Beginner Nikon d7000 shutter speed

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Ben
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Hi,
I have a nikon d7000 with a sigma 150-600mm f5-6.3 lens as i shoot the sport polo. I shoot in sport setting but i would also like to be able to adjust my shutter speed in that setting. is that possible? i know obviously i should just use the actual shutter setting but i find a lot of images come out very dark and with polo being very quick i don't have time to keep manually adjusting every setting. any help appreciated
 
Hi,
I have a nikon d7000 with a sigma 150-600mm f5-6.3 lens as i shoot the sport polo. I shoot in sport setting but i would also like to be able to adjust my shutter speed in that setting. is that possible? i know obviously i should just use the actual shutter setting but i find a lot of images come out very dark and with polo being very quick i don't have time to keep manually adjusting every setting. any help appreciated
Yes.
Use Shutter priority with Auto ISO.
 
The key is to understand what sport setting does which is (I'm guessing but it's kind of obvious) to use CAF and use as fast a shutter speed as possible.

You can replicate this by setting the camera to CAF (or Nikon's auto detect works very well) and then set it to Shutter Priority and control that yourself, also set auto ISO to ON so that the exposure comes out right.

Probably a good thing to learn about exposure and read the manual too (Nikon manuals tend to be pretty good), that way you would understand why things are coming out dark when you use Shutter Priority:

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/camera-exposure.htm

In fact, do those two things and you'll never need to ask a question about settings again.
 
Ben, to answer the question, no you can't adjust shutter speed in sports mode, its one of the auto mode settings on the camera.

Its not a mode I'm familiar with, but I've just had a look and you can't add exposure compensation or change the meter mode either.

As Phil said above, you need to use shutter priority and auto ISO.

If some of the shots look dark you could try spot metering, it will expose for the action instead of the whole image.

If the shots are still dark, you'll have to dial in + 1 or 2 thirds to the exposure compensation.
 
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Set the auto ISO to max 3200 and slowest shutter to 1/500 th of a second and see what happens
And put it in ap priority
 
And when it's in A mode, set the aperture to as wide as possible (lowest number so 6.3 at the long end on the Sigma lens mentioned in the OP.) I'd also see just how noisy the images from a D7000 are at ISO 6400 - IMO a relatively well exposed shot with some noise is better than one with a load of motion blur that's a bit cleaner.
 
i find a lot of images come out very dark
This is the big issue, surely. It's not about whether you shoot in Sports mode or in shutter priority, or whatever. It's about how the exposure is being determined.

Could you share one or two examples of your "very dark" photos, with the EXIF data intact?

If some of the shots look dark you could try spot metering, it will expose for the action instead of the whole image.
Surely that's not appropriate. Different coloured horses, different coloured polo shirts - how is the camera supposed to know what you're pointing it at?

If the light isn't varying too rapidly, what I'd do is take a meter reading off the grass and use that in Manual mode. But I'm sure it's not the only way.
 
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Surely that's not appropriate.

My thinking was that maybe the metering mode was set to evaluate the whole picture fooling the camera into thinking the picture was brighter than it was, under-exposing the shot of the action.

By suggesting trying spot metering it may have exposed correctly but I did say if it didn't to dial in some + compensation.

Its all guess work, unless you're actually there we'll never know, but if the shots are taken into the sun, spot metering would help


Different coloured horses, different coloured polo shirts - how is the camera supposed to know what you're pointing it at?

Isn't that what spot metering is for?


What I do find confusing is you first said

It's about how the exposure is being determined.

Isn't that agreeing with me that the meter is being fooled into under-exposing the shots!

My suggestion was just that, I was trying to keep it as simple as possible.


If the light isn't varying too rapidly, what I'd do is take a meter reading off the grass and use that in Manual mode.

Even if the horses were back lit and the grass in bright sunlight? That would still under-expose the shot :)
 
My thinking was that maybe the metering mode was set to evaluate the whole picture fooling the camera into thinking the picture was brighter than it was, under-exposing the shot of the action.
Yes, that's what I think might be happening too.

Different coloured horses, different coloured polo shirts - how is the camera supposed to know what you're pointing it at?
Isn't that what spot metering is for?... I was trying to keep it as simple as possible.
Yes and no. I get your point, in that when you use spot metering you know exactly what the meter is seeing. And if the target under the spot doesn't have the same reflectivity as a grey card (18%), spot metering won't give the right exposure, so it needs some exposure compensation to correct it. I'm with you there. My concern is that this is a fast moving sport, and what you're suggesting requires the photographer to dial in some exposure compensation on every shot to correct for the colour of the spot metering target. I just don't think that's terribly practical.

Even if the horses were back lit and the grass in bright sunlight? That would still under-expose the shot :)
You wouldn't do it like that. Front-lit grass approximates 18% reflectivity so it's a good subject for metering and fixing the exposure. Back lit grass isn't.
 
The biggest single thing that has changed my photography in the last year, and is enormously helpful in conditions where light levels constantly changing, is starting to use auto ISO.
Use aperture priority - or shutter priority - depending on the situation, to give you the control you need, and let the camera balance the exposure.
 
The biggest single thing that has changed my photography in the last year, and is enormously helpful in conditions where light levels constantly changing, is starting to use auto ISO.
Use aperture priority - or shutter priority - depending on the situation, to give you the control you need, and let the camera balance the exposure.
With the Nikon you can also use M(anual) mode so you can select BOTH aperture and shutter speed. Put the camera in Auto ISO mode and the camera will adjust the ISO setting to suit available light,
 
With the Nikon you can also use M(anual) mode so you can select BOTH aperture and shutter speed. Put the camera in Auto ISO mode and the camera will adjust the ISO setting to suit available light,
That's not 'manual' mode, but we haven't yet reached a consensus for what to call it ;)
 
That's not 'manual' mode, but we haven't yet reached a consensus for what to call it ;)
Pendent. But yes I agree in a way. But Nikon "call" it M ... perhaps V for versatile mode? Or M for Masochists mode?
 
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