Here is my gear: Canon R10 with a Canon 100-300 EF push/pull lense. f5.6
I have been shooting sports (mostly baseball )as a hobby for years but haven't REALLY learned my camera until recently. I had always just shot in sports mode.
The last couple of times I've shot I have mostly been in Manual mode and experimenting with shutter speed and ISO.
I've never really been thrilled with any of the shots I've taken. When I zoom in on them they are blurry but some tend to look ok when posted on Instagram until I zoom in on them.
My dream shot is to get a baseball in focus without blur and the pitcher in the background I haven't been close to getting that.
HobbyPhotoBaseball wrote:
My dream shot is to get a baseball in focus without blur and the pitcher in the background I haven't been close to getting that.
Tip - lens to manual focus, pre focus on a spot between the pitcher and the catcher, rapid fire while the pitch is coming in with a shutter speed of 1500th.
I second the idea of manual pre-focus and a high shutter rate in addition to high shutter speed (1/2000 minimum - depends on the age of the players) and wide open aperture (4.5-5.6 for your lens, I believe?).
Consider whether you want to try and include the batter/catcher/umpire in the picture (note: as they move in response to the pitch they will sometimes get in the way). Below is an example I shot through backstop netting and stayed a bit high to avoid anything besides the pitcher.
I should have been at f2.8 for this shot (although a higher f-stop will get you a slightly increased depth/chance to freeze the ball) but wasn't paying enough attention to my settings!
Canon EOS R5EF300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens300mmf/5.61/2000s200 ISO-0.7 EV
For sports shooting, I'm in manual mode, picking my shutter speed and aperture, BUT... I use AUTO ISO and AUTO WB which is a game-changer for me!
It works very well and frees me up quite a bit (less adjusting).
In the past, I'd be constantly adjusting ISO, and taking a custom W/B. I've learned to trust the camera's technology and it's really helped make my job easier.
On the occasional shot that something is off, which is rarely, it's easy enough to fix in post.
HobbyPhotoBaseball wrote:
Here is my gear: Canon R10 with a Canon 100-300 EF push/pull lense. f5.6
I have been shooting sports (mostly baseball )as a hobby for years but haven't REALLY learned my camera until recently. I had always just shot in sports mode.
The last couple of times I've shot I have mostly been in Manual mode and experimenting with shutter speed and ISO.
I've never really been thrilled with any of the shots I've taken. When I zoom in on them they are blurry but some tend to look ok when posted on Instagram until I zoom in on them.
My dream shot is to get a baseball in focus without blur and the pitcher in the background I haven't been close to getting that....Show more →
Nice to have a "dream shot" you are aspiring to capture, but at this point I would do everything you can to learn the exposure triangle--aperture, shutter speed and ISO--and how they all work together for sports photography. Getting away from the sports mode and understanding exposure for sports photography will be the best thing you can do at this point to improve your images.
Remember, for sports action, you need shutter speeds fast enough to stop action. That's different for different sports. From there, the lighting where you are shooting (indoors, outdoors in daylight, outdoors at night, etc.) will dictate your aperture and ISO. If you're shooting sports you absolutely can not be afraid of shooting high ISOs. Again, understanding exposure will help you get past any possible high ISO fears you might have.
Do these things, work on capturing peak action or compelling images and the dream shot will come later. Good luck!
Chasing better gear is always going to be a thing. There are always advantages of "better" gear. I think the R10 is a great camera. One of the main challenges with shooting sports is always the background. With the 100-300, you need to be very selective about your positioning. You need to find somewhere to stand so that there isn't too much distraction in the background. If you get a better lens you can blur the background more which draws more attention to the subject.
I would start saving to for a 70-200 f2.8 or even pick up an 85mm f2.
Since others are talking settings, I will also chime in. I think it is important to learn the exposure triangle, but I don't take time to manipulate settings while shooting.
I personally shoot in Av mode, with auto iso set with a minimum shutter speed of 1/1500. I then only have to change exposure comp based on how the background lighting is.
Dragonfire wrote:
Tip - lens to manual focus, pre focus on a spot between the pitcher and the catcher, rapid fire while the pitch is coming in with a shutter speed of 1500th.
Good luck
There's an even sneakier way.... set the lens and exposure on manual focus and then use 60 fps or 120 fps video and frame grab. You have to nail most of it in camera, but 4K HD is actually quite a decent sized frame if you don't need to crop.
Sharpness is partly the lens, but the big thing to check on is the shutter speed. If you want it crystal clear you probably need to be up over 1/1500th, at least.
HobbyPhotoBaseball wrote:
My dream shot is to get a baseball in focus without blur and the pitcher in the background I haven't been close to getting that.
I manually focus in front of the batter's box. I've shot a lot of baseball so my timing is pretty good. Got this on the 1st or 2nd burst of 3-4 images. Hardest part is finding a field where you can get in the right spot. My son on the bump:
Your gear is fine, just take lots of photos and practice. Delete what you don't like and repeat. Volunteer for the local paper. Borrow some better equipment. That's what I did early on before I purchased my own "better" equipment
