Taking good action shots

Would it help me if I used my external flash for taking these shots ? I have a promaster 5550DX .

its almost certainly down to the 10x zoom factor.. u need something like 1/400 of a second shutter speed at 10 x zoom.... which allowing for the lenses max aperture at full zoom means good light and only good light.. a cheap monopod will help.. assuming u dont want to go the hole hog and use a tripod..

upping the ISO will also help but at the expense of noise creeping in..

trog100

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Originally Posted by trog100

its almost certainly down to the 10x zoom factor.. u need something like 1/400 of a second shutter speed at 10 x zoom.... which allowing for the lenses max aperture at full zoom means good light and only good light.. a cheap monopod will help.. assuming u dont want to go the hole hog and use a tripod..

upping the ISO will also help but at the expense of noise creeping in..

trog100

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So what your say is. When trying to take these shot have my lens fully extended in optical set my shutter to 1/400 and set the ISO to 400? If I was taken these shot is a well lit gym should I still us the flash? Should I worry about if I get a AE warning from my camera when focusing the shot or should I lock the focus? Also being fully zoomed out like that will I still be able to produce a 8x10? Thanks for you reply.

oh its in a gym? That's going to be more difficult. With a lens at 10x, the aperture will be at about 5.6, if I'm correct. Even with ISO 400, you're going to have a really hard time getting the shutter speed that fast without totally underexposing your pictures or using the built in flash, which gives a flat-look to the subjects, I think. I use ISO 1600 with a shutter speed of 1/250, and an aperture of 3.5-4, and I still have to lighten almost all my pictures in photoshop. There's no way you will be able to get a 1/400 shutter speed with that camera in a gym, even if it had ISO 3200. your best bet would probably be to do this...set your camera's ISO to 400. This will give you some noise, but it can be altered in photoshop. Then set your shutter to 1/250 (about the minimum required for freezing action). Select the lowest f number you can, as the lower the number, the bigger the aperture, which will let more light in and give you the potential for a faster shutter speed. Use the built in flash, and take a picture. If it's too light, then up the shutter speed to 1/300, or more, depending on how bright it is. If it's too dark (beyond fixing in PS), then either a) zoom out and select a smaller f number (again, a bigger aperture) or b) decrease your shutter speed. This will give more blurred pictures, but it's better than just a big blur, right? THen take a few more pictures, and check those out. the great thing about digital is the fact you can see your picture right after you take it, so you can instantly change your settings to make the pictures better.

"So what your say is. When trying to take these shot have my lens fully extended in optical set my shutter to 1/400 and set the ISO to 400? If I was taken these shot is a well lit gym should I still us the flash? Should I worry about if I get a AE warning from my camera when focusing the shot or should I lock the focus? Also being fully zoomed out like that will I still be able to produce a 8x10? Thanks for you reply."

nooo.. u misunderstand me.. what i was trying to say was that to use that nice 10 x zoom u have needs very good light.. nice brightly lit daylight kinda stuff... its the only way to get a high enough shutter speed combined with your cameras maximum lense opening giving the correct exposure value so that motion blur (camera shake) dosnt ruin your picture..

an exposure value that needs a slower shutter speed than the 1/400 i mentioined will lilkely produce motion blurr when u have the camera set at full zoom.. unless u have additional camera suport such as monopod or trypod...

with your camera that means u can only effectively use the full zoom handheld in good quality daylight.. an indoor gym even with good lighting will just not work..

flash.. not much use to u as the cameras inbuilt flash will only have a range of about 14 feet..

dont get me wrong here i am assuming that your subject is some distance away and u need to use the cameras zoom.. if u dont need the zoom your problem isnt anywhere near as bad..

at the wide angle end of your cameras zoom range a shutter speed of 1/125 is fast enough for most folks to avoid motion blure or camera shake to use another term.. as u extend the zoom this shutter speed has to go up till at its full 10 x zoom it needs to be something like 1/400 of second and even then u have to have a steady hand.. the problem is made worse by the fact that your maximium lense opeing gets less the more zoom u use.. this of course equates with the shutter speed getting slower for the same exposure value..

basicallly u are going beyond the limits of your camera if u try and use its nice 10 x zoom in anything other than perfect light handheld.. setting the ISO to 400 will help keep the shutter speed up.. but noise will creep in.. thow i think kodak have done some aggressive noise removal at the expense of image sharpness tricks with this particular 10 x zoom camera..

trog100

ps.. one little trick would be to use your cameras burst mode.. i think it has one.. if u can fire off three or four shots in qucik succession u might stand a chance of at least one of them coming out okay without motion blur.. if u can help it do not take just one picture.. the more u take the best chance u have of getting some good ones..

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Originally Posted by livin4lax09

oh its in a gym? That's going to be more difficult. With a lens at 10x, the aperture will be at about 5.6, if I'm correct. Even with ISO 400, you're going to have a really hard time getting the shutter speed that fast without totally underexposing your pictures or using the built in flash, which gives a flat-look to the subjects, I think. I use ISO 1600 with a shutter speed of 1/250, and an aperture of 3.5-4, and I still have to lighten almost all my pictures in photoshop. There's no way you will be able to get a 1/400 shutter speed with that camera in a gym, even if it had ISO 3200. your best bet would probably be to do this...set your camera's ISO to 400. This will give you some noise, but it can be altered in photoshop. Then set your shutter to 1/250 (about the minimum required for freezing action). Select the lowest f number you can, as the lower the number, the bigger the aperture, which will let more light in and give you the potential for a faster shutter speed. Use the built in flash, and take a picture. If it's too light, then up the shutter speed to 1/300, or more, depending on how bright it is. If it's too dark (beyond fixing in PS), then either a) zoom out and select a smaller f number (again, a bigger aperture) or b) decrease your shutter speed. This will give more blurred pictures, but it's better than just a big blur, right? THen take a few more pictures, and check those out. the great thing about digital is the fact you can see your picture right after you take it, so you can instantly change your settings to make the pictures better.

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How do you remove the noise in photoshop?

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Originally Posted by extrememc

How do you remove the noise in photoshop?

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you can use a program such as noise ninja. Do a search for it on google, it's picturecode noise ninja. It costs money to buy, but from time to time they will have a trial code. It works fairly well, except I think it gives the images a flat look, that's why I tend not to use it. Also, another tip I read for bball photography is that you can sometimes get away with slower shutter speeds in basketball, because when someone goes for a layup, they actually stop moving at the top of their arc. If you can time it correctly, you should get a fairly good shot even with a slower shutter speed. I've gotten decent shots even with my camera on 1/90.

extrememc... its bad practise to go back and alter the thread starter question.. to anyone reading it does kinda make a nonsense of the entire thread.. he he

"Would it help me if I used my external flash for taking these shots ? I have a promaster 5550DX ."

the above aint quite how all this started now is it.. ??

we also seem to be getting a little confused here as to whats causing the blur..

blur caused by the subjects moving or blur caused by the camera moving..??

we are talking about a Kodak none image stabilized 10 x zoom camera here.. or at leaste we were... he he

firstly this is not an ideal sport action camera.. everything i have said is based on the particular camera.. its also based on the blur being caused by the camera moving as oposed to the subject moving..

would a an external flash help seems to be your new edited topic starter.. yes it would if powerfull enough.. this all depends on the area u are trying to ligfht up.. a small gym perhaps a large one no...

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The key to creating great flash pictures with your digital camera is using the right flash. PROMASTER offers a unique series of digital electronic flash units that provide great flexibility to both the digital and traditional photographer. The PROMASTER 5550DX flash is the perfect companion to your digital or traditional SLR Camera. Digital photography, like traditional film-based photography, often requires additional lighting. Very often, your digital camera's flash has insufficient power to give you good flash pictures. Not only can the PROMASTER 5550DX Digital Flash extend your flash range, but it can also be used to greatly enhance your images by reducing red-eye, filling in shadows and providing more even illumination. The 5550DX is a versatile and compact flash unit. The flash head features the ability to tilt upward a full 90º and swivel 180º for maximum versatility. In addition, the 5550DX flash head tilts downward by 7°, which makes it perfect for macro-photography. Other features include both front and rear flash ready lights, and auto power off to conserve battery life.

* Guide Number: 100 (100 ISO)
* TTL Auto Range: 3-71' (100 ISO)
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* Recycling Time: 0.3-10 Seconds
* Angle of Coverage: 70°H 45°V
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never used one of these but the guide number quoted seems a little opimistic.. being as its described as compact and versatile.. he he

trog100