Older Full Frame Expanded ISO vs Newer Crop Native ISO for Floodlit Sports

M

MC Ox

Messages
5
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi everyone

Grateful for any advice.

First attempt at a non-league floodlit game last night. Got some decent shots with shutter speed at 1/1000, f2.8 but had to use ISO25600. Everything at 12800 was too dark (confirmed by histograms) despite the floodlights being surprisingly good for Step 5, and correcting the exposure in lightroom just made them very noisy very quickly (worse than correctly exposed 25600).

Im using a Nikon D3500 and Nikkor 70-200 F2.8G ED VR, the first generation one. So Im content that the lens is good enough (I can’t afford better anyway). But Im wondering whether I need to rethink the D3500 camera body.

If I moved from the crop D3500 to a used FF D610 (around £600 would be the limit of my budget realistically), would image quality be significantly improved?

I’d be going from an up to date crop sensor with native ISO up to 25600, to an older full frame sensor with native ISO up to 6400 (expanded ISO to 25600).

Would the full frame make up for the lower native ISO?

Would the older but higher quality (at the time) sensor of the 610 improve on the newer but cheaper sensor of the 3500?
 
My guess would be NO to the older FF .. BUT hat is just a guess...someone who know nikon is better to help on that :)

The reason I am replying.. Are you shooting correctly under very extreme conditions... You should fill the frame.. Better cameras can let you go 50% and beyond but your best filling the frame and that might not be possible on a 200 max lens unless you keep to certain areas of the pitch.. ... Also your doing well with 1000 shutter.. You could lower it using a 70-200.. I dont like going below 1000 in any light using my 400mm .. you should be able to save some using 70-200 I thought.. maybe a 640 shutter.. Also in low light I tend to over expose by 1/3rd stop rather than under expose and try to fix.. even at high ISO shooting to the right by a third just makes PP easier IMHO

Again getting he shutter speed down will get the iso down so on 200 maybe lower yours. Also a monopod even on a 70-200 will help in low light.. I used to have a sigma 70-200 and used a monpod on night games ..I cant now but wiht one camera setup I did and every bit helps :)
 
Great advice thank you. I was aware of trying to fill the frame but had varying success -sometimes cropping limbs out and sometimes not being close enough. Its MUCH harder than it looks!!! Its a skill i need to develop, I can see now how hugely important it is because as soon as i start cropping in lightroom the noise becomes unacceptable alarmingly quickly but without cropping there is little pop or impact.

I was getting out of focus at less than 1000 shutter but again this will be my skill level...Practice practice practice ahead! No problem with that, really enjoyed being out there doing it.

Monopod on the way, does it get in the way of moving quickly around to track the ball or is that another skill I need to develop!!!

I do think a better camerai body will help but it was a short sharp lesson that you need skill too...sounds so obvious when you say it like that...
 
Solid advise from Kipax, I try to slightly over expose under floodlight too. Also, if using LR sharpening tool make sure you use the masking slider as well.
 
Doing my first saturday daylight game at the weekend. Planning to start with the following and experiment from there:
- 640-1000 shutter
- auto ISO
- WB either auto if its sunny or more likely 'cloudy',
- continuous AF,
- Dynamic area AF,
- matrix metering

Any obvious glaring errors in there? Should/can i move off f2.8?
 
MC Ox said:
Would the older but higher quality (at the time) sensor of the 610 improve on the newer but cheaper sensor of the 3500?
Click to expand...
I can't comment on the bodies you're asking about but my experience is with a cropped D500 and an older full frame D3s. The D500 has a 21mp sensor but I tend to use it in medium quality RAW mode, so effectively at about the same 12mp as the D3s.
And my answer is my cameras are about equally good in poor light, indoors or under floodlights. I've used both up to about ISO10,000. So the newer crop sensor is the equal of the older ff one.
 
Last edited:
I owned a D610 until recently. I wouldn't use it about 6400 - at that point noise was fine, but any higher it became an issue. I can't advise about sports work because I've never really done any.
 
MC Ox said:
Hi everyone

Grateful for any advice.

First attempt at a non-league floodlit game last night. Got some decent shots with shutter speed at 1/1000, f2.8 but had to use ISO25600. Everything at 12800 was too dark (confirmed by histograms) despite the floodlights being surprisingly good for Step 5, and correcting the exposure in lightroom just made them very noisy very quickly (worse than correctly exposed 25600).

Im using a Nikon D3500 and Nikkor 70-200 F2.8G ED VR, the first generation one. So Im content that the lens is good enough (I can’t afford better anyway). But Im wondering whether I need to rethink the D3500 camera body.

If I moved from the crop D3500 to a used FF D610 (around £600 would be the limit of my budget realistically), would image quality be significantly improved?

I’d be going from an up to date crop sensor with native ISO up to 25600, to an older full frame sensor with native ISO up to 6400 (expanded ISO to 25600).

Would the full frame make up for the lower native ISO?

Would the older but higher quality (at the time) sensor of the 610 improve on the newer but cheaper sensor of the 3500?
Click to expand...

The d610 will be about a stop cleaner, maybe even 1 1/2.
 
Last edited:
Expanded ISO is never a good idea unless it's absolutely necessary, since the camera under exposes by 1 or 2 stops to give the increased ISO, which of course increases the noise.

And if you're shooting in a stadium etc with bright floodlights the AF on the camera may under expose even further.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top