High Speed Help.

scottm · Aug 31, 2009

I have a nikon D60 and enjoy taking pictures of my kids spoting events, but I need help with high speed shots (i.e. running, swinging bat, throwing). How do I set a D60 to take action shots without blurring the subject?

Thanks

Goontz · Aug 31, 2009

You'll need to use a fast shutter speed to freeze action. To really control this, you'll need to use either manual mode, or shutter priority. I would guess a shutter speed of at least 1/250, depending on what you're shooting.

mariusz · Aug 31, 2009

use high number shooter speed 1/250s also flash will help in some situations. set your flash 1 stop above your shooter speed rear curtian . you shooter could be around 1/30s this will it will create a little motion blur.

Big Mike · Aug 31, 2009

Welcome to the forum.

As mentioned, a faster shutter speed is the way to freeze movement in a photo. The trouble is that it takes a certain amount of light to make a photo...and the faster the shutter speed, the less light that can get into the film/sensor.

There are two other variables besides the shutter speed. The lens aperture (hole though the lens) and the ISO.

It's likely that with your shots, you are already at the maximum aperture of your lens. Unfortunately, you probably have what is called a 'slow lens'. A 'faster' lens (with a larger maximum aperture) would be a big help for shooting action shots.

The third variable is the ISO. The higher you turn up the ISO, the faster you shutter speed can be...but at the cost of added digital noise. However, noise is often better than blur....so try turning up the ISO to 800, 1600 or higher if you can.

fiveoboy01 · Aug 31, 2009

noise is often better than blur

True, but 1600 is pretty nasty on the D60 as far as noise goes... I have used it and to me, well the images just weren't useable, but that's me... In any case, normal daylight/sun should allow for plenty of shutter speed even at ISO 200.

Also as an additional hint, if you're doing moving subjects, make sure your focus mode is set to AF-C which is designed to be used with moving subjects. This could quite possibly be a focus issue and you just don't know it.

Derrel · Aug 31, 2009

In decent daylight, the image quality of the D60 at ISO 800 is pretty decent. Even ISO 1600 is not "that bad" as long as the light level is moderately high, but ISO 800 is a notch better of course.

The larger the image is, and the more at right-angles to the camera, the higher the shutter speed needed. If you want to get ball-on-bat shots shot from either the 1st base or 3rd base areas, you need a shutter speed of at least 1/1000 second to keep the ball round.

1/250 second will not freeze a lot of motion fully, but it can sometimes give a nice looking bit of blur on the ends of things, like the feet, the hands, the end of the bat, or the baseball moving through the air.

If you shoot action coming right toward the camera, like a kid sliding into home plate from the area by the backstop and looking down the 3rd base line, that type of direct, at-the-camera motion can be stopped by a slower speed like 1/250.

The essential thing is to keep the ISO high enough to get a FAST shutter speed. With an 18-55 kit lens, a "fast" speed could be 1/250 second; if you have a 55-200 zoom, at longer lens settings, "fast" becomes relatively higher in speed, such as 1/400 to 1/1250 second. Look thru the captures and make sure the shutter speed is freezing the action by zooming in on the LCD review screen and looking closely at the critical areas--ball,bat,arm,etc. and seeing if the action is frozen, slightly blurred, or heavily blurred.

vd853 · Aug 31, 2009

I just set my speed to whatever mm lens I'm using + 250 for most action shots, unless if they are moving exceptionally fast. e.g. 200mm would be 1/550 (or as close to that range as possible). It's not a general rule, but I just made it up to keep myself from going mad on spinning the dial.

table1349 · Aug 31, 2009

Sports photography is a demanding form of photography by it's very nature. Stopping action requires fast shutter speeds. 1/250th is the minimum for something like hockey, basketball, baseball, etc. Slower and motion blur begins to creep in. I prefer to shoot a no less the 1/320th with 1/500th my target. To get those shutter speeds you may to have to bump your ISO up depending on the light you have to work with. A sports shot with some noise is preferable to one that has blurred action.

If you shoot in raw you can post process a lot of that noise out. This will soften you shots a bit in the process. One of the best ways to reduce noise from high ISO is to have the exposure dead on.

If you have never shot sports before I would suggest that you set your camera to full time focusing. Canon calls it AI Servo. Follow the action at all times with the camera constantly focusing on the action. Use one focus point. I normally use the center point.

In the custom functions if you can set you focus to a separate button on the back instead of on the shutter button. This makes keeping the action in focus easier to do and be prepared to trip the shutter than keeping it all on the shutter button

You have to be prepared to get the shot by tracking the action with the camera constantly focusing on that action. If you don't and see something you want to shoot, by the time the camera focuses the shot is gone.

If you feel comfortable shoot in manual. If you do not feel comfortable shoot in AV mode. Yes shutter speed is what you need to keep high, but you also want a want to control you aperture so that all the action is in focus but the background, crowd, etc is out of focus. I usually shoot around f2.8. It can be the difference between a nice sports shot and an outstanding shot, by making the action pop off the photo. In AV mode you control you aperture directly and your shutter speed with the ISO. Need more shutter speed bump th

If you have a chance, go to a practice or two and get some practice time in yourself. Every fall I start by going to the preseason practice sessions at the local college I shoot for to get some practice time in myself. Sports photography by it's very nature is very demanding both in terms of equipment and on the photographer. It, at least for me is also one of the most enjoyable. Good luck.