still confused!

[bungle29]

hey all,

i know i've posted about this before, but i'm still confused so the deal is i'm doing photos for a charity football match which will be during the day, i'm also going to be pitch side so can got where ever i want. i just can't decide what lens i need. i've got a 70-300mm f4.5-5.6, but i'm not sure if i need some thing the same as a 300mm or 400mm but in a F2.8. does it matter?


cheers

 

[realspeed]

its a question of shutter speed over distance. Close shots fast shutter speed distance shots can be taken with a slower shutter speed (in theory anyway). So really do you intend to take photos from one end of the football pitch to the other, or sideline shots with the action close to you. Once you have decided where you want to position yourself then you will know which lens to use. Maybe the answer is to use both, one half of the game for one lens (i.e. 70-300)and the second half for the other (f2.8), Just a thought

 

[Gary Coyle]

You cant use what you aint got so unless you got a spare £4-7000 to spend on a 300-400mm f/2.8 than use your 70-300mm

 

[bungle29]

i not buying one just thinking or renting a lens

 

[Gary Coyle]

Just use your 70-300mm, its a charity event, theyre not paying you, have you seen the cost of renting large prime lenses

Im not being funny but why would you even put yourself forward or be talked into doing this event if as in your own words "youre confused, can't decide what lens i need, not sure if i need some thing the same as a 300mm or 400mm but in a F2.8." and worst of all "does it matter?"

 

[Siberdib]

The cost would probably far out-seed what you'd be getting paid to rent one and also, if you've never used a 400 prime it would take a little getting use to coming up from a 70-300 due to the fixed focal length and weight (if you've considered your need a monopod as well)

 

[Jelster]

Use a 100-400 and push the ISO up. Using big primes when you're not used to them will result in failure. Believe me, been there & done that with a 400 f2.8 on a birding trip. If you do rent, take it for at least a few days before the event to get used to it.

 

[bungle29]

Just use your 70-300mm, its a charity event, theyre not paying you, have you seen the cost of renting large prime lenses

Im not being funny but why would you even put yourself forward or be talked into doing this event if as in your own words "youre confused, can't decide what lens i need, not sure if i need some thing the same as a 300mm or 400mm but in a F2.8." and worst of all "does it matter?"

its an event my brother and his friend have sorted for the cry charity as my brothers friend lost his brother through sudden cardiac arrest, thats why i said i would do it.

The cost would probably far out-seed what you'd be getting paid to rent one and also, if you've never used a 400 prime it would take a little getting use to coming up from a 70-300 due to the fixed focal length and weight (if you've considered your need a monopod as well)

i do have a monopod so i ok that area i just didn't know if i needed a better f stop lens, but i think i might go with what i've got.
so heres another question which mode shutter priority or aperture priority

 

[purpleclouds]

its an event my brother and his friend have sorted for the cry charity as my brothers friend lost his brother through sudden cardiac arrest, thats why i said i would do it.

Surely that's even more reason to get someone who would at least know what they were doing! You don't want to do the event and cause an injustice by providing terrible pictures.

 

[Gary Coyle]

so heres another question which mode shutter priority or aperture priority

Seriously!!!!!!! and this is an important event for your brother, i dont mind being helpful and giving some decent advice so here goes, tell your brother your camera and lens are broken so he will have to get someone with at least an inkling of what theyre doing.

Honestly Colin, youre setting yourself up for a fall

Your only hope is that the event is a few weeks away and you can then go out and practice some footy on the intervening Sunday mornings at the local park to get some much needed practice in.

Where are you based Colin

 

[Ulfric M Douglas]

.... i just can't decide what lens i need. i've got a 70-300mm f4.5-5.6, ...

Like Gary said, practice.
You have all the gear you need.
As for "shutter priority or aperture priority", you're trolling us, right?

And enough with the row of stupid smileys.

 

[bungle29]

I am NOT trolling anyone!!
my normal photography is racing photos which ive been at for near on 2 year, recntly ive been learning and getting my head around shooting through a fence to which i found that it is better in aperture priority if the subject is coming towards you head on, so you have the lens at say F 5.6 to remove most of the fence from the shot, and when theres no fence then its best to have it in shutter priority mode to give it motion blur and a feel of movement, i just thought some might use aperture priority to give the photo a depth of field?. i have done football photos a couple of times and thought theres room for improvement, so just wanted advice as to weather i was shooting it right or if i would benifit from hiring a better lens?

thses are photos i took with my old sony DSLR camera with a 70-300mm F5.6 sony lens
DSC02205a by bungle29, on Flickr
DSC02153a by bungle29, on Flickr
DSC02388 by bungle29, on Flickr
DSC02175a by bungle29, on Flickr

P.S Sorry if the Smileys offend you i was only having a laugh!

 

[helloimkev]

If you're not using a f2.8 then go with aperture priority Colin, the less DOF the better with football as crowd / backdrop will be quite annoying & clutter up the photos if too close to the focus. The ones you posted seem OK for your needs, so unless it's a nighttime game I'd say save yourself the £140+ rental fees & just shoot with the 70-300 at the lowest aperture. Obviously watch the shutter speed doesn't drop too low, 1/640 is the minimum I'd let it get to so make sure the ISO is high enough as well.

 

[bungle29]

If you're not using a f2.8 then go with aperture priority Colin, the less DOF the better with football as crowd / backdrop will be quite annoying & clutter up the photos if too close to the focus. The ones you posted seem OK for your needs, so unless it's a nighttime game I'd say save yourself the £140+ rental fees & just shoot with the 70-300 at the lowest aperture. Obviously watch the shutter speed doesn't drop too low, 1/640 is the minimum I'd let it get to so make sure the ISO is high enough as well.

thanks very much for your help, i got a phone call from the lens hire company and they now can't lend it to me now , and i will keep an eye out for the shutter speed, also i read about having a high ISO from what i remember they said about 400, does that sound about right?
thanks again

 

[helloimkev]

thanks very much for your help, i got a phone call from the lens hire company and they now can't lend it to me now , and i will keep an eye out for the shutter speed, also i read about having a high ISO from what i remember they said about 400, does that sound about right?
thanks again

The ISO is a means to an end, shutter speed / aperture are the priority depending what you're shooting. You need to get the fastest possible shutter speed with the available light. I regularly shoot Newport in League 2 & at some home games I've been as high as ISO 5000 just to keep my shutter speed at 1/800 at f2.8

What time of day & when is this game out of interest?

 

[Photodiva]

Colin, I started with a 20D and a 70-300 f4.5-5.6. Not great, but adequate in daylight. Auto focus is a bit slow so you have to anticipate the action as much as possible. Best advice from me would be either shoot manual mode, meter off the grass, set the aperture to as wide a poss, shutter speed to at least 1/800 or 1/1000th and adjust the iso to get a decent exposure. will depend on the lighting during the day whether you need to adjust the iso as the light changes. Avoid contrasty bright light and strong shadows, and most important, sit down to shoot. Choose a couple of likely places (behind the goal line, or side line anywhere between the 18yd box and the half way and avoid the parts where the linesman gets in the way. 70-300 should be fine (particularly on a 1.6x crop body) and wait for the action to come to you. Good luck!

 

[bungle29]

The ISO is a means to an end, shutter speed / aperture are the priority depending what you're shooting. You need to get the fastest possible shutter speed with the available light. I regularly shoot Newport in League 2 & at some home games I've been as high as ISO 5000 just to keep my shutter speed at 1/800 at f2.8

What time of day & when is this game out of interest?

theres two games both in the afternoon one at 2pm and one at 4pm on the 8th of may.

Colin, I started with a 20D and a 70-300 f4.5-5.6. Not great, but adequate in daylight. Auto focus is a bit slow so you have to anticipate the action as much as possible. Best advice from me would be either shoot manual mode, meter off the grass, set the aperture to as wide a poss, shutter speed to at least 1/800 or 1/1000th and adjust the iso to get a decent exposure. will depend on the lighting during the day whether you need to adjust the iso as the light changes. Avoid contrasty bright light and strong shadows, and most important, sit down to shoot. Choose a couple of likely places (behind the goal line, or side line anywhere between the 18yd box and the half way and avoid the parts where the linesman gets in the way. 70-300 should be fine (particularly on a 1.6x crop body) and wait for the action to come to you. Good luck!

thanks very much for the advice it really helps

 

[helloimkev]

In that case mate think you should be OK with your setup, agree with @Photodiva that manual would be better so you have a greater control of your settings, but aperture priority should also serve you OK provided you keep the shutter speed up, so pick a good ISO to allow for it!

 

[bungle29]

In that case mate think you should be OK with your setup, agree with @Photodiva that manual would be better so you have a greater control of your settings, but aperture priority should also serve you OK provided you keep the shutter speed up, so pick a good ISO to allow for it!

thanks again for you help.

 

[helloimkev]

thanks again for you help.

My pleasure, look forward to seeing the images!