high school football

Situational question:

I was at a high school football game the other night. I had my trusty
Canon 10D and 28-105mm f3.5-5.6 zoom lens. I considered my 100-300mm
f5.6L, but decided against it. Anyway, as the evening wore on I was
having a hard time getting sharp shots. In this case I was using the
sports/action program, which I normally never do. I also had the ISO
set to 100, which I think now I should've set to 400. I was also using
a polarizer to reduce glare.

Basically, the question is: What can I do to get sharper shots after
the sun goes down and the lights are on? I don't have fast zoom
lenses, as I normally do landscape and night photography, so my
equipment leans toward that. I have thought of the following scenarios:

- Set ISO to 400, continue using 28-105mm f3.5-5.6 zoom, with or
without the polarizer.

- Use my 50mm f1.8 II. I would need to move closer, I guess, but it's
not a place where I can get too close. Would the increased sharpness
from the faster shutter speed make up for cropping in Photoshop later?

- Ideally, I'd like to use the 100-300mm f5.6L, to zoom in even closer,
but it is slow. I do not have a monopod, but could use my tripod as a
monopod. I've gotten fantastic action shots in bright daylight with it
before. Maybe sans polarizer and set the ISO to either 400 or 800.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be most appreciated. Thanks.

--
Q. - Why do men die before their wives?
A. - Because they want to.

"The Dave©" wrote in message
...
Situational question:

I was at a high school football game the other night. I had my trusty
Canon 10D and 28-105mm f3.5-5.6 zoom lens. I considered my 100-300mm
f5.6L, but decided against it. Anyway, as the evening wore on I was
having a hard time getting sharp shots. In this case I was using the
sports/action program, which I normally never do. I also had the ISO
set to 100, which I think now I should've set to 400. I was also using
a polarizer to reduce glare.

Basically, the question is: What can I do to get sharper shots after
the sun goes down and the lights are on? I don't have fast zoom
lenses, as I normally do landscape and night photography, so my
equipment leans toward that. I have thought of the following scenarios:

- Set ISO to 400, continue using 28-105mm f3.5-5.6 zoom, with or
without the polarizer.

- Use my 50mm f1.8 II. I would need to move closer, I guess, but it's
not a place where I can get too close. Would the increased sharpness
from the faster shutter speed make up for cropping in Photoshop later?

- Ideally, I'd like to use the 100-300mm f5.6L, to zoom in even closer,
but it is slow. I do not have a monopod, but could use my tripod as a
monopod. I've gotten fantastic action shots in bright daylight with it
before. Maybe sans polarizer and set the ISO to either 400 or 800.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be most appreciated. Thanks.


Sounds like you know what to do: Definitely ditch the polarizer, and push
the ISO to 800, at least. Get/rent a faster lens, if at all possible. Try
the tripod. If you're not running up and down the field, a good pan head
would be ideal.

--
Regards,
Matt Clara
www.mattclara.com

"The Dave©" wrote in message
...
Situational question:

I was at a high school football game the other night. I had my trusty
Canon 10D and 28-105mm f3.5-5.6 zoom lens. I considered my 100-300mm
f5.6L, but decided against it. Anyway, as the evening wore on I was
having a hard time getting sharp shots. In this case I was using the
sports/action program, which I normally never do. I also had the ISO
set to 100, which I think now I should've set to 400. I was also using
a polarizer to reduce glare.

Basically, the question is: What can I do to get sharper shots after
the sun goes down and the lights are on? I don't have fast zoom
lenses, as I normally do landscape and night photography, so my
equipment leans toward that. I have thought of the following scenarios:

- Set ISO to 400, continue using 28-105mm f3.5-5.6 zoom, with or
without the polarizer.

- Use my 50mm f1.8 II. I would need to move closer, I guess, but it's
not a place where I can get too close. Would the increased sharpness
from the faster shutter speed make up for cropping in Photoshop later?

- Ideally, I'd like to use the 100-300mm f5.6L, to zoom in even closer,
but it is slow. I do not have a monopod, but could use my tripod as a
monopod. I've gotten fantastic action shots in bright daylight with it
before. Maybe sans polarizer and set the ISO to either 400 or 800.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be most appreciated. Thanks.


Sounds like you know what to do: Definitely ditch the polarizer, and push
the ISO to 800, at least. Get/rent a faster lens, if at all possible. Try
the tripod. If you're not running up and down the field, a good pan head
would be ideal.

--
Regards,
Matt Clara
www.mattclara.com

PGG wrote:
I'd be surprised if any shots were sharp.

In the JV game, when the sun with still bright, they were fine.

Basically, the question is: What can I do to get sharper shots after
the sun goes down and the lights are on? I don't have fast zoom
lenses, as I normally do landscape and night photography, so my
equipment leans toward that. I have thought of the following
scenarios:

- Set ISO to 400, continue using 28-105mm f3.5-5.6 zoom, with or
without the polarizer.

No polarizer. You lose too much light. Besides, it is worthless in
this situation.

I was hoping to reduce glare, and such. It did make the colors more
pleasing, at least in the viewfinder, but I think you're right.

Yes, higher ISO. Even 800.

Use your tripod as is, or as a monopod.

Doesn't your 10D display the shutter speed in the viewfinder? You
need something faster than 1/125.

It does, yes. I feel stupid about the ISO because I knew the shutter
speeds were slow and it didn't even occur to me to bump up the ISO.

--
Q. - Why do men die before their wives?
A. - Because they want to.

Matt Clara wrote:
Sounds like you know what to do: Definitely ditch the polarizer, and
push the ISO to 800, at least. Get/rent a faster lens, if at all
possible. Try the tripod. If you're not running up and down the
field, a good pan head would be ideal.

The faster zoom lens would be hard, at the moment. I just got back
from vacation and have a stricter than usual budget after seeing my
cell phone bill (!!!). I will lose the polarizer and bump the ISO to
800, though. How about using the 50mm f1.8 instead of the 28-105mm
f3.5-5.6 zoom? I wouldn't get in as close, but it is a faster lens.

--
Q. - Why do men die before their wives?
A. - Because they want to.

Matt Clara wrote:
Sounds like you know what to do: Definitely ditch the polarizer, and
push the ISO to 800, at least. Get/rent a faster lens, if at all
possible. Try the tripod. If you're not running up and down the
field, a good pan head would be ideal.

The faster zoom lens would be hard, at the moment. I just got back
from vacation and have a stricter than usual budget after seeing my
cell phone bill (!!!). I will lose the polarizer and bump the ISO to
800, though. How about using the 50mm f1.8 instead of the 28-105mm
f3.5-5.6 zoom? I wouldn't get in as close, but it is a faster lens.

--
Q. - Why do men die before their wives?
A. - Because they want to.

PGG wrote:
I'd be surprised if any shots were sharp.

In the JV game, when the sun with still bright, they were fine.

Basically, the question is: What can I do to get sharper shots after
the sun goes down and the lights are on? I don't have fast zoom
lenses, as I normally do landscape and night photography, so my
equipment leans toward that. I have thought of the following
scenarios:

- Set ISO to 400, continue using 28-105mm f3.5-5.6 zoom, with or
without the polarizer.

No polarizer. You lose too much light. Besides, it is worthless in
this situation.

I was hoping to reduce glare, and such. It did make the colors more
pleasing, at least in the viewfinder, but I think you're right.

Yes, higher ISO. Even 800.

Use your tripod as is, or as a monopod.

Doesn't your 10D display the shutter speed in the viewfinder? You
need something faster than 1/125.

It does, yes. I feel stupid about the ISO because I knew the shutter
speeds were slow and it didn't even occur to me to bump up the ISO.

--
Q. - Why do men die before their wives?
A. - Because they want to.

The Dave© wrote:

Situational question:

I was at a high school football game the other night. I had my trusty
Canon 10D and 28-105mm f3.5-5.6 zoom lens. I considered my 100-300mm
f5.6L, but decided against it. Anyway, as the evening wore on I was
having a hard time getting sharp shots. In this case I was using the
sports/action program, which I normally never do. I also had the ISO
set to 100, which I think now I should've set to 400. I was also using
a polarizer to reduce glare.

Definitely higher ISO (one of the great things about digital) and
forget the polarizer ... good hood and INCLUDE some of the
lights directly ... adds dynamic to a night game photo.

Consider your 100-300 also. Not so bad, and keep it to under
200mm if it is soft long.

Speed (shutter, T) priority would be my selection rather than an
auto setting.

Basically, the question is: What can I do to get sharper shots after
the sun goes down and the lights are on? I don't have fast zoom
lenses, as I normally do landscape and night photography, so my
equipment leans toward that. I have thought of the following scenarios:

- Set ISO to 400, continue using 28-105mm f3.5-5.6 zoom, with or
without the polarizer.

Dump the pol .. for that matter try 800 ISO.

- Use my 50mm f1.8 II. I would need to move closer, I guess, but it's
not a place where I can get too close. Would the increased sharpness
from the faster shutter speed make up for cropping in Photoshop later?

I think you'll do better with a higher ISO 400 - 800 and the
100-300 (or the lens you're already using.

As said, high ISO with relatively low noise increase is one of
the great things about digital. Unlike film, the "grain" (pixel
size) stays the same regardless of ISO setting. The noise is in
the dynamic only.

Cheers,
Alan

--
-- rec.photo.equipment.35mm user resource:
-- http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm
-- e-meil: there's no such thing as a FreeLunch.--

The Dave© wrote:

Situational question:

I was at a high school football game the other night. I had my trusty
Canon 10D and 28-105mm f3.5-5.6 zoom lens. I considered my 100-300mm
f5.6L, but decided against it. Anyway, as the evening wore on I was
having a hard time getting sharp shots. In this case I was using the
sports/action program, which I normally never do. I also had the ISO
set to 100, which I think now I should've set to 400. I was also using
a polarizer to reduce glare.

Definitely higher ISO (one of the great things about digital) and
forget the polarizer ... good hood and INCLUDE some of the
lights directly ... adds dynamic to a night game photo.

Consider your 100-300 also. Not so bad, and keep it to under
200mm if it is soft long.

Speed (shutter, T) priority would be my selection rather than an
auto setting.

Basically, the question is: What can I do to get sharper shots after
the sun goes down and the lights are on? I don't have fast zoom
lenses, as I normally do landscape and night photography, so my
equipment leans toward that. I have thought of the following scenarios:

- Set ISO to 400, continue using 28-105mm f3.5-5.6 zoom, with or
without the polarizer.

Dump the pol .. for that matter try 800 ISO.

- Use my 50mm f1.8 II. I would need to move closer, I guess, but it's
not a place where I can get too close. Would the increased sharpness
from the faster shutter speed make up for cropping in Photoshop later?

I think you'll do better with a higher ISO 400 - 800 and the
100-300 (or the lens you're already using.

As said, high ISO with relatively low noise increase is one of
the great things about digital. Unlike film, the "grain" (pixel
size) stays the same regardless of ISO setting. The noise is in
the dynamic only.

Cheers,
Alan

--
-- rec.photo.equipment.35mm user resource:
-- http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm
-- e-meil: there's no such thing as a FreeLunch.--

"The Dave©" wrote in message
...
Situational question:

I was at a high school football game the other night. I had my trusty
Canon 10D and 28-105mm f3.5-5.6 zoom lens. I considered my 100-300mm
f5.6L, but decided against it. Anyway, as the evening wore on I was
having a hard time getting sharp shots. In this case I was using the
sports/action program, which I normally never do. I also had the ISO
set to 100, which I think now I should've set to 400. I was also using
a polarizer to reduce glare.

The polarizer is doing basically nothing in that setting, except that it's
darkening your shots even further, which is forcing your already-slow (dark
5.6) lens to be even darker...giving you even longer sutter speeds. This
just won't work.

Ditch the pol filter (useless), set the camera to 800, and forget using a
tripod.
It's just not practical, or particularly useful for a football game.
Further...if you can't get a shutter speed fast enough to deal with the
effects of camera-shake, then you're screwed anyway due to subject player
motion...meaning a tripod won't help you. Further still...you need to be
moving up and down the field as the game moves from region to region. A
tripod will make this impossilble to do without real hassle. You've got to
get that shutter speed up around 1/250th or they'll be quite blurry. Pick
up a monopod if you want support.

About 800 ISO: You will find that you are FAR more pleased with noisier
shots (from higher ISO) than you will be with blurry, noiseless shots (due
to lower ISO but insufficiently high shutter speeds). If you STILL can't
get into the 1/250th or 1/350th range, bump it clear up to 1600 if you have
to. Much better off doing that than to blur all your shots in the name of
low noise.

Remember...that at 800 or even 1600, that noise isn't bad at all unless
you're blowing shots up.
You don't indicate what will be done with the images (school paper?...4x6
prints?...8x10?).