D90 settings for gymnastics

[HHerrera]

Good morning everyone! This is my first post and hopefully I'm doing everything correctly on the forum.
i am not a photographer and have no experience with shooting pictures, but maybe it will be a hobby I eventually take up

so my question:
i bought a D90 with 70-300 and 18-105 lens. I bought it to take pictures of my daughter in gymnastics. I've read the lighting plays a big issue in the settings of the camera. I'm hoping some of you here shoot gymnastics with the same camera and can tell me how to set it up to take pictures. These events take place in high school gym, well the last few have.
Thank you all in advance!

 

[HHerrera]

Forgot to mention all flash has to be turned off also

 

[480sparky]

Without knowing the lighting in the venue, this question cannot be answered.

 

[robbins.photo]

For sports of any kind you really need a good shutter speed to stop the motion and give you clear, sharp pictures. The downside is that the faster your shutter speed, the less light that gets let into the camera for the sensor to use because the shutter is only open for a fraction of a second. that means to compensate you need a lower aperture number (the lower the number the wider the opening of the lens is and therefore the more light that gets in) - unfortunately the lenses you mention generally go from F4.5 to 5.6, so really they are better for use outdoors in well lit conditions. That's not to say you can't take pictures indoors with them in more limited lighting, but it will be a bit more challenging.

So what I recommend, get your lens mounted, find a good spot and switch the camera into A mode (aperture priority) - this allows you to set the aperture (how wide open the lens is) and lets the camera adjust shutter speed and ISO for best exposure. Set your aperture setting to the lowest you lens allows, then check and see what the camera has chosen for a shutter speed. You really want at the very least 1/125, 1/250 would be better if you can get it, 1/500 would be perfect but depending on the lighting that might be tough to acheive.

So see what the camera says is the best shutter speed based on conditions, then adjust your ISO - higher ISO will make the sensor more sensitive to the incoming light, which will help increase your shutter speed. Turn up the ISO until you reach the 1/125 to 1/250 shutter speed range and try some test shots. The higher ISO will introduce some noise into the picture but generally you can edit this out with some post processing.

Once you get the hang of it you can start playing around with adjusting your aperture for different DOF (Depth of Field) and such, but for now I'd just concentrate on the basics.

 

[TheLost]

If you can get close enough.. I would recommend investing in a 50mm f/1.8D (~$90-$120) or a 50mm f/1.8G (~$220) prime.

The nice thing about Gym lighting is that it doesn't change... It's crappy from start to finish! Your camera is really going to struggle trying to find its happy spot.

That's why I always shoot in M(anual) mode. Take multiple test shots and get your settings where you want them before the event and you shouldn't have to worry about your settings changing as you move around. I'm a huge fan of 'chimping' in school gyms.

I would also recommend shooting RAW. It will give you a little more wiggle room to correct things in post. Things like white balance are tricky in Gyms and shooting RAW makes it easier.

.. But you really need to get a f/1.8 or f/2.8 for best results... and the 50mm is a great low cost start.

[*Edit*] The D90 is a great camera! you shouldn't have any problems once you get your settings down.

 

[Solarflare]

Well, the D90 is a very good, but also now a quite old camera, so sadly the high ISO performance really isnt that great.

High ISO is the main thing that got better in recent years.

Gynmastics though sounds like it could be sometimes slow ? For fast movements, you want shutter speeds of at least 1/500, if not 1/1000 or 1/1500 sec.

The tip to get a 50mm sounds very good to me. Especially since right now you have only very dark lenses. I would definitely encourage you to get the 50mm f1.8D, its a great compact lens. Its a bit older and has some quirks in its handling, but optically there is nothing to complain about it.

You need to be able to get close though.

 

[KmH]

The notion the D90 is "now a quite old camera" is ludicrous. The D90 was launched just 5 years ago

High ISO in newer cameras has gotten better in recent years but for the OP's intended use, the D90 will do the job.
But, like with all photography, the knowledge and skill of the photographer plays the biggest role in determining the resulting image quality.

The OP needs to know to use continuous auto focus (AF-C), needs to set single point focus area mode, needs to set the white balance for the lighting type in the gym, needs to know how to pan and anticipate the action, and needs to know how to use the histogram on the rear LCD to judge exposure.

Since the OP has no experience, the season will likely be well under way before he learns how to effectively use any DSLR camera for shooting an indoor action sport.
It's also not likely the OP will have any post process image editing acumen he can use to 'fix' a photo.

So I recommend he put the D90 in green Auto mode and let the camera make the decisions. I think that will maximize the number of photos that have acceptable image quality.
It is worth noting that even professional action sports photographers using 10's of thousands of $$$'s worth of camera and lens expect some % of their photos to be unusable.

By undertaking a study of how to do action sports photography in between events, and practicing/experimenting on matches his daughter is not in, the OP can gradually take control of the camera and lens and accept responsibility for the resulting image quality.

 

[HHerrera]

Thank you guys for the information and quick response! Looks like I will have to try different settings and lots of practice. Just needed a starting point to get me going. And yes I can practice before her routine since there will be many going on at the same time. Hope I can use that to my advantage.
Again thanks for your help!!

 

[robbins.photo]

The notion the D90 is "now a quite old camera" is ludicrous. The D90 was launched just 5 years ago

High ISO in newer cameras has gotten better in recent years but for the OP's intended use, the D90 will do the job.
But, like with all photography, the knowledge and skill of the photographer plays the biggest role in determining the resulting image quality.

The OP needs to know to use continuous auto focus (AF-C), needs to set single point focus area mode, needs to set the white balance for the lighting type in the gym, needs to know how to pan and anticipate the action, and needs to know how to use the histogram on the rear LCD to judge exposure.

Since the OP has no experience, the season will likely be well under way before he learns how to effectively use any DSLR camera for shooting an indoor action sport.
It's also not likely the OP will have any post process image editing acumen he can use to 'fix' a photo.

So I recommend he put the D90 in green Auto mode and let the camera make the decisions. I think that will maximize the number of photos that have acceptable image quality.
It is worth noting that even professional action sports photographers using 10's of thousands of $$$'s worth of camera and lens expect some % of their photos to be unusable.

By undertaking a study of how to do action sports photography in between events, and practicing/experimenting on matches his daughter is not in, the OP can gradually take control of the camera and lens and accept responsibility for the resulting image quality.

Wow.. Keith, you know this is the first time I think I've ever disagreed with you on something. Not that I don't respect your opinion, I certainly do - but in my experience the camera's auto sports mode generally does a fairly poor job particularly in lower lighting situations. The camera tends to worry too much about keeping the ISO low and as a result the shutter speed drops to a level that really won't yeild much in the way of usable photos - just my experience mind you and perhaps the auto settings on the D90 are different than others but I've just never gotten good results using the "sports" modes on any camera other than in very good lighting conditions.

I'll agree with you whole heartedly on the AF-C and single point focus, white balance, etc - but I do honestly think they'll be better off going to A mode as opposed to using the sports mode in this situation. I think the learning curve for using "noise reduction" in post is a pretty small one, at least with most of the software I've used so I really do feel it's a better route. I do get where your coming from though, and yes as far as shooting situations is concerned this one is a toughy. Even pro's struggle with getting the right balance trying to shoot action in bad lighting.

 

[beachrat]

The notion the D90 is "now a quite old camera" is ludicrous. The D90 was launched just 5 years ago

High ISO in newer cameras has gotten better in recent years but for the OP's intended use, the D90 will do the job.
But, like with all photography, the knowledge and skill of the photographer plays the biggest role in determining the resulting image quality.

The OP needs to know to use continuous auto focus (AF-C), needs to set single point focus area mode, needs to set the white balance for the lighting type in the gym, needs to know how to pan and anticipate the action, and needs to know how to use the histogram on the rear LCD to judge exposure.

Since the OP has no experience, the season will likely be well under way before he learns how to effectively use any DSLR camera for shooting an indoor action sport.
It's also not likely the OP will have any post process image editing acumen he can use to 'fix' a photo.

So I recommend he put the D90 in green Auto mode and let the camera make the decisions. I think that will maximize the number of photos that have acceptable image quality.
It is worth noting that even professional action sports photographers using 10's of thousands of $$$'s worth of camera and lens expect some % of their photos to be unusable.

By undertaking a study of how to do action sports photography in between events, and practicing/experimenting on matches his daughter is not in, the OP can gradually take control of the camera and lens and accept responsibility for the resulting image quality.

Wow.. Keith, you know this is the first time I think I've ever disagreed with you on something. Not that I don't respect your opinion, I certainly do - but in my experience the camera's auto sports mode generally does a fairly poor job particularly in lower lighting situations. The camera tends to worry too much about keeping the ISO low and as a result the shutter speed drops to a level that really won't yeild much in the way of usable photos - just my experience mind you and perhaps the auto settings on the D90 are different than others but I've just never gotten good results using the "sports" modes on any camera other than in very good lighting conditions.

I'll agree with you whole heartedly on the AF-C and single point focus, white balance, etc - but I do honestly think they'll be better off going to A mode as opposed to using the sports mode in this situation. I think the learning curve for using "noise reduction" in post is a pretty small one, at least with most of the software I've used so I really do feel it's a better route. I do get where your coming from though, and yes as far as shooting situations is concerned this one is a toughy. Even pro's struggle with getting the right balance trying to shoot action in bad lighting.

Actually,using your logic,wouldn't he be better off going with shutter priority and auto iso?

 

[table1349]

The notion the D90 is "now a quite old camera" is ludicrous. The D90 was launched just 5 years ago

High ISO in newer cameras has gotten better in recent years but for the OP's intended use, the D90 will do the job.
But, like with all photography, the knowledge and skill of the photographer plays the biggest role in determining the resulting image quality.

The OP needs to know to use continuous auto focus (AF-C), needs to set single point focus area mode, needs to set the white balance for the lighting type in the gym, needs to know how to pan and anticipate the action, and needs to know how to use the histogram on the rear LCD to judge exposure.

Since the OP has no experience, the season will likely be well under way before he learns how to effectively use any DSLR camera for shooting an indoor action sport.
It's also not likely the OP will have any post process image editing acumen he can use to 'fix' a photo.

So I recommend he put the D90 in green Auto mode and let the camera make the decisions. I think that will maximize the number of photos that have acceptable image quality.
It is worth noting that even professional action sports photographers using 10's of thousands of $$$'s worth of camera and lens expect some % of their photos to be unusable.

By undertaking a study of how to do action sports photography in between events, and practicing/experimenting on matches his daughter is not in, the OP can gradually take control of the camera and lens and accept responsibility for the resulting image quality.

Wow.. Keith, you know this is the first time I think I've ever disagreed with you on something. Not that I don't respect your opinion, I certainly do - but in my experience the camera's auto sports mode generally does a fairly poor job particularly in lower lighting situations. The camera tends to worry too much about keeping the ISO low and as a result the shutter speed drops to a level that really won't yeild much in the way of usable photos - just my experience mind you and perhaps the auto settings on the D90 are different than others but I've just never gotten good results using the "sports" modes on any camera other than in very good lighting conditions.

I'll agree with you whole heartedly on the AF-C and single point focus, white balance, etc - but I do honestly think they'll be better off going to A mode as opposed to using the sports mode in this situation. I think the learning curve for using "noise reduction" in post is a pretty small one, at least with most of the software I've used so I really do feel it's a better route. I do get where your coming from though, and yes as far as shooting situations is concerned this one is a toughy. Even pro's struggle with getting the right balance trying to shoot action in bad lighting.

Actually,using your logic,wouldn't he be better off going with shutter priority and auto iso?

No, the difference between a sports snapshot and a good sports photo is isolating the action, in this case the gymnast. You want the people and objects both in front and behind the gymnast to be out of focus. This draws the eye to that action. To achieve that you shoot as wide open as you can to provide you the minimal DOF to just have the gymnast in focus. You control you shutter speed and keep it up at least to 1/325th and even better 1/500th by adjusting your ISO. You can clean a noisy photo, you can't fix motion blur or boring photos due to a lack of DOF.

 

[manaheim]

Low light tends to be a big problem in most gyms and even my D300 had a hard time keeping up. I generally hate "green auto" mode, but given the OP's lack of experience, it might make sense.

Only problem is auto mode will pop up the flash. Not sure if you can turn that off.

 

[table1349]

Low light tends to be a big problem in most gyms and even my D300 had a hard time keeping up. I generally hate "green auto" mode, but given the OP's lack of experience, it might make sense.

Only problem is auto mode will pop up the flash. Not sure if you can turn that off.

There is nothing that Duct Tape can't fix.

 

[runnah]

ISO 1200, f/4.5, 1/125

I figure I have a slim chance of this being correct.

 

[robbins.photo]

ISO 1200, f/4.5, 1/125

I figure I have a slim chance of this being correct.

Most likely a higher shutter speed will be needed, if at all possible. This is where it gets a bit tricky with slower glass - 1/125 will freeze someone moving at about a walk, but for a gymnast you'd most likely get a good amount of motion blur. Really the closer to 1/500 you can get the better but often you'll have problems in bad lighting with slow glass getting a good enough exposure that way even at high ISO. So you try to bump up as close as you can to 1/500 and the rest is mostly just luck.