Help with settings and lens question

[VolleyChick]

Hello - thanks in advance for any help - I need it! I mostly take beach volleyball pictures with my Canon 60D and Canon Zoom Lens EF-S 18 - 135 1:3.5 - 5.6. I have rented several lenses - most recently the Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 SP Di VC USD for Canon and the Canon 70-200 F4L. The Tamron almost broke my back and both of them are really just too close up for my personal taste. I'm sure both of those things are probably rookie issues, but I really like 18 - 135 range better.
So is there a lens that would be good for sports that is smaller/lighter but fast? If not, maybe someone could recommend settings that would help? I usually just use sport mode as my attempts with setting on my own were not so hot. I do get some decent pictures but never the cool blurry background ones : ) Not sure if that's even possible with what I have but any ideas that would possibly help would be greatly appreciated.
I'm attaching a couple from a few weeks back using my normal set up - it was overcast most of the day.

Thanks again!

 

[Overread]

A few thoughts:

1) 70-200mm f2.8 lenses can feel REALLY big and heavy when you first use them. Especially if you're not working in a more manual line of work or hobbies. However they are of a weight that most people can grow very used to them. I know the first time I started using one it was way too heavy and big - now I hardly feel the weight at all and can use one all day long.

2) Being too close can be an issue, however looking at the photos you've posted the beach look fairly clear and thus you could potentially step back a bit more from the action. However I appreciate that at events you can feel as if you step back others will step into the way; however many times being able to step back helps. You can more easily view the game as a whole; plus you get to increase your background separation (blurring) by using a longer focal length.

3) In your situation chances are you'd do well with two bodies and two lenses; one lens for longer work and one for closer/group areas. However I appreciate that that gets costly fast so one lens and body at a time for now.

4) For settings sports mode is a poor choice. It kind of works but its not brilliant.
Instead I would suggest using aperture priority mode; in that mode you control the aperture and the ISO and the camera controls the shutter speed based on teh light present.

So you'd set the aperture to something wide to get started. A wide aperture (small f number) lets in more light whilst giving you less depth of field and increased blurring of the background. F4 or f5.6 would be good starting points though all the way down to f2.8 would work.

Then I'd look at the ISO - for sports unless its a very bright day I'd start at around ISO 400 or even 800 on a darker day as a rough starting point.

I'd then look at what shutter speed those settings gave me (half hold the shutter button to get the camera to read the light present). If its over 1/500sec then I know most main body areas will be sharp whilst hands and faster moving parts will blur. At 1/620 most things should be sharp and any faster is all good for action and desirable.

At that point if you're getting slower speeds then those above or you want faster then you can use a wider aperture or a higher ISO to adjust things.

 

[beagle100]

I agree with the other poster about the settings but the longer, larger aperture telephotos are all going to be heavier - maybe use a tripod. When I shoot beach volleyball I use a 100-400

Untitled by PhotosCW, on Flickr

 

[fmw]

Hello - thanks in advance for any help - I need it! I mostly take beach volleyball pictures with my Canon 60D and Canon Zoom Lens EF-S 18 - 135 1:3.5 - 5.6. I have rented several lenses - most recently the Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 SP Di VC USD for Canon and the Canon 70-200 F4L. The Tamron almost broke my back and both of them are really just too close up for my personal taste. I'm sure both of those things are probably rookie issues, but I really like 18 - 135 range better.
So is there a lens that would be good for sports that is smaller/lighter but fast? If not, maybe someone could recommend settings that would help? I usually just use sport mode as my attempts with setting on my own were not so hot. I do get some decent pictures but never the cool blurry background ones : ) Not sure if that's even possible with what I have but any ideas that would possibly help would be greatly appreciated.
I'm attaching a couple from a few weeks back using my normal set up - it was overcast most of the day.
View attachment 140666 View attachment 140667 View attachment 140668
Thanks again!

Unfortunately faster means bigger and heavier. If you like the lens you are using, then keep using it.

 

[bluewanders]

A 70-200 lens is very common for sports photographers. There's been lots of good advice in this thread and I don't have a lot to add to what they said.

I would like to mention a monopod though. I know a number of sports photographers who use one because it helps them hold the larger lens steady and such.

It's also like to encourage you to continue trying manual mode. It is expected that you are not good at something if you haven't done it. Success is born of failure not ease. The more practice you get and the more you think and experiment the more control you'll have AND the more options/capabilities you'll possess in your photographic skillet. Gotta grind to level up.

Sent from my VS990 using Tapatalk

 

[VolleyChick]

Thanks for all the responses! I'll try doing my own setting next weekend and let you know how I do - thanks again!

 

[beagle100]

Thanks for all the responses! I'll try doing my own setting next weekend and let you know how I do - thanks again!

OK, beach volleyball season has just started

 

[dennybeall]

Faster equates to more glass and glass is heavy so fast-glass will be heavy glass.
On the beach - lots of light but you want to open the lens up for less DOF. So, minimize ISO. say 100, and increase speed as fast as possible to compensate and perhaps go with a fixed aperture lens. Use single point focus and see what you get.
The shots you shared are good compositions and the timing is also very good. I might crop a bit since the outfits, the ball and the net set the scene - no need for the beach.

 

[Braineack]

Faster equates to more glass and glass is heavy so fast-glass will be heavy glass.

not nessecarily. My 58mm 1.4G is one of my lightest lenses and it's a full stop faster than my 24-70 and 70-200...

On the beach - lots of light but you want to open the lens up for less DOF. So, minimize ISO. say 100, and increase speed as fast as possible to compensate and perhaps go with a fixed aperture lens.

it's not just less DOF for less DOF's sake here. You want the low DOF to separate the subject from the background. it will also allow for higher shutter speeds and lower ISOs... not the other way around.

Use single point focus and see what you get.

just make sure AF-C is still in use here.

The shots you shared are good compositions and the timing is also very good. I might crop a bit since the outfits, the ball and the net set the scene - no need for the beach.

hence why the 70-200 or longer is the preferred lens here...

I would like to mention a monopod though. I know a number of sports photographers who use one because it helps them hold the larger lens steady and such.

i disagree with the use here, I'd see myself using portrait orientation here often and needing to physically move the lens around with the action. I wouldn't want to be bogged down here by a monopod. I'd recommend a grip to the body over a mono pod -- especially on a tiny 6D, it will help even out the balance of a large lens and make it much easier to wield.

It's also like to encourage you to continue trying manual mode.

The OP needs to in the least use aperture priority mode. The three shots attached were shot at f/8.0, f/7.1, and f/29 respectively in "action mode". Better choices needs to be made here be it from the camera or photographer.

 

[dennybeall]

Information should be looked at in context.

 

[astroNikon]

For sports I really look at the Shutter Speed first and foremost.

Having done mostly sports down to age group 4 up to 19/high school, the shutter speed is paramount.

For instance in U6 I recall having minimum shutter speeds of 400
U8, U10, U12 creeped up to 640, 800, 1200.
For U14 and up I'm at 1/2,000

No matter the Aperture or ISO if the Shutter Speed is too slow, you'll have potentially blurry photos.
Thus in sports I always ask the first question of how fast the Shutter Speed.
So I would actually opt for Shutter Priority first. (I use Manual though with Auto ISO).

Then Aperture .... Do you want to isolate the subject, if you can ? what is your lens capable of for Aperture? Variable from 3.5 to 5.6 as an example ? or f/1.8 or f/2.8 fixed?

Then ISO is the last part of the combination for me. If you are at 100 and the images are over exposed, then lower (bigger number) the Aperture or increase Shutter to compensate. If darker then maybe use AUTO ISO; or use Auto ISO at a faster Shutter Speed.

There's also other combinations that can be used with Minimum Shutter if in Aperture Priority, etc.
But for Sports the Shutter Speed is always my main concern.

With the lens, it all depends upon the distances you have to cover.
If you are right next to the court then a 70mm (110ish on crop) would be too long. So you need to have something much less. Then a volleyball court you may only need 130 for the far end. If so then you know the focal length range for the lens that you need. A Full frame would be different of course as there is no crop multiplication value.

So based upon your location of shooting, the size of the field would help identify what lens you would need. It seems like you are more comfortable with 18-135.

Also keep in mind I also consider perspective distortion into the mix. So I try not to be too close at a wide focal angle, such as 18mm. But it's all based upon how far or close you are to the action.

if you want a "smaller / lighter" lens then a variable aperture lens is your choice. So many beginner or intermediate lenses would work. Tamron/Sigma make some 17-70/2.8 that you may be interested in too that would help with the cool blurry background.

If you want a "cool blurry background" then you need a large aperture lens such as f/1.8 or f/2.8, which needs larger glass elements which is heavier weight which is usually found in professional level lenses.

But this also can depend upon your distance to the subject and the subject to the background. The f/1.8 or f/2.8 makes it easier though as it's more flexible for more up close to subject and background more up close.