I am not into sport photography but recently i went to play soccer with some friends at night, so i decided to take my 5D mark II and 132f2 (subject close to me). i know the 5D mark II isnt the best solution but the ISO performance really nice.

the lighting isnt good everywhere in the field.

the way i photograph,
i set AF to al servo , of course set at high speed which is 3.9 in sec
Max aperture at f2,
shutter at 250 to keep the ISO around or less than 2500.

I set it to Tv to maintain the shutter speed.

here's my question,
- what you think of this technic is correct or i am better off increasing the shutter speed?
- is f2 good enough, since my photos the area of focus really narrow, i said to myself maybe because i am a bit close.

my keepers weren't high but the ones that hit are really nice, this is why I liked it (was my first time) and i am planning to try it again, hopefully with a higher keepers with your help.
thanks for your insights

What kind of aperture was the camera selecting? This would be an indication of any adjustments you might want to make. (If the aperture was always maxed out, you need to raise your ISO. If the aperture was shutting down, you could have shot at a faster shutter speed.) Generally, 1/250 is too slow for shooting action.

I'd suggest setting ISO to 3200 and shooting in AV mode at f/2. Then, the shutter speed will vary, but you'd hope it wouldn't fall below 1/500 and when the light is better in certain parts of the field, you'll get faster shutter speeds while maintaining your wide-open aperture.

Hello,

I shoot some night soccer, too. I was typing at the same time that Russ was, and after reading his post I think his advice is very good for you.

Yes, I think you should shoot AI servo.

I don't think 1/250 is fast enough. At night, I would hope for at least 1/500 and will increase my ISO as high as 6400 if necessary. I shoot with a Nikon D3.

Your F/2 lens should be a great advantage at night, but it is short so you need to wait for the action to come right up close to you. Don't press the shutter unless the players are right up close in the viewfinder.

I would think that using center point focus and then just aiming at the chest of your subject would help you.

I would not shoot Tv mode, personally. At night, with your lens, I would shoot Av mode, aperture set at F/2, and check the shutter speeds to see if I'm getting at least 1/500 or better yet, 1/640. If not, I would increase my ISO.

Actually, if the field lighting is consistent or if you plan to stay in one spot for the whole match, you could try shooting in manual mode, too. Here I would set the aperture at F/2 and then take an educated guess for ISO and shutter speed. I'd check my first few exposures and then settle in at some settings when I'm confident the exposure is good, but again, I would want to try to get 1/500 or at least 1/400 minimum.

Best of luck with your shooting.

Steve

I agree with Steve that once you have zeroed in on the correct (or best) exposure for the night setting, M would be your best bet.

thank you guys really very useful information.
I will use Av at f2 in Av mode
set the ISO for shutter around 1/500.
use center focus point
try manual if lighting consistent

I will tell you my result this friday if i played
thanks again guys

I forgot to mention, will a monopod help alot or not that much, i really hate using one it will make my job harder but if it will really improve my results i am willing use one.
thanks

you have no business using a mono, not until you get into the 300, 400, 600 range

Personally I handhold the 400 whenever I can, I am just much more mobile without one and I can track better.

Some people use it with a 70-200 (which makes them look like a silly nanny)



Dann

Night photography under most lights is a challenging situation.

I find that even 1/500th is a little short for many shots. You can likely get away with it more if you shoot people coming towards you, but if you're shooting from the side you'll get too much arm/ball motion to get good results. I prefer to be at 1/1000th or higher.

I agree about center point only, set aperture to the max and then go from there. I also suggest taking multiple shots - the camera is in release priority on the first shot and will take the first picture when you press the button even if it isn't in focus, but it will do a better job on later ones.

I would shoot Manual mode under the lights to control your ss

thank you guys really helpful.