99% of the meets I cover for USAG are usually under TV lighting and I don't have to worry too much about not getting enough shutter speed. I'm usually at ISO1600, 1/1600 and f2 on a D3 under these conditions. That all changed when I was sent to the LV Sports Center in Las Vegas this past weekend for the Winter Cup. No TV coverage, the venue was smaller than most and it was dark with cycling lights. Not much different from the local meets I cover My usual combo D3 + 200/f2 would have been ok except it was too tight. Luckily the newly acquired D3s arrived day before I left and figured it was time to give it an acid test by slapping on the 70-200 (I was really missing the Nikon equivalent of Canon 135/2).
EXIF are intact. Shot raw, converted to jpg and downsized in Aperture. I only have one thing to say... "AMAZING!". These have no noise reduction of any kind, which is even more impressive considering in-camera jpg or NEFs processed by Capture NX have some built-in noise reduction to them.
1-9 with D3s + 70-200 (all as ISO10000 except one at ISO8000 I think)
10-11 D3 + 200/f2 (ISO4000-5000)
11 D700
P Alesse wrote:
John... I see trusses above the mats. Were they planning on putting in additional lighting and it just didn't work out?
Nay, they're just teasers. This meet has always been dark. Previous photographers were complaining about the lighting, but they were also using MarkII class bodies. Pretty soon we'll be able to shoot in completely darkness and still produce nice images
As much as I always want to respond to threads like this with "it ain't the gear, it's the photographer"... in this case, I will say this is a great camera body in the hands of an outstanding photographer. Yeah, the camera is capable of great low-light results, but you've captured great images here that have nothing to do with the camera itself. Well done John. You're right though, just a couple generations of bodies ago, we're close to giving up on this event or shooting the still stuff instead of the action.
Looking good John, but Luke, John P had a D3s and a Mark IV this weekend for gymnastics wonder which way he will go, granted everyone else but a few have gone over to Nikon.
From the lighting rigs suspend over the mats looks like they easily could have added more lights I am guessing that was brought in just for the event.
Great pics btw very nice job in shooting under terrible conditions.
These images are pretty compelling for the argument of Nikon's edge over Canon in terms of high ISO and low noise. I have all Canon gear, but am seriously thinking about the switch. Especially with Nikon's announcements of some new wide angle lenses. I hope Canon can at least have the better AF on the Mark 4, this may save them.
The lack of light has not negatively impacted your ability to get great gymnastic images. They are fantastic!
Now you know how difficult it is for us mere mortals shooting our kids in the dungeons. The light you had is still better than I usually get at my typical HS or USAG meets (girls level 9). My typical settings are 1/320, ISO 3200, f/2.
run53 wrote:
The lack of light has not negatively impacted your ability to get great gymnastic images. They are fantastic!
Now you know how difficult it is for us mere mortals shooting our kids in the dungeons. The light you had is still better than I usually get at my typical HS or USAG meets (girls level 9). My typical settings are 1/320, ISO 3200, f/2.
Please understand that BlueReptile is shooting the premier events BECAUSE of his years and time spent as a "mere mortal" shooting dungeons and youth gymnastics. There isn't a person on this forum that has near the shutter clicks in darkness, which I guess to be over 1 million, as John Cheng.
And a message to all those other "mere mortals" who think you get into these events by luck. It aint so. John has paid his dues exponentially over all others for many, many years. Please do not EVER diminish or make light of that fact. Not in gest. Not as a sidenote. Not sarcastically. Not EVER.
My usual combo D3 + 200/f2 would have been ok except it was too tight. Luckily the newly acquired D3s arrived day before I left and figured it was time to give it an acid test by slapping on the 70-200 (I was really missing the Nikon equivalent of Canon 135/2).
