Help with Blur!! So frustrated...

dirtmcgirt · Nov 3, 2007

Hello everyone.. I hope someone can give me a few pointers..

Ok, so here is my equipment.. Canon Rebel XT, with a Sigma DG 70-300mm1:4-5:6 lens.

I'm very much a beginner with this being my first EOS digital camera.

I have tried everything to take a great picture at a nighttime football game, but have failed. I've tried to sports mode, the nighttime mode, auto mode..

I still end up with dark, blurred pictures. Do I need something else? Is my lens just that crappy? Or am I just that bad of an amateur??? I really haven't been able to take good pictures of a football game in the daytime either.. Something about the motion..

Sw1tchFX · Nov 3, 2007

It's a combination of using auto and equipment.

Open your aperture to it's max, bump your ISO to it's max, set it on continuous shooting, and than go for it. If you still don't get sharp enough results, than it's the glass.

bemmermazda · Nov 3, 2007

Try going to a day game first. Night games are the hardest to photograph, especially for a beginner. Also, shoot on M its so much easier.

dirtmcgirt · Nov 3, 2007

Ok.. this helps.. I've read the manual a few times, but really haven't gotten down to adjusting many settings yet... I will try all of these suggestions and report back!.. Thanks..

memento · Nov 3, 2007

Light is imperative.
It may seem well light but in reality there isn't enough light for your lens.
You need a lens with a bigger aperture.

I just got a 50mm f/1.8 and was surprised at how much light was still required to shot fast enough so it wont blur.

Maybe I should have got the 1.2
If only I was rich...m f/1.8

Groupcaptainbonzo · Nov 3, 2007

Because you are new , and because you are trying hard, you are probably not bad at all. But you may lack experience (That will take care of itself ... especially if you stay here). And money.... You just need a lottery win...

try opening up the ISO/ASA to 800 and open the lens as wide as poss. To be honest though you will need at least f1.8 under floods. that is why the "pro" sports photographers have huge dustbins on the front of their camera bodies which cost thousands for a 200 mm lens. Cause they need them....
Try to perfect your panning technique (Swing your body and the camera with the action ... Not easy in ball park sports as the action constantly changes direction). And pray for good luck...

Mike Jordan · Nov 3, 2007

Put your camera on single point focus with the center focus and metering point if it's not there already. Then you only have one spot to worry about keeping on your subject. You can set it in AI focus or single shot focus. If you put it in single shot focus, keep in mind that if you push the shutter button half way and hold it, your focus is locked. If you wait to shoot, your subjects will be out of focus when you push the button the rest of the way. I learned to use this to my advantage when I was shooting fash action shots (I would pre-focus ahead of the action and wait for it to get to that point and then shoot), but if you aren't aware of it, it will trip you up.

You probably don't have enough light to shoot action plays unless they are coming directly towards you can pan along with them going across in front of you. Try concentrating on huddles and tackles (once they are on the ground and at rest) and when they are lined up waiting for the snap of the ball. The more shots you can get while they are not moving or not moving very fast, the better. Also, don't forget shooting the bench, coach and other people watching.

Mike

patrickt · Nov 3, 2007

You have to get a certain amount of light to have a picture. Not enough light, it's too dark. Too much light, it's too light. You get the right amount by the proper combination of f/stop and shutter speed.

For the same amount of light, as you make the f/stop smaller, by going to a higher number, the speed has to be slower.

Four other considerations. Raising the ISO makes the sensor, or the film, more sensitive to light so it takes less light to expose the picture. But, there is no free lunch so as the ISO goes up the more noise--like grain--you get. It's a matter of taste really how much is too much.

Second, as you zoom out the field-of-view is more narrow and it's harder to hold the camera steady. So, as a rule of thumb, if you're able to hold it pretty steady, the shutter speed and the lens mm should be reciprocal. It you're shooting at 300mm, then you should have a shutter speed of 1/300th of a second or faster. If your not really experienced at steadying the zoom, or if the bleachers are moving, you'll need to kick it up to 1/450.

And, at the larger apertures, the low f/stop numbers, the depth-of-field is more shallow. With moving subjects you'll need to use the continuous focus, I suspect.

The last thing to consider is subject motion. If someone is running fast perpendicular to the camera, you're going to need a fairly fast shutter speed to stop the motion and prevent that person from being blurred.

JIP · Nov 3, 2007

Bottom line your lens is too slow. No matter what kind of techniques people are going to tell you to use the glass is the key. You see the guys with the massive lenses on the sidelines at the pro events (actually at the high school events too) they have those massive lenses for a reson. No matter how bright it seems under those lights it is too dark to do a good job with anything slower than a 2.8 lens. Just to give you an example I got a field pass to a Steeler game from a paper that I used to work for. At the time I was not a sports shooter so I did not have a good lens to use so I was going to rent one. I went to my local rental shop and they had a 70-200 2.8 and a 300 F/4 I thought "it is very bright and I need a longer lens 300 F/4 it is". Well this was a big mistake I had to push the 400 film I had 2 stops to even get useable shutter speeds. The point is.... well the point has been made just shoot day games or get a faster lens or mabye rent one.......

dirtmcgirt · Nov 3, 2007

Ok, so it looks like I will probably need to invest in a new lense for night games. But that doesn't explain the blur in the daytime games that I have tried.. We have a playoff game next Saturday, and would like to get a few good clear shots.. it's during the day. I will try the whole trying to move the camera with the motion of the game.. but are there any other things I should try?

I wasn't even aware that you can rent lenses.... hmm.. that might be better than asking my wife if I can buy a new one right now..

Tolyk · Nov 4, 2007

Can you show a sample? And what shutter speed were you using?

EljayK004 · Nov 4, 2007

For a day game, I still like to crank the ISO up a bit. If it's anything but a bright sunny day, I'm going with 400 or 800, even in the day, if I'm trying to freeze action. Another thing fo the day game, set your camera to "aperature priority" mode and stop the camera all the way down. That should get your shutter speed fast enogh to stop the blur. Once you learn a bit more about the camera though, you will want to go use "shutter speed" prioity mode, but there you will have to watch your exposure a bit more.

soylentgreen · Nov 4, 2007

Yeah, adjust your aperature and ISO till you get a high shutter speed. Shoot in manual of AV mode and tinker around. On a slower lens like yours, you will need a lot more light than say a f/2.8 lens that is typically used for sports, fast action, etc. A monopod or tripod will help since you do not have IS.

osirus · Nov 5, 2007

a few weeks ago I shot about 800 pics at a hockey game with my D50 and that same lens you have.
i was worried about the lighting there, which i would think would be pretty comparable to a football game at night

What I did was set the camera to shutter priority mode( you choose the shutter speed, it chooses apurature)
and set it to 1/320th of a second to avoid blur when zommed at 300mm. (still had to be careful though)(and did try a few slower speeds to see what i could get away with in there. but most were 1/320th)
i set the iso to iso1600 highest the d50 goes.

and they were alright, a lil dark, but that was ok i can brighten them in PS.
a lil dark is always better than a lil blurry.

heres a few from the game.

Groupcaptainbonzo · Nov 5, 2007

Night or day the "RULE OF THUMB" is to use a shutter speed that is at least the reciprocal of the focal length. ie AT LEAST1/100th sec with a 100mm lens. AT LEAST 1/300th sec with a 300mm lens etc. so you need a fast/wide open lens with a high ASA/ISO.
Try supporting the lens /camera on whatever is handy (railings, fences or whatever).
Buy the best quality and fastest glass you can afford. and practice.
If you know that the action is going to happen in a certain position (Motor sport is a good one for this) then focus on the spot that you want. then follow the action and as it passes the spot ... shoot.
Panning, pre-focus and pushing the exposure is vital ... Or conversely shed loads of money for 100 to 1000 f1 "L"series zoom lenses.
Shoot RAW as you can rescue an underexposed RAW shot from a deeper hole than a JPEG.