Help with settings for Nikon D50 & basketball

[skydiver6]

I'm just a mom trying to take some decent photos for an end of the season slideshow for my daughter's high school basketball team. I did it last year and the show was a big hit but I was unhappy with a lot of the shots as they were blurry. I have a Nikon D50. Last year my lens was 70-300mm f/4.5-6 but this year I bought a 85mm f/1.8. I do not have a flash other than the built in one and I don't use it. I worry about distracting the girls. While the photos are better, they still need a lot of improvement. I've been trying different modes and settings but I have trouble in all of them. I've been reading old posts here and on other photography forums and I think I'm more confused than ever.

If I put the ISO over 800 the photos come out dark & grainy. If I use the shutter priority mode and move it up to 1/250 or 1/500 like suggested the photos tend to be dark. Often I get frustrated and just go to auto. I have used the sports mode and while an occasional picture comes out sharp and clear, many come out more blurry.

Also I'm confused on what focus to use. Some some single, some say continuous. Then do I choose single area, dynamic area or closest subject?

Any tips and advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!!

[gryphonslair99]

Here are a couple of things to try. First, dump that 70-300 back in the bag. F4.5-6 is way to slow for indoor sports. Most gyms are one step up from a dungeon as far as lighting goes. I'm not saying that its a bad lens, just not an indoor sports lens.

The 85 f1.8 on the other hand is a good aperture for indoor sports. Means you have to get closer to the floor or if you are lucky right down on the floor. Set your camera to AV or aperture value instead of shutter value. Set the aperture to say f2.0. Ideally 1.8 would be better, however you have a narrower depth of field to deal with and if the Nikons 85mm is like Canons 85 f1.8, it is sharper if it is stopped down a third of a stop or so.

Now adjust you ISO up to get at least a 1/250 shutter speed. A bit faster would be better, but you are going to have to decide on what compromise you want to make. More noise from an even higher ISO or faster shutter speed. Play with it both ways and see what you prefer. Set your auto focus to one center point and have it in the continual focus mode. Canon calls is AI-servo. Sorry, don't know the Nikon term. Depending on the situation I shoot in either a spot metering mode or center weighted mode. Keep in mind in a when you are in a continual focusing mode you must keep your focus spot on the person that is the main subject of the action. If your focusing spot moves off of them then it is going to focus on what ever it locks on.

By shooting in Aperture value you should get a proper exposure. If your exposure is on then you will have a lot less noise from the high ISO you are using. Give this a try and see if your shots don't improve. Good luck and have fun.

Sorry one last thing I forgot to mention try to shoot tight on the subject. Shoot the half court you are at. Sport photos are generally more interesting if they are tightly cropped on the action itself with out a lot of distracting things or non essential players in the shot.

[dhyravy]

I use the D50 for sports and while the advice above is good, I would have to recommend going to 'M' or manual mode and using the 85mm f1.8. You can start with the following settings for ambient light in a HS gym:

ISO 800 (if the shots look dark go to 1600)
Shutter - 1/320
f1.8 (you can try 2.0 if the gym is well lit or at ISO 1600)
Center Weighted metering
AF-C
Single focus area using the center spot.

When you are in AF-C (or constant focus mode) the camera will adjust focus as you track the subject ONLY while you press the shutter button halfway. The autofocus system of the D50 is a bit slow and this is the best way to keep things in focus for sports. Hold the button halfway until you are ready to take the shot then press it fully. If you want to hedge your bet, you can use continuous shutter. The trick there is to be able to track the subject as the camera shoots. Good luck and let us know how things turn out.

[skydiver6]

Thank you both very, very much. Both of your suggestions were very clear and easy to understand. I found them very helpful. There is a game tonight so I will try these things and let you know how it goes.

gryphonslair99 - I do leave the 70-300 in the bag. ) That was all I had last year so I had to use it. I naively thought that just getting the new lens was going to make my photos great. I'm finding out that there is a lot more to it.

I am lucky enough most times to be able to get down along the baseline near the basket. It depends on the gym. Tonight's game is at home so I will definitely be able to shoot from there. I try to mostly just shoot at my end but occasionally there is something exciting going on at the other end at I will take a few there.

Thanks!
Donna

[JSPhoto]

I have to agree with DH on this, use Manual mode, not AV or the other modes, they are OK for some things but not sports, even the so called sports modes are worthless unless it's a nice bright sunny day. In a gym you have lighting that could range from sodium, tungstein and flourescent, all of which can mess with camera metering, even worse with a combination of those. What you need is more light though so you have to use a faster lens and or flash or both to get enough light and get rid of the blur.
the f4 and f5.6 lens won't help you so use the f1.8 lens.
JS

[skydiver6]

Well here are some shots from tonight. I can not thank you guys enough. While I still had some blurry pictures and I still need to work on angles and shooting at the correct time and keeping the ball in the picture etc. overall I was pretty pleased with how my shots came out. I know I'm no expert but for a newbie mom photographer, what do you think? Any tips and advice are more than welcome. The last picture is of the bench after one girl took a blow to the face and they caught me about to take the picture and hammed it up. I love how the girl 2nd from the right posed.

[skydiver6]

Here are a few more photos. I had a hard time choosing which ones to show.

[skydiver6]

Oh I should have said that these were all shot in manual mode with ISO 1600 shutter -1/320 F/2 on AF-C single focus. I could not find the Center Weighted metering adjustment. I found it in the manual but it wasn't on my camera?

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

[JSPhoto]

Well here are some shots from tonight. I can not thank you guys enough. While I still had some blurry pictures and I still need to work on angles and shooting at the correct time and keeping the ball in the picture etc. overall I was pretty pleased with how my shots came out. I know I'm no expert but for a newbie mom photographer, what do you think? Any tips and advice are more than welcome. The last picture is of the bench after one girl took a blow to the face and they caught me about to take the picture and hammed it up. I love how the girl 2nd from the right posed.

#1 in this group the horizon is off, you could crop out the excess and bring the players closer to the viewers, same with #3, bring it to the viewer. Shoot tighter or crop. Nice timing on that one though . A couple others the feet are cut off, particulaly the one with everyone chasing the ball, the ball is all but missing. Good start though!

JS

[JSPhoto]

Here are a few more photos. I had a hard time choosing which ones to show.

I think you had great timing on #1 and the two side by side. Those two side by side are really good :thumbsup:

JS

[dhyravy]

Very nice and glad to see you're enjoying yourself! Now you have been bitten by the bug which usually leads to many more sports shots.:thumbsup: I'm also glad that the settings seem to have worked out for you. The metering mode is in the second menu group, about halfway down. If you don't see it, make sure you have your menus not set to "simple". The matrix metering works OK except when your primary subject is in a white uniform and close to the camera.

[skydiver6]

Thanks JS. I will try to be more aware of cutting off feet and the ball. I was used to having a zoom lens to go in and out and it feels weird just having a set frame. I did try sitting on the floor a few times and I tend to get the feet better then and I did like the angle but it's tough on my back. Plus the ref tends to like to stand right in front of me so I end up crawling around. lol I will try to key an eye on the horizon too. Until last night most of my pictures had been horizontal. The photos are basically for the slideshow and that is set up for horizontal photos. I do see how the vertical shots catch the action much better so I do think I'll keep shooting that way for the most part. I just need to get adept at holding the camera on it's side and shooting. I find it a bit awkward. Thanks for the cropping advice too.

Daniel - Thanks for the info on metering. I will check to see if my camera is in simple mode. And I can't thank you enough fir the setting suggestions! )

[JSPhoto]

Don't feel bad, I have more refs backsides in photos than you can imagine.... the worst are the ones with bald spots especialy when using flash I think they do it intentionally as they always look to see where you are and then stand right there, you move, they move....and on and on.
You know you've been doing this stuff too long when the refs know your name!

JS

[BFiredup]

I am a newbie just like you.....a mom trying to get some good shots to share with the teams...so I feel your pain...LOL....but let me tell you, when you said before that you had a dark gym I was expecting something different in your photos....the brightness in these are great....I think you did a wonderful job...but of course I am not looking at them with a pro's eyes....just a mom's eye...LOL...

I shot a game last night that was in a really DARK gym...ugh....with a new camera and a new lens...so that was a challenge...will post them in a minute....

Shot another game today....much better lights...

I also have a problem with the horizontal thing, especially with holding the 70-200mm f/2.8 USM IS L....definitely need to get used to that weight...but I used the 85mm f/1.8 some today...had to give the arm a rest....LOL

Hope you stick around...

[skydiver6]

Hi BFiredup! Nice to meet another mom doing the same thing. I find it frustrating but also fun! ) Our home gym is not dark. It's new and open and pretty bright. I can't complain about that. I do find that the pale wall and bleacher colors along with our team playing in their white uniforms make for some washed out looking photos sometimes. The other team always stands out so much better. Our game earlier this week was in a horrible gym in regards to photographs. Everything was red including a huge red mesh that split the gym and cast a red tone over the shiny floor. I look forward to seeing your photos.

[BFiredup]

The pro's here help alot....and of course trial and error is the best teacher....and I have learned a lot by just clicking and changing settings....but I have a long way to go that is for sure....

I know what you and JS are saying about the ref's.....that happens to me ALL the time...I try to keep moving around, so they don't get fixed on where I am..LOL...because I find a lot of stripes in my photos...sometimes the full body....sometimes an arm...LOL..sometimes I think they run just to get in the shot...LOL...but that is their job to be in the right place at the right time.....and of course I am trying to do the same thing..only they are getting paid for it...LOL...

Welcome and keep posting....