Exposure Meter Problem?

vonDrehle · Sep 24, 2005

Last night I went to my high schools football game to get some shots. During the game when I was trying to set up my shots, I couldn't get a shutter speed faster than probably about 1/45 no matter what I did. So as you can imagine most of my action shots turned out looking like a ghost rave (see below). Earlier this season I got some shots from one of our home games and didn't have any problems at all, though I did get those shots at Sunset with field lights, rather just the field lights at night. The lens I am using right now is just a cheap 75-300mm but with hope I'm getting a EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM for my birthday in early november so I'm hoping that will help a good deal. Is there something possibly wrong with the exposure meter on my camera or could it be something else? Is there anything you could suggest that could give me better readings.

Camera - Canon EOS Elan 7ne
Lens Used - Canon 75-300mm
Film - ISO 1600
Monopod

You can see the few goods ones I managed to get in this gallery http://vondrehle.deviantart.com/scraps/ there also some from my first shoot.

ksmattfish · Sep 24, 2005

I couldn't get a shutter speed faster than probably about 1/45 no matter what I did.

Do you mean that at the max aperture of your lens the meter suggested 1/45 or slower?

I would meter from the grass on the field. If the grass was dry and light colored, I'd overexpose a stop. This doesn't mean that you're going to get a reading that'll give you the high shutter speed you need. You could get a really powerful flash.

vonDrehle · Sep 25, 2005

ksmattfish said:
Do you mean that at the max aperture of your lens the meter suggested 1/45 or slower?

I would meter from the grass on the field. If the grass was dry and light colored, I'd overexpose a stop. This doesn't mean that you're going to get a reading that'll give you the high shutter speed you need. You could get a really powerful flash.

Yes, I tried manual, aperture priority, and shutter priority modes and came out with generally the same reading. At the last game I metered from the white uniforms and since we weren't at home I didn't get to get on the field and get "close up". A flash is one of the things I'm saving up for but I haven't researched them yet.

ksmattfish · Sep 25, 2005

vonDrehle said:
At the last game I metered from the white uniforms

Your meter gives the correct exposure for a middle gray tone. If you meter off of white it will be underexposing. If you meter off of black it will be overexposing. Healthy green grass is approximately middle gray.

Sounds like you need one or more of the following:
faster lens (look into prime lenses, they are cheaper and faster than zooms)
faster film
more light

LizM · Sep 25, 2005

On those wide range lenses I've seen that the cheaper ones tend to have a pretty poor F stop capability when using the max mms. The tiny F stop they print on the lens only works when you have it on the smallest mms (ie. 70 or 28 or whatever the bottom range of the lens is).

So like ksmattfish said - prime or a much more expensive lens is probably all you can do!

selmerdave · Sep 25, 2005

I would say powerful flash, you're not going to be able to take much at night without one if you want shutter speeds that are remotely fast, whether you have fast film or not. The fast film will help your flash coverage, so those two can go hand in hand. I don't know what the maximum aperature is on the lens you're using, but I'll guess around f4, you'll only get one stop faster at that focal length (especially at the 300mm end) if you go shopping. With shorter lenses you could gain a couple stops, but that will give you a different composition as you won't likely have the opportunity to shoot from the middle of the field.

Dave

DocFrankenstein · Sep 25, 2005

70-200 will give you 1/180 shutter speeds, which will be close to stop the action.

Bump the ISO too.

vonDrehle · Sep 25, 2005

Thanks everyone. Along with the 70-200mm which I am getting as a gift , I hope, I am saving my money for a 400mm f/5.6. I know it wouldn't really help me in this situation but I am getting that for the main purpose of track and field. The lens I am using now is a 75-300mm f/4-5.6 that I got on ebay pretty cheap.

Can anyone recommend a good flash that will fit onto a canon? Looking at their site they show 3 flashes. Would it be better to save for the 580EX or 430EX rather than getting the cheapest thing they have?

With the ISO where could I purchase film with a higher ISO than 1600?

selmerdave · Sep 25, 2005

Perhaps you're 1600 could be pushed 1 stop to 3200?

Dave

bbaker35 · Oct 1, 2005

Wow..that is the exact same problem I had last night shooting with my Digital rebel XT and my 75-300mm lens. It was terrible. I feel bad about ruining my shoot (especially for my friends daughter who was in homecoming, but I didn't know what to do.

I guess I just didn't have the equipment for the shoot.

Damn it!!