Need advice on shooting basketball

[Ron Metz]

I will be shooting my first basketball game in about a week and I need some advice. By the way, I did do a search but most of the information I found was dated - equipment wise. This will be a college game and the lighting is reasonably good - so I am told. Flash is not allowed and there will be strobes but not mine. The equipment that I am thinking of taking are as follows:

Canon 30D and 40D
Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8L IS
Canon EF 24-70mm f2.8L
Canon EF-S 10-22mm f3.5-4.5
Canon EF 300mm f2.8L IS (this may be overkill)

Here are my questions:

1. From the above equipment, which would be the best to frequently use?
2. Since I am reasonably sure that I will have access to just about any section outside of the court, which would be the best section to place myself - baseline or sideline?
3. Which section of the baseline or sideline?
4. Is it best to concentrate mainly on individual shots or group shots (two or more)?

One other item; I am very familiar with the rules etc in most popular sports. However, basketball is not one of them. I realize that I need to do a fast study. Any suggestions on how I can increase my learning curve?

Thanks for your help

Ron

[DougAxford]

I'll try to give my perspective with 3 shots last year from the only NBA game I've ever attended. 40D, 70-200 2.8, all shot at 3200 ISO at 1/800 @f/4. Custom WB but I can't recall the setting. I was in the ninth row with $250 seats (each) given to me, almost exactly mid-court. I found 1/800 was too slow to get crisp action when they were moving fast and even stopped down 1, I was not thrilled with the focus points. A few shots, I could tell the camera preferred to focus on the crowd sometimes at the worst moment. It would be nice to be court-side but I have no pull and next to no desire. This year, I gave the same tickets to my daughter.

I did get 2 shots that were washed out due to the pro's flash firing at exactly the instant I did. He had multiple strobes mounted from the grid above. He was directly under the net at one end and kept switching between one camera with a wide zoom as the action came toward him and a long zoom as it went the other way.

The first shot is with the zoom at 200 mm. (don't forget this is cropped zoom, same as you Ron), second at 110mm and third at 120 mm. All are exactly as shot, nothing done at all except save for posting. With a bit of work, they'd be better. I took 140 shots and was there mostly to enjoy the game.

If you are on the floor, I'd go with 70-200 w/ IS off on one camera and 10-22 on the other and try to shoot at 1/1000. I'd sit right under the net and be prepared to get tackled a few times. I think question 4 will be self evident once you get started.

Good luck

[Ron Metz]

Thanks Doug. Nice shots. I especially like #2. You have the action and a facial shot. Just curious why you stayed at f4 and not f2.8? Was it to give you a bit more DOF for group shots?

Ron

[DougAxford]

I was not thrilled with the focus of the 40Dand I wanted as much leeway as I could get. I'm not sure that it made a whole lot of difference in the end though.

That's why I'm wanting to switch to 5DMarkII or 50D. I need that fine tuning of each lens. Some people are making huge adjustments to get it dead on. It's been a constant issue for me when shooting wide open.

[ChrisPerry]

The 40D has fantastic focus IMO. I don't shoot much action but it's a world ahead of the 30D and preceding bodies. L lenses, 2.8 lenses both make a difference in focus speed/accuracy.

Are you using servo mode for action? And center point for focus?

Back in college I shot BB a lot as it was the premier sport at my school at the time. We're talking early 80s here- 400 speed film was it, no AF, no zooms, and of course, no flash.

50 1.8 lens, get behind/under the basket and time the shutter release after prefocusing. Or about the foul line on the side lines. I only cared about the home team so if the action went to the far end so what?

As gear has improved I suppose expectations of what shots you can get, should get, have also changed. I don't have time for sports, I have a life I catch a few football games (steelers) and that's about it.

[Ron Metz]

Thanks guys. I am using servo and center point focus and I have had no issues with auto focus with my copy of the 40D - other than operator error at times. I always try to shoot wide open for the action shots.

P.S. Chris, I am originally from Erie - GO Steelers!!

[Derry]

Ron, I shoot all the grandkids basketball games and have for several years,, I find the end court provides some of the better shots and have actually been directly in line with the basket,,

going up for the dunk you can get the face toward you and full body as well as the guys trying to block,, you can also get the head on shots of them coming down the court which parents seem to like better than the side photos,, I do go to the upper stands as well as there are some benefits of being higher and shooting down into the pack at times,,

my biggest challenge was the various lighting conditions as no strobes are allowed in our school games,, some of the school gyms even have different bulbs in one end of the gym so the lighting is all over the place for decent color,, one gym has a blue cast to it while others range from green to yellow depending on the lights and wall colors,, never easy,,

this coming weekend will be my first time with my Colorright for WB and sure hoping it does the job,,

I use an Oly E3 and my main lens is the 35-100 f2 full range,, I have also use my 12-60 2.8- 4 for very tight quarters under the net,, I most always try to be in the 1/350 to 1/500 speed and on manual and that f2 sure helps keeping the iso down which I normally have on auto allowing it to float form 100 up to 1600,, I use S-AF and will feather the shutter constantly,, never found the C-AF to work that well with a goup of players coming at ya,,

always arrive before the games and take several test photos to see how that days lighting is to assure camera settings,,