Okay - so here starts my learning curve...

I shot these with my Canon 20D, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS USM mode 1. ISO 1600, in Av (Aperture Priority) mode. The shutter speeds were 1/200, 1/200, 1/100, 1/100 respectively. Pretty slow for trying to capture action.

Should I get out of Av and use another mode?

I did not use a flash on any of these, that would probably help the shutter speed a bit, shouldn't it?

Oh well, here are the images. These are all of Mike. I figure, if I am going to post pictures of a basketball player, it might as well be my son the photographer.

BTW - when the frosh/soph game was over, he claimed the camera for the JV and varsity games. I am sure I couldn't have done any better... I have yet to go through those pictures and pull out example shots.

Hey CW,
I would get out of AV... I shoot everything in M Manual mode. I try never to shoot at 1600 ISO but sometimes you have no choice due to lighting. I try and keep shutter speed between 200 and 250 for basket ball.
My normal settings are when using the 70-200 f2.8:

ISO 1250
Shutter 200
Aperature f2.8

JS

Hey Carl. That's some great work there.

Did you notice a noise problem with using your 20D indoors? I shot some images from a basketball game on Tuesday night from the baseline using my 50mm f/1.4 and the noise was attrocitous. I wasn't even shooting at ISO 1600. I'd post an example, but I'm on dialup until the weekend.

yeah, switch to manual. One of the benefits of shooting indoors (you're right, there aren't very many) is that the light always stays the same. You will never have to adjust when the clouds come. Shoot in manual mode, with some test shots, and check the histogram. 1/100 isn't nearly enough to freeze action. I shot a game tuesday at ISO 1600, 1/250, f/2.8. That'll finally drop to ISO 800 and will be able to employ a faster shutter speed when the f/1.8 finally arrives.

Something else to do is try to shoot subjects closer to you. It will provide a shallow DOF. That way you won't have the same distracting backgrounds that are in these photos.

you're right, flash would help, but not on camera flash. Don't even try it. If you don't have an ex, then just deal with ambient light for the time being.

edit: something else you can try to is to shoot in RAW, underexpose by about 1/3 or 2/3 of a stop, then correct it in a RAW converter. You'll get noise, but also stopped action.

Masdog - yes I did. I hope to work this out. I was tempted to take out my 18-55 f/35.-5.6 but I didn't know if it would let enough light in and I knew I would have to get pretty close. I don't have a lens in between, so I stuck with my telephoto.

JS - thanks for the settings! That will help a lot. How about a flash? Do you just play that by ear? I wasn't comfortable using a flash because I didn't want to distract the players being that close. I have the Canon Speedlight 420EX.

Thank you for your help!!!! You guys are the best.

im pretty sure bball players are used to the flash. The photographer from the local paper took flash shots from underneath the hoop last year, and no one had any problem with it. As my mentor for my senior project said when I expressed the same concern..."well, you're just gonna have to get over that."

Okay.... I guess I will just not worry about it then. If someone says something to me, then I will.

Thanks again for the input... invaluable!!!

One thing I've noticed about shooting indoors is that the light does change in very subtle ways. Moving from one corner of the gym to another might change the amount of light available or the temperature of it, so you have to really know the places you're shooting to get the best shots.

I just figured out what my noise problem was from. It had nothing to do with the camera or the lens I was using and everything to do with Photoshop and user error. I shot my last basketball game in RAW, and Photoshop's RAW converter has a default setting that applies sharpening. I usually forget about this setting because it is hidden behind a tab.

One thing I've noticed about shooting indoors is that the light does change in very subtle ways. Moving from one corner of the gym to another might change the amount of light available or the temperature of it, so you have to really know the places you're shooting to get the best shots.


Thats pretty much true anywhere you shoot unless your in a newer gym/stadium that was set up specifically to help photographers. The only gym I do not have a real prooblem with light shifts is one I rarely get to...Muncie Field House. The RCA dome isn't bad and Conseco is OK too, but even it could use some help.

JS

There arent too many of those arenas that are set up to help photographers. My school's gym isn't bad, but there is a visible difference in light thats available on the baseline vs. center court.

Basketball gyms are among the hardest to shoot in. I find that I need to use an 85 f/1.8 wide open to get the necessary stop action at 250. This is usually at 800 or 1600 depending on how junky the lighting is. Football is so much easier! :-)

I think it depends a lot on the gym. Older gyms, especially in high schools and junior highs, tend to have the Sodium Vapor lights which provide a horrible yellow cast on everything. I can still remember my high school gym and literally seeing everything in yellow.

I think a lot of places are switching to flourescent lighting to save money. This provides more even lighting (and better white balance).

i don't care what color the lighting is, as long as it stays constant through the gym, and I can get at least 1/250. without expanding ISO.

I don't know of a single gym, or field, where that is true. At least I haven't been to one where there wasn't some change in the lighting at different locations.

I don't know of a single gym, or field, where that is true. At least I haven't been to one where there wasn't some change in the lighting at different locations.

I agree, lighting changes from middle out to the ends, with the ends being darker. It doesn't matter if it is a football field or basketball court, the ends are always darker. It may appear the same to your eyes, but it isn't if you use a light meter. Acouple of us played with one Saturday at the state finals and we found some very interesting things out with the lighting in the dome. There are areas that we found drop offs that surprised us.
JS