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OntheRez Offline • • • • Upload & Sell: On p.1 #1 · 1DIV settings - low light sports? Hi all, I am, on a weekly basis, forced to shoot football at ISO 25600, f/2.8, with a SS around 1/400. I realize the SS is low (1/640 seems to be a better minimum), but even with the slower shutter speed my pix run from .5 to 1.5 stops under exposed. (Depends on whether or not the play occurs within the arc of one of the light standards.) I have a standard +1/3 EV and shoot RAW. Believe me when I say that the local lighting is absolutely the worst I've ever dealt with. I've studied the 1DIV manual and experimented a lot. Canon's manual explanations are terse to the point of obscure Biggest problem is AF selecting something contrasty in the background (often another player) and focusing on it rather than say the player my center point is on. I recognize some of this is idiot user though I don't know for sure how much. I shoot almost exclusively with a 70-200 f/2.8L II. (Maybe 5% with a 24-70 f/2.8L.) My faster primes do not have the reach (longest is the 135mm) and frankly I can't see anyway to adapt to rapidly changing subject distance without a zoom. My settings are as follows: Tv mode: 1/400, ISO 25600 (H1), f/2.8, AISERVO, high speed. I use spot metering and center point focus with back button activation. My C.FnIII settings are as follows: #2 AI Servo tracking: 1 click to left of center (have tried center without noticeable improvement), #4(1)continuous AF track, #5 focus search on, #8 AF expansion w/select pt (2)surrounding AF points. (Left/right better?). C.FnII are all set to default, but I wonder if #4 autolighting optimizer (currently 0:standard) should be set to strong. The manual doesn't provide much information about this setting other than P. 81 noting that if this is set "The picture will be recorded with the brightness and contrast corrected if necessary." Working inside (VB in dark gym) with fast primes and ISO 3200 - 6400 (lots of variation in the lighting), I still have the same problem but it doesn't seem to be as bad. This seems a bit odd as there is a lot more detail in the bleachers in a gym than the dark far side of the football field. I'd appreciate hearing from any of you who shoot the 1DIV at its extremes. I always get usable (for the paper anyway) shots, but would love to get more of the "ones that got away." Robert (I put this question here because 1) It's a Canon issue and 2) the sports forum seems to discourage gear discussion.) Oh - and suggesting I get a 200mm f/2.0 - well, I'm not sure my truck is worth that much Sep 20, 2012 at 08:58 PM

adamx12m Offline • Upload & Sell: Off p.1 #2 · 1DIV settings - low light sports? I'm pretty much using most of those settings except for metering, but I don't beyond 12800. I typically meter with center weight but factoring the color of jerseys and poor lighting it sounds tough. #8 AF expansion w/select pt (2)surrounding AF points. (Left/right better?). #8 left/right is ok shooting from the sidelines where your close enough, but further away I disable and use center only because AF just picks up on strange things. The one thing I always thought was confusing with the focus points was if the center point being a cross-type, the actual next cross-type focus point was two clicks in either direction, not the next one over, P.99. This may also sound strange but I try to line up the subject target on top of the AF point, not in the middle. Sep 20, 2012 at 09:44 PM

matt4626 Offline • • • Upload & Sell: On p.1 #3 · 1DIV settings - low light sports? See Art Morris..... His guides are worth the price IMHO. Sep 21, 2012 at 12:25 AM

gadget_ Offline • Upload & Sell: Off p.1 #4 · 1DIV settings - low light sports? Single point, lens drive when AF impossible off, AF priority NOT drive priority, tracking priority, slow AF setting. No expanded points because it'll just jump to them as soon as it has any difficulty getting the player, and if they're not on the player too bad for you! Also, with AF drive off if it cant get the target you'll know because it wont take a picture when you press the button. Also if possible track your subjects for a second or two before you shoot. If something comes between you and the subject wait another second at least before shooting. And finally, get closer. The bigger the target the better chance of tracking them. Samples? Sep 21, 2012 at 12:37 AM

RobertLynn Offline • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off p.1 #5 · 1DIV settings - low light sports? I shoot 1div at 12800 all of the time. Here's the thing. If you don't have the light you don't have the light! Sep 21, 2012 at 01:04 AM

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artsupreme Offline • • • Upload & Sell: On p.1 #6 · 1DIV settings - low light sports? I think you need one of these, or maybe two: Sep 21, 2012 at 02:11 AM

Todd Ryburn Offline • Upload & Sell: Off p.1 #7 · 1DIV settings - low light sports? I shoot with a Max ISO of 12800, using auto ISO, 1/640 (1/800 if possible), F2.8. It almost sounds like you are going to have to use a prime as dark as it is. Can't really raise the ISO or lower the shutter, so that's all you are left with. Sep 21, 2012 at 02:48 AM

crteach Offline • • Upload & Sell: On p.1 #8 · 1DIV settings - low light sports? artsupreme wrote: I think you need one of these, or maybe two: Good one, art supreme!! +1 Sep 21, 2012 at 03:21 AM

OntheRez Offline • • • • Upload & Sell: On p.1 #9 · 1DIV settings - low light sports? @Adam Read p99: specifically, "The cross-type sensors' vertical-line sensitivity is approx. 2 times higher than their horizontal line sensitivity. I've read it several times and still am not sure what it's saying and don't follow your 2 focus point over discussion. I'll try aiming at the top of the player. I've always tried to get it in the middle of the body. @matt, only Google reference on Art Morris and "photography guide" were books on shooting birds. Is this what you are recommending? @gadget, your suggestions all seem reasonable so I'll give them a try. Tomorrow night home will be wearing deep red and visitors will be wearing black with orange accent (including black pants). It's going to be a beach. As for close, as an "official" press photographer I'm literally on the sideline such that I every so often have to roll/throw myself out of the way. (In these little towns being official doesn't mean much as there is no other press there.) At times the subject over fills a 70mm FOV. I have noticed that much closer subjects look a lot better at that high of an ISO. @Robert Ain't it so. Still, its the job and I have to get a photo in the editor's inbox within 24 hours, captioned and ready to print. Fortunately the paper prints B&W so there's quite a bit of creative PP that can be done. @Art, I'd laugh, but I shot at one of the "Christian" schools up in the big city (150 miles N). Nice grass on the field but it was lined with construction lights mounted on portable generators. The light was a ghastly hue (as you well know) and I (and everyone else) sucked diesel exhaust for the 2+ hours. Not a field I ever want to go back to. @Todd, frankly I'm not really a good enough photographer to do it with primes. I can work it indoor with volleyball as there are good gaps to do the lens change and the position of the players on the floor is fairly predictable. In football in the dark, I'm in gravel/grass on the side of the field without much light and there's no way I can change fast enough to catch an evolving play. My fastest prime is 135mm f/2.0L that would get me an extra stop, but it would spend a lot of time being too short or too long. Still I'll experiment with it tomorrow and see what happens. Actually with quite a bit of PP, I've found that 25600 will actually print quite well to 8x10. Pixel peeping is much uglier than a good printer. Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll report back with some pictures. Robert ' Sep 21, 2012 at 04:39 AM

PhotoTeacher Offline • • Upload & Sell: Off p.1 #10 · 1DIV settings - low light sports? I agree on using only the center focus point, without expansion. You don't have to constantly change lenses, which can lead to distraction, and missing some plays that are near-by. (plus trying to secure the un-used lens while still following the play. ) Try using the 135 for a quarter. Let the plays come to you. Accept the fact that you can't get EVERY shot. I use a 300 2.8 for football, and there are some near-by plays that I miss, but there are a number of great shots that I have gotten. You get used to not zooming. Sep 21, 2012 at 02:37 PM

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