mike. For basketball, a parent can typically get pretty close to the action...sideline, corner, and behind the baseline. In these locations, a 50 or 85mm lens is plenty. And when bought in 1.8 aperture versions, they are small, light, sharp, can bring in a lot of light, and are very cheap (compared to something like 24-70 2.8, or 70-200 2.8 zooms) . I am Nikon-centric, so for me that's an $80 (used) 50mm 1.8D, and a $300 85mm 1.8D. Those lenses help TREMENDOUSLY re: a dollar vs light-gathering capability. Bottom line...a used full frame camera (D700? D600?) with a 50 1.8 and 85 1.8 can get pretty darn good indoor high school sports pics. Below that (won't be nearly as good at low noise / high ISO), something like a used D7000 (important to get the focus motor built into the body to take advantage of older Nikon "D" lenses...so a D5300 (and below, for example), should be avoided if possible. Also, I think even 1/500th can be too slow (for varsity level play)...though I can see that's mandatory with older cameras whose decent ISO performance only goes to ISO 1600 or so...1/800th and above works well, and means that camera-shake-induced blur is almost non-existent, which also means a lens with VR is not necessary, further cheapening the glass portion of the budget.
Great question & the answer is Yes. There are times when shooting very high ISOs the JPGs will clean up a little better than the RAW files, but I will also say that if its important I will shoot JPG + RAW.
Both are good. I like to 70-200 for the zoom. Yes, a good IS system can make a big difference even at speeds faster than 1/250. Distance is a shake multiplier and magnifies even the slightest movements of the camera. On the 5Diii, I move my squares to where ever I need them and whatever works!
I have friends who use that lens and love it for the reasons you mention (cost and low light). The 7D is a great camera outdoors, but in low light the ISO noise isnt that great. My understanding was the focus on the 85 1.8 was not that quick. (Meaning ability to grab and adjust focus on a moving subject). But if you are having success with it thats awesome- Whatever works!
Hi Michael I noticed you didn't mention the Pentax cameras .The Pentax digital cameras have shake reduction system built into the camera body ,so any of the lens like Tamron or sigma 70-200 2.8 lens, the older ones with out built in lens shake reduction can be found for as low as 300 to 500 dollars .The Pentax K7,k5,k3 all have ISO setting to 51,000 ,with very good iso up to 6,400. They also have a iso range setting so you tell the camera how high you want the iso to go . Once you have that set the cameras has a sensitivity setting on the dial which is the iso mode, this dial setting lets you set the aperture setting and shutter speed you need for action shots and the camera picks the best iso for the shot with out you having to worrying about your iso being to high because you set its limit. Features like this can not be found on canon or nikon cameras unless you want to pay over 2,000 dollars for a camera ,and then you don't have built in shake reduction or weather proof bodys or weather proff lens . The Pentax cameras can be found for 400.00 to 800.00 new or used, and are weather proof and Pentax and now sigma has weather proof lens so you can shot in the rain. Also the Pentax cameras have up to 8 fps ,that's 8 pictures in 1 second. So if your a parent or uncle wanting to take photos of your kids indoors or outdoors during sporting events and you don't want to spend over a 1,000 dollars for a setup stay away from Canon and Nikon and get your self a Pentax and spend the thousand dollars you would have spent on a canon or Nikon setup and buy your self a 100mm 2.8 Macro and 17-50mm 2.8 lens to go along with your 70-200 2.8 sigma or Tamron lens.th-cam.com/video/JFQfEVhbp5o/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/88R8jfhfPe0/w-d-xo.html
I am a sports photographer (mostly outdoors) and have tried a all the different kit lenses for indoor basketball. Just as MichaelTheMentor said "Nope", he couldn't be more right! The aperture just can't handle the lighting...or lack thereof! I have been called back again for the 4th year to shoot boys and girls basketball at a local Middle School but this time, I rented a lens. It should be in my hands today. It's the 70-200mm 2.8 Nikkor VRII. This set of photos should be the best so far!
Thank you!! Gr8 information. Very helpful. My only regret is that I wish I would have seen your video sooner...when my daughter was playing volleyball in the school gym.
I havent personally tried either, but from what I know the focus on the 85 1.8 is not super fast. I do have a few friends that use it for slower sports shooting.
Going down a stop in AV etc and bringing out the shadows in post seems to work fine with jpegs too. But make sure you are in 16 bit mode. When there's noise I just use noise reduction or gaussian blur - applied via layers, masks and semi transparent brushes.
MKiii, especially when shooting JPG with ISO noise reduction turned on is really good, maybe even up to 3200. MKii starts to peak out around 1000-1200.
You might want to check out my Canon 600ex Crash Course DVD. There are a lot of different ways to use it, and it would be difficult to answer in a single post here. Its well worth the cost. Best wishes- M
Just one point, the lenses that you discourage (like the 50mm and others) do not have to be shot wide open! I use the Canon 85mm f/1.8, but shoot at 2.5 a lot.
Check with the officials or the coaches to ensure you can use flash. I use two flashes at all high school basketball events on tripods at the top of the stands in opposite corners. The flashes are pointing at a 45 degree angle towards the center of the court. There are various ways to trigger the flashes. This method keeps the light out of the athletes eyes. I have had no complaints.
Great tips. I tried them out tonight for a practice shoot at a gymnastics practice. I liked the idea of using aperture priority mode and using the ISO setting to drive the shutter speed. However, I found that even at ISO 6400 my Canon t7i would shoot at 1/250 or 1/500. I had to push it all the way to ISO 25,600 to get shutter speeds of 1/1,000 or faster. So, all of my pictures are horribly grainy. I think next time I'm going to try full manual at f2.8, 1/1000, and ISO 400 or 800 just to see what happens. Thanks again for the post!
Interesting - I've used both the 85 1.8 and 100 2.0 for indoor sports and have been very pleased. I've used them for hockey and basketball. They're not on par with the 135 2.0 (my favorite indoor sports lens) but the large apertures of those two lenses and their respective prices make them an ideal option for people without big budgets. I actually prefer them to my 70-200 f2.8 because I can keep the ISO down on my 7D.
Great video and lots of options I plan on trying. I've been shooting high school basketball for a couple years and use Canon 7D with 70-200 2.8L lens. I shoot shutter priority (usually around 300) but usually have to push my ISO up to 1800 or higher and it's very noisy. But also the shots don't seem to be real crisp. What focus point is best for basketball -- spot focus / single point / auto focus point expansion or zone auto focus? I usually use single point or auto focus point exp.
Hi Michael. Thanks for a great video, with sound recommendations for indoor equipment and settings. Have always used Manual, but not with Auto ISO. I play and shoot table tennis in low-light venues, so I don't have much time for adjusting settings between matches. I shoot with my Canon 7D and 70-200 IS L v1. Next competition, I will use your settings and see what happens.
I'd recommend the 7D. I shoot a lot of volleyball and sell images on site (meaning no editing) The 7D focuses fast and accurately so i can shoot. I use the Canon 85mm f/1.8 and Canon 50mm f/1.4 typically. Now, i can get quite close (a perk of being the official photographer), but another good one is the Canon 200mm f/2.8 (mki) lens. Each of these lenses are relatively inexpensive. *(each can be bought for under $500)
Shake attack? You have to buy a Sony A7 II or Sony A7R II... Or use an stabilizer camera with 3 axis or more and remote control for sport... Maybe a Nebula 4000 or Pilotfly... Excellent video!
Thats tough. The 7D is better for sports, but its ISO noise struggles. 6D has much better ISO, but the focusing system and full frame are not as good for shooting moving subjects. If it is very low light, I would grab the 6D personally.
I think a photographer should always get the best glass they can, but only if they can afford it. Yes, it is a write off if you are running a legit business. That said, there are a lot of photographers who still wouldn't be able to afford it, business owners or not. That lens is almost 2x the cost of a brand new 5Diii. Good questions - thank you!
Hi! Would you be able to do a video when you show some tips for soccer outdoors/indoors and track and field indoors and outdoors? I would appreciate some more special tips for those sports and I would be really happy if you could do that because your videos are so good. I would also appreciate some more "budget" tips at objects for both indoor and outdoor photography if thats possible (for canon). Thank you for good videos and lessons!
Hi and Thank you so much for your video on shooting in low light. I have been trying to shoot my daughter's during their in door soccer game last season and my shot's have not been good so i'll try you lesson and see if it works for me,I'll let you know how it turns out . PS: Thanks again :-) and have a wonderful Holiday season and I'll get back soon.
Voleibol Fan, two things, 1. If you feel that spending any money on upgrading is a "waste" then you shouldn't even be asking. 2. I would suggest renting a camera first to see which one works best for you. You can try ATSrentals or borrowlenses. These are websites.
I like your easy teaching I would like to know your advice about focus tracking modes ...d9 or group and 3d in Airshow when using Nikon d750 Having hard time getting it correct and many options out there Thank you
Thanks for the good video Mike. I tried to shoot a wrestling meet. My fasted nice lens is 4.0. My 50mm Primes was hard to use as the kids are moving around the mat so much. One high school was bad lighting and mats were a orange & dark grey, that just did not work well. Next high school was better as had some natural light via some windows and was a Saturday mid day match, and blue and white mats. These were the best pictures of the year.. Wish I would have found your tutorial before I went as was using wrong settings for auto focus. Maybe time to get a faster 2.8f zoom lens I want.
Thanks for a great video, Mike. I am an newbie and your information was helpful. I just received a Canon D80 and used your tips to take some photos of my son's basketball game this weekend. I downloaded the images on my computer (I shot in RAW) and went to open them in Photoshop (9) and it won't open them. I changed the format thinking that was all, but I can't access any of the pictures (Photoshop or Window's viewer) although I see them on my camera. Can you help?
Yes I did watch it but im a noob in photography. When it says f2.8 in your video is it ok to have a little more or a little less than that and will it still be acceptable in indoor sports photography. @michaelthementor
Wow! Great video! Got much more from this than the dozens of forum comments I've been reading. Your opinion, please, on shooting indoor with APSC sensor camera and f/4-200 lense vs a super zoom (Pan FZ200) with a faster lense - F/2.8 throughout range, but, obviously a much smaller sensor. So, bigger sensor/slower lense vs. smaller sensor/faster lense? Thanks so much, JW
Very useful I just purchased a canon 80d with a 18-135mm lens. Based on your video I have the right lens for indoor sports shooting. What classes do you recommend for a beginner such as myself. I want to understand these terms and their functions
Dear Michael,, My brother is a professional basketball player so in the past few years i've been always into sports photography,,whether its indoor or outdoor.. All the informations you gave in this video is very helpful and i always correcting my settings to adjust different lightings at the gym.. But im using a Nikon D5100 which is a middle class camera..i always use 55-200 lens. But sometimes i couldn't got the right settings..even though i sit at the same place as the previous day's game.. What went wrong?? Please give me some information so i can get it right.. Thx..
Thank you for your video, I appreciate the tips. Two quick questions, if you still read comments from your older videos such as this one. Do you recommend back button focus? I've tried it a few times and was not found of it, but in fairness I should have probably insisted a bit more. This would be to shoot football (soccer for you guys) and hurling, which are both fast action games. Second question. Would you recommend a 70-200 f/2.8L IS II with an extender, or the 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS II. Both are roughly same price, but the first would be more versatile for other situations (though less reach). Also not sure if the focusing with the extender would be affected. Thanks again!
Sports in photography means fast shutter speed. Light and L lenses are your friends. 70-200 2.8 is mandatory. Track and field stadium events with tv coverage requires 10 000 iso for 1/1000s images Canon/Nikon offer is 3200 in 2014. 10 000 clean iso will come probably in 2025.
Ok so I found this old film camera in our house its a canon eos rebel x. I was wondering if its lens would work. Its a canon 35-80mm I dont know every thing about it but its says around the lens 1:4-5.6 iii it also has auto focus
I'm planning on taking indoor pictures of children playing games such running and tossing bean bags. Which shutter speed do you think will be fast enough to stop the action? I'm using a print film SLR camera. Would an ISO of 800 be good enough? Would you recommend using flash?
Hello , great video. I also looked at your test of nikon d7100 and canon 70d , which recommend to photograph and film figure skating ? ( high school gyms ) , Greetings from Argentina and sorry for my english. pd: Spanish subtitles is a lot would be appreciated :)
hello MichaelTheMentor, your video is great!! I´ve some of the lens that you talk about here like the Canon 135 mm 2.0. I want to shot some pics in volleyball games. I have a old Canon 40D, and very soon i will buy a new camera, but i don´t have too much money to waste, so here ´s my question- What camera do you advice for indoor sports like volleyball? Canon 6D or Canon 7D?? During the games i´m about 6 metres above (in a balcony) the players. I hope to have your help! Thanks!
It's still difficult to shoot indoors. I have a Nikon D90 with a 50mm 1.4G lens and at about 800 ISO the pictures look very bad with the ugly noise. So even with a wide lens sometimes its still not enough and at 1.4 my photos tend to look out of focus! Any suggestions regarding my equipment? Perhaps look into a FX camera that has better high Iso sensitivity....
Can you shoot with the Manual mode settings (as you suggested) and lock your auto-ISO maximum to, say for example 1600? For exmaple (On a Nikon) ISO sensitivity settings (IE: 100) ISO Sensitivity Control: On Max sensitivity: 1600? Would this work, without going too high as to get noticeable noise?
Michael, would you shoot JPG vs RAW just to use the ISO noise reduction? IS that are bigger benefit than shooting raw? I use the Mark III and Canon L series. Thanks, Jim
I have a question I currently am starting out as a sports photographer and run my own sports blog and I shoot a lot of High school and youth and middle school basketball games. What i have for a camera is a canon 50d I only have the 18-135mm lens what should I shoot basketball photos at ? should my ISO be around 1600 with the F/stop being at 1.4 and shutterspeed being at 1/800s?
I know it has a bad auto focus reputation but would a used 5D Mk ii be a good option for him too? more or less the same price as a 6D with similar high ISO performance
Question for you.. I am considering either the canon ef 70-200mm f/2.8l is ii usm or canon ef 70-200mm f/2.8l usm. the price of the markII is my hang up. I shoot a lot of indoor basketball at the youth age and want something better to get sharper pics. I currently have a 6d and a 7d and use prime 1.8 85mm and a 24-100mm f4.5. Can I get away with the EF 70-200mm f\2.8 USM over the Mark II? Is there really a $1000 difference in picture qaulity?
For basketball you have the best lens already, the 85mm. If you're expanding your range into 70-200, go for price, IS is useless and not worth paying for.
Very useful video for indoor Sports. I have to take some photos of my son playing basketball. Thank you Michael.
From Siena, Italy
I would have to agree with Brian Wallace about the 85mm f/1.8. I've been using it for indoor sports, and it's VERY fast. I love that it's light and ultra portable, doesn't take up too much space in my bag, and also, the fact that it's cheap!
Thanks for the good video Mike. For basketball, a parent can typically get pretty close to the action...sideline, corner, and behind the baseline. In these locations, a 50 or 85mm lens is plenty. And when bought in 1.8 aperture versions, they are small, light, sharp, can bring in a lot of light, and are very cheap (compared to something like 24-70 2.8, or 70-200 2.8 zooms) . I am Nikon-centric, so for me that's an $80 (used) 50mm 1.8D, and a $300 85mm 1.8D. Those lenses help TREMENDOUSLY re: a dollar vs light-gathering capability.
Bottom line...a used full frame camera (D700? D600?) with a 50 1.8 and 85 1.8 can get pretty darn good indoor high school sports pics. Below that (won't be nearly as good at low noise / high ISO), something like a used D7000 (important to get the focus motor built into the body to take advantage of older Nikon "D" lenses...so a D5300 (and below, for example), should be avoided if possible.
Also, I think even 1/500th can be too slow (for varsity level play)...though I can see that's mandatory with older cameras whose decent ISO performance only goes to ISO 1600 or so...1/800th and above works well, and means that camera-shake-induced blur is almost non-existent, which also means a lens with VR is not necessary, further cheapening the glass portion of the budget.
Great question & the answer is Yes. There are times when shooting very high ISOs the JPGs will clean up a little better than the RAW files, but I will also say that if its important I will shoot JPG + RAW.
Both are good. I like to 70-200 for the zoom. Yes, a good IS system can make a big difference even at speeds faster than 1/250. Distance is a shake multiplier and magnifies even the slightest movements of the camera. On the 5Diii, I move my squares to where ever I need them and whatever works!
Thanks Michael! All your tips worked great! Thanks again.
I have friends who use that lens and love it for the reasons you mention (cost and low light). The 7D is a great camera outdoors, but in low light the ISO noise isnt that great. My understanding was the focus on the 85 1.8 was not that quick. (Meaning ability to grab and adjust focus on a moving subject). But if you are having success with it thats awesome- Whatever works!
Mike..great tips...i'm having trouble with the white balance...I shoot on auto, but not all of the shots are the same color...any tips on that?
You want your aperture to be f 2.8 or wider. The lenses you ask about are the opposite (smaller openings).
Hi Michael I noticed you didn't mention the Pentax cameras .The Pentax digital cameras have shake reduction system built into the camera body ,so any of the lens like Tamron or sigma 70-200 2.8 lens, the older ones with out built in lens shake reduction can be found for as low as 300 to 500 dollars .The Pentax K7,k5,k3 all have ISO setting to 51,000 ,with very good iso up to 6,400. They also have a iso range setting so you tell the camera how high you want the iso to go . Once you have that set the cameras has a sensitivity setting on the dial which is the iso mode, this dial setting lets you set the aperture setting and shutter speed you need for action shots and the camera picks the best iso for the shot with out you having to worrying about your iso being to high because you set its limit. Features like this can not be found on canon or nikon cameras unless you want to pay over 2,000 dollars for a camera ,and then you don't have built in shake reduction or weather proof bodys or weather proff lens . The Pentax cameras can be found for 400.00 to 800.00 new or used, and are weather proof and Pentax and now sigma has weather proof lens so you can shot in the rain. Also the Pentax cameras have up to 8 fps ,that's 8 pictures in 1 second. So if your a parent or uncle wanting to take photos of your kids indoors or outdoors during sporting events and you don't want to spend over a 1,000 dollars for a setup stay away from Canon and Nikon and get your self a Pentax and spend the thousand dollars you would have spent on a canon or Nikon setup and buy your self a 100mm 2.8 Macro and 17-50mm 2.8 lens to go along with your 70-200 2.8 sigma or Tamron lens.th-cam.com/video/JFQfEVhbp5o/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/88R8jfhfPe0/w-d-xo.html
Thanks Michael! Great advice! I will use it today at my daughter's cheer-leading competition.
I am a sports photographer (mostly outdoors) and have tried a all the different kit lenses for indoor basketball. Just as MichaelTheMentor said "Nope", he couldn't be more right! The aperture just can't handle the lighting...or lack thereof!
I have been called back again for the 4th year to shoot boys and girls basketball at a local Middle School but this time, I rented a lens. It should be in my hands today. It's the 70-200mm 2.8 Nikkor VRII. This set of photos should be the best so far!
Thank you!! Gr8 information. Very helpful. My only regret is that I wish I would have seen your video sooner...when my daughter was playing volleyball in the school gym.
I havent personally tried either, but from what I know the focus on the 85 1.8 is not super fast. I do have a few friends that use it for slower sports shooting.
Going down a stop in AV etc and bringing out the shadows in post seems to work fine with jpegs too. But make sure you are in 16 bit mode. When there's noise I just use noise reduction or gaussian blur - applied via layers, masks and semi transparent brushes.
MKiii, especially when shooting JPG with ISO noise reduction turned on is really good, maybe even up to 3200. MKii starts to peak out around 1000-1200.
I try to be careful about how I talk so everyone can understand what I say, most do not notice. Thank you for your support!
You might want to check out my Canon 600ex Crash Course DVD. There are a lot of different ways to use it, and it would be difficult to answer in a single post here. Its well worth the cost. Best wishes- M
Just one point, the lenses that you discourage (like the 50mm and others) do not have to be shot wide open! I use the Canon 85mm f/1.8, but shoot at 2.5 a lot.
Check with the officials or the coaches to ensure you can use flash. I use two flashes at all high school basketball events on tripods at the top of the stands in opposite corners. The flashes are pointing at a 45 degree angle towards the center of the court. There are various ways to trigger the flashes. This method keeps the light out of the athletes eyes. I have had no complaints.
Great tips. I tried them out tonight for a practice shoot at a gymnastics practice. I liked the idea of using aperture priority mode and using the ISO setting to drive the shutter speed. However, I found that even at ISO 6400 my Canon t7i would shoot at 1/250 or 1/500. I had to push it all the way to ISO 25,600 to get shutter speeds of 1/1,000 or faster. So, all of my pictures are horribly grainy.
I think next time I'm going to try full manual at f2.8, 1/1000, and ISO 400 or 800 just to see what happens.
Thanks again for the post!
Interesting - I've used both the 85 1.8 and 100 2.0 for indoor sports and have been very pleased. I've used them for hockey and basketball. They're not on par with the 135 2.0 (my favorite indoor sports lens) but the large apertures of those two lenses and their respective prices make them an ideal option for people without big budgets. I actually prefer them to my 70-200 f2.8 because I can keep the ISO down on my 7D.
Great video and lots of options I plan on trying. I've been shooting high school basketball for a couple years and use Canon 7D with 70-200 2.8L lens. I shoot shutter priority (usually around 300) but usually have to push my ISO up to 1800 or higher and it's very noisy. But also the shots don't seem to be real crisp. What focus point is best for basketball -- spot focus / single point / auto focus point expansion or zone auto focus? I usually use single point or auto focus point exp.
Hi Michael. Thanks for a great video, with sound recommendations for indoor equipment and settings. Have always used Manual, but not with Auto ISO. I play and shoot table tennis in low-light venues, so I don't have much time for adjusting settings between matches. I shoot with my Canon 7D and 70-200 IS L v1. Next competition, I will use your settings and see what happens.
I'd recommend the 7D. I shoot a lot of volleyball and sell images on site (meaning no editing) The 7D focuses fast and accurately so i can shoot. I use the Canon 85mm f/1.8 and Canon 50mm f/1.4 typically. Now, i can get quite close (a perk of being the official photographer), but another good one is the Canon 200mm f/2.8 (mki) lens. Each of these lenses are relatively inexpensive. *(each can be bought for under $500)
Great tip for under exposing, i even use it but (a /3 stop) on sunny days to control ghosting with white jerseys or high reflected items.
Thanks Mike for the great tutorial. Now i know what kind of lenses i need for these conditions.
Some well thought out advice here. Thanks!
Shake attack? You have to buy a Sony A7 II or Sony A7R II... Or use an stabilizer camera with 3 axis or more and remote control for sport... Maybe a Nebula 4000 or Pilotfly... Excellent video!
Yes- could you upgrade to something with better ISO noise?
Thats tough. The 7D is better for sports, but its ISO noise struggles. 6D has much better ISO, but the focusing system and full frame are not as good for shooting moving subjects. If it is very low light, I would grab the 6D personally.
I think a photographer should always get the best glass they can, but only if they can afford it. Yes, it is a write off if you are running a legit business. That said, there are a lot of photographers who still wouldn't be able to afford it, business owners or not. That lens is almost 2x the cost of a brand new 5Diii. Good questions - thank you!
Hi!
Would you be able to do a video when you show some tips for soccer outdoors/indoors and track and field indoors and outdoors? I would appreciate some more special tips for those sports and I would be really happy if you could do that because your videos are so good. I would also appreciate some more "budget" tips at objects for both indoor and outdoor photography if thats possible (for canon). Thank you for good videos and lessons!
Elsa Karlsson
Hi and Thank you so much for your video on shooting in low light.
I have been trying to shoot my daughter's during their in door soccer game last season and my shot's have not been good so i'll try you lesson and see if it works for me,I'll let you know how it turns out .
PS: Thanks again :-) and have a wonderful Holiday season and I'll get back soon.
i'm from brazil and follow all your videos. many thanks for this amazing job. keep it!
Voleibol Fan, two things, 1. If you feel that spending any money on upgrading is a "waste" then you shouldn't even be asking. 2. I would suggest renting a camera first to see which one works best for you. You can try ATSrentals or borrowlenses. These are websites.
I like your easy teaching
I would like to know your advice about focus tracking modes ...d9 or group and 3d in Airshow when using Nikon d750
Having hard time getting it correct and many options out there
Thank you
Thanks for the good video Mike. I tried to shoot a wrestling meet. My fasted nice lens is 4.0. My 50mm Primes was hard to use as the kids are moving around the mat so much. One high school was bad lighting and mats were a orange & dark grey, that just did not work well. Next high school was better as had some natural light via some windows and was a Saturday mid day match, and blue and white mats. These were the best pictures of the year.. Wish I would have found your tutorial before I went as was using wrong settings for auto focus. Maybe time to get a faster 2.8f zoom lens I want.
You can also adjust your EV to keep your shutter speed up and your ISO down
Thanks for a great video, Mike. I am an newbie and your information was helpful. I just received a Canon D80 and used your tips to take some photos of my son's basketball game this weekend. I downloaded the images on my computer (I shot in RAW) and went to open them in Photoshop (9) and it won't open them. I changed the format thinking that was all, but I can't access any of the pictures (Photoshop or Window's viewer) although I see them on my camera. Can you help?
U needed an updated version of Photoshop
The short answer is: No, not unless you have something like a 6D where you can turn up the ISO to 25600.
Yes I did watch it but im a noob in photography. When it says f2.8 in your video is it ok to have a little more or a little less than that and will it still be acceptable in indoor sports photography. @michaelthementor
You might want to start off with checking out my videos on shutter speed and apertures, it will help you get started.
Is the Canon 200mm F2.5 lens excellent for photographing or not sporting indoor halls
yep nice mate - thanks
Thanks for this nice video. All this info came in extra handy today for boys basketball action shots.
Very very helpful!!! Great one MichaelTheMentor!!! TY!!!
Fantastic advice and tutorial! Thank you!
Wow! Great video! Got much more from this than the dozens of forum comments I've been reading.
Your opinion, please, on shooting indoor with APSC sensor camera and f/4-200 lense vs a super zoom (Pan FZ200) with a faster lense - F/2.8 throughout range, but, obviously a much smaller sensor. So, bigger sensor/slower lense vs. smaller sensor/faster lense? Thanks so much, JW
Very good video.
Thank yoU!
Very useful I just purchased a canon 80d with a 18-135mm lens. Based on your video I have the right lens for indoor sports shooting. What classes do you recommend for a beginner such as myself. I want to understand these terms and their functions
I got a piece of trash camera, so hopefully some of the settings can help out. Cheers Michael
Dear Michael,,
My brother is a professional basketball player so in the past few years i've been always into sports photography,,whether its indoor or outdoor..
All the informations you gave in this video is very helpful and i always correcting my settings to adjust different lightings at the gym..
But im using a Nikon D5100 which is a middle class camera..i always use 55-200 lens.
But sometimes i couldn't got the right settings..even though i sit at the same place as the previous day's game..
What went wrong??
Please give me some information so i can get it right..
Thx..
Again, nice job. Nice to know some of the things you are talking about, I've experimented with as well. Thanks.
I'm getting very good shots of indoor basketball with the Sigma 56mm f1.4 on a Sony a6500. The lens cost $475.
Thank you for your video, I appreciate the tips. Two quick questions, if you still read comments from your older videos such as this one. Do you recommend back button focus? I've tried it a few times and was not found of it, but in fairness I should have probably insisted a bit more. This would be to shoot football (soccer for you guys) and hurling, which are both fast action games.
Second question. Would you recommend a 70-200 f/2.8L IS II with an extender, or the 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS II. Both are roughly same price, but the first would be more versatile for other situations (though less reach). Also not sure if the focusing with the extender would be affected. Thanks again!
I ended up going with the 70-200 f2.8 as well. Absolutely love it. Extender is next on the list :) Thanks Jimmy.
Great tutorial Michael...Thanks
As a Nikon shooter whould the Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR [Vibration Reduction] Nikkor Zoom Lens
Work
Sports in photography means fast shutter speed. Light and L lenses are your friends.
70-200 2.8 is mandatory.
Track and field stadium events with tv coverage requires 10 000 iso for 1/1000s images Canon/Nikon offer is 3200 in 2014. 10 000 clean iso will come probably in 2025.
Hi.
Thanks for video about indoor sport photography. Would you please tell a little bit about "indoor sport photography by using speedlite" ?
Thanks.
Great tips! Thank you very much
Thanks for the information on Canon.. what about Nikon body/lens
Thanks for this very detailed explanatory video!
SI, AP etc. photographers have strobesmountad in the ceiling and use triggers to fire them so the court is lit to when they shoot. Daaaaaah!
Well done, thank you for the tips and explanation.
very good info.
Ok so I found this old film camera in our house its a canon eos rebel x. I was wondering if its lens would work. Its a canon 35-80mm I dont know every thing about it but its says around the lens 1:4-5.6 iii it also has auto focus
You should be good with that to start!
Very good tips.Thank you.
I'm planning on taking indoor pictures of children playing games such running and tossing bean bags. Which shutter speed do you think will be fast enough to stop the action? I'm using a print film SLR camera. Would an ISO of 800 be good enough? Would you recommend using flash?
Great tips! Thanks. I usually use auto ISO
What are the four steps for indoor sports photos in this video??
Good stuff.
One of the Important Factors is WB ??? I tried A ( Auto) looks like little red
Thank you for this video man! It reaalllyy helped me out.
Thank you very much for this great video tutorial!!
love your videos
how is the mkII's ISO noise compared to mk III? What's the max you would suggest on MKII, 1200?
Hello , great video. I also looked at your test of nikon d7100 and canon 70d , which recommend to photograph and film figure skating ? ( high school gyms ) , Greetings from Argentina and sorry for my english.
pd: Spanish subtitles is a lot would be appreciated :)
hi, i have a canon d1000, and i tried this seting's, but my exposure is not going dawn under f 5.0 in AV mode
:(
hello MichaelTheMentor, your video is great!! I´ve some of the lens that you talk about here like the Canon 135 mm 2.0. I want to shot some pics in volleyball games. I have a old Canon 40D, and very soon i will buy a new camera, but i don´t have too much money to waste, so here ´s my question- What camera do you advice for indoor sports like volleyball? Canon 6D or Canon 7D?? During the games i´m about 6 metres above (in a balcony) the players. I hope to have your help! Thanks!
Can I use 6d for taking action shots indoor tennis or soccer? If I do what you suggested and buy 70-200 f2.8 is lens ??
Thanks for your good tips
What do you advise when it comes to using lens hood?
It's still difficult to shoot indoors. I have a Nikon D90 with a 50mm 1.4G lens and at about 800 ISO the pictures look very bad with the ugly noise. So even with a wide lens sometimes its still not enough and at 1.4 my photos tend to look out of focus! Any suggestions regarding my equipment? Perhaps look into a FX camera that has better high Iso sensitivity....
Can you shoot with the Manual mode settings (as you suggested) and lock your auto-ISO maximum to, say for example 1600?
For exmaple (On a Nikon)
ISO sensitivity settings (IE: 100)
ISO Sensitivity Control: On
Max sensitivity: 1600?
Would this work, without going too high as to get noticeable noise?
Michael, would you shoot JPG vs RAW just to use the ISO noise reduction? IS that are bigger benefit than shooting raw? I use the Mark III and Canon L series. Thanks, Jim
I have a question I currently am starting out as a sports photographer and run my own sports blog and I shoot a lot of High school and youth and middle school basketball games. What i have for a camera is a canon 50d I only have the 18-135mm lens what should I shoot basketball photos at ? should my ISO be around 1600 with the F/stop being at 1.4 and shutterspeed being at 1/800s?
Very informative. Thank you.
I know it has a bad auto focus reputation but would a used 5D Mk ii be a good option for him too? more or less the same price as a 6D with similar high ISO performance
so for outdoor that would work? FYI i have the new Nikon D7100
Very helpful... Thanks!
Not going to work. did you watch the video?
Hello Mike. Will my 300 AFS F4 survive indoor basketball with my D7100 ?
Great info!!!
Great video. Thankyou
Hello Michael, I have a Nikon. I have a d3100 and one of my lenses is a Nikkor AF-S 70-300mm 1:4.5-5.6 G. Would that one be okay fo rsport shooting?
Question for you.. I am considering either the canon ef 70-200mm f/2.8l is ii usm or canon ef 70-200mm f/2.8l usm. the price of the markII is my hang up. I shoot a lot of indoor basketball at the youth age and want something better to get sharper pics. I currently have a 6d and a 7d and use prime 1.8 85mm and a 24-100mm f4.5. Can I get away with the EF 70-200mm f\2.8 USM over the Mark II? Is there really a $1000 difference in picture qaulity?
For basketball you have the best lens already, the 85mm. If you're expanding your range into 70-200, go for price, IS is useless and not worth paying for.
Your mistake was using the image stabilization while it was mounted to a tripod. Always turn off IS when you have the camera mounted.