Shooting first Socer match today

[blatalllic]

Tonight Im going to be taking my camera to a soccer match. First goal well be getting in with my Camera.....

Camera I'll be using is a Olympus E-500 with its 150mm lense...

What setting do you guys recommend as a starting point....

Also, should I shoot in Jpeg or Raw, Raw I only hold like 150 pics, Jpeg is easily double that....

 

[astrostu]

I would've suggested RAW, but if you think storage will be an issue, then go JPG. My understanding for sports photography is that you do a lot of shots and delete many of them.

 

[Big Mike]

Also, most cameras have a much longer burst rate while shooting in JPEG than RAW.

I still think shooting in RAW is the best way to go for top quality images though.

 

[lockwood81]

I'm thinking about getting an Olympus E-500...how do you like yours? I am truly a beginner and I'm looking forward to taking photos as a hobby.

 

[Mike_E]

Be sure to shoot with both eyes open.

mike

 

[blatalllic]

Mike, yes I love raw shooting, allows me to detail shots using Phase one....

Lock - this is my first actual DSLR camera and I love it...I've taken some awesome shots with it, so I think at least....It came with two lenses and that convinced me to buy this camera....Its a nice stepping stone to greater and better cameras out there....

Mike E - thanks I'll try...Im in the first section on the side line so I'll be close to the action....Its two matches tonight so I'll have lots of fun...Thats if I can get in with the camera first LOL...

Should I raise my ISO...I usually shoot at 100...but its going to be night time and well Im not sure how well it'll be lit for photography...Lower my f's and try to have the shutter as fast I can set it, correct??

 

[bbrooks]

I shoot daytime soccer games so I might not be much help. Yes, set your ISO higher, and shoot in continuous mode, meaning crank off about 3-7 shots, depending on your camera's frames per second. Mine has 3 fps, but because I had the ISO at 100, I missed alot of crucial shots in certain sequences, even in the bright sunlight. I tried the continuous autofocus mode but didn't like it. I switched to single autofocus and seem to get more usuable shots that way. Also, you might try center-weighted metering versus a broader setting. Good thing about digital cameras is that you can change the settings at will. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[blatalllic]

Brooks, wish I would of read your post yesterday!!!

Got in with camera, I tried shooting in sports, A, and S mode...

Got better shots in S mode, ISO at 400...AF was on...maybe i should of done that manually....well here are some of the pics...This is very difficult...I def need practice...

 

[smyth]

Number two is great IMO. The others would have been decent in sunlight, so don't blame yourself here. Night sports photography is tough, and expensive, because you'll need fast lenses (f2.8 or faster)

 

[bbrooks]

Don't beat yourself up over the pics. Night time shots are difficult, not to mention that you were trying to get shots of a very fast paced sport! Try my suggestions next time and let us know. Of course, all it takes is alot of $ for a very fast lens!
Again, good job!

 

[sabbath999]

Be sure to shoot with both eyes open.

mike

That is some excellent advice, and something that a lot of people never learn about shooting sports.

 

[blatalllic]

Think If I got this lense, this might improve my shots....But I dont think the lense is fast anough...

• Sigma

Zoom Telephoto 135-400mm f/4.5-5.6 APO DG Aspherical Autofocus Lens for Olympus Digital Cameras (Four Thirds System)

Whats the opinions on this?

 

[smyth]

it will be fine if your shooting during the day, but it won't get you much further ahead if you plan on shooting at night.

 

[Boden]

You got really close. I bet you would have had usable images had you simply cranked your ISO up to 800 or higher so that you could have used a faster shutter. IMO a slightly noisy image trumps a slightly blurry image.