Ice hockey HELP

supermanning · Sep 19, 2010

the season has begun! And I have been taking portraits all summer. Went to a game last night at a rink with possibly the worst lighting I have ever experienced. And WOW, these guys are fast!!! Using a 7D (new) with 70-200 2.8 IS. I was late, so didn't get a chance to WB the ice

so, my questions: what do I loose if I increase my ISO 2000+
I usually shoot AV, how do increase my shutter speed? Should I try shutter priority? It's hard to go full manual when they are moving soooo fast

Any help appreciated!

Josh66 · Sep 19, 2010

The lighting should be fairly consistent, so once you establish the proper settings, full manual should be the easiest. All you have to do is focus and shoot.

What do you lose by raising the ISO? Noise free pictures, lol! I haven't used the 7D though, so I don't really know what the ISO limit is for acceptable noise levels...

If you're not comfortable going manual, Av will give you the fastest shutter speeds for the aperture you're using.

Buckster · Sep 19, 2010

If you're not going to crop them like mad, you can get aways with quite a lot of ISO latitude with the 7D, from what I'm finding on my own 7D rig.

I find that my shooting habits are changing from shooting mostly aperture priority or shutter priority to full manual most of the time, now that I have auto-ISO and can get away with it without much to worry about on the noise issue. It's very liberating to be able to choose both shutter and aperture however I like for creative expression and let the camera decide what ISO to use to pull it off, and not worry much at all about noise issues associated with it anymore.

If it were me, I'd put the ISO on auto-pilot, set the shutter at 1/250th (or faster if need be), the aperture at wide open for some sweet isolation and background bokeh, and start firing!

Oh, and I'd definitely take a few moments to get a WB first. It's well worth it, IMHO, and doesn't take but a few seconds if you're practiced at it. If you're not practiced at it, what are you waiting for? It only takes a couple of times going through the steps, and you'll have it down pat.

CNCO · Sep 19, 2010

how did the 70-200 work for hockey? did you have enough length to capture everything? i might start shooting hockey for a team and i am just trying to get my equipment ready.

Josh66 · Sep 19, 2010

If you're shooting RAW, you can take your WB reference shot after the action is over, or during a lull...

supermanning · Sep 19, 2010

CNCO, I purchased the 70-200 because of hockey. I couldn't imagine using anything else. (plus, now I use it for almost everything else)
Ice Hockey is very difficult when you add in the horrible lighting, white background, and fast motion. Plus, you usually have to shoot thru marked up glass or netting.
I've been "getting away with it" for the past year or two, but I really want to step up and do some great action photography. so, I need some great advice!!!
I'm going to a series of games next weekend, then home for awhile, where I should have a crows nest view of the games.
Buckster, In order to set a WB, I need to arrive before the players take the ice, so I can sneak in and get my settings.

CNCO · Sep 19, 2010

thats what i was wondering, how do shots look when you as a photographer have to shoot through the glass. does that dull the image? rinks should have platforms up high.

Buckster · Sep 19, 2010

supermanning said:
CNCO, I purchased the 70-200 because of hockey. I couldn't imagine using anything else. (plus, now I use it for almost everything else)
Ice Hockey is very difficult when you add in the horrible lighting, white background, and fast motion. Plus, you usually have to shoot thru marked up glass or netting.
I've been "getting away with it" for the past year or two, but I really want to step up and do some great action photography. so, I need some great advice!!!
I'm going to a series of games next weekend, then home for awhile, where I should have a crows nest view of the games.
Buckster, In order to set a WB, I need to arrive before the players take the ice, so I can sneak in and get my settings.

Why? The boards are white, the ice is white, lots of white all around most hockey rinks I've been to that will work to do the WB setup off of. Just zoom in on one, shoot it, and set your white balance to it. Done. It's like 20 seconds.

And if you have an assistant (read friend or family member) with you that's willing to hold up a white balance tool like a gray card to do it, even better. It still takes all of about 20 seconds.

supermanning · Sep 19, 2010

I guess I thought I had to use the ice for WB settings... I'll try other options next time

CNCO · Sep 19, 2010

i would shoot raw or use the auto setting. me personally i have never used a grey card. im guessing all you do is shoot your lighting source with the grey card next to it and really try to differentiate white and grey?????

Buckster · Sep 19, 2010

1. Let the light source illuminate the gray card. Doesn't have to be next to it - just lit by it. Overhead lights in an ice rink light up everything in the rink with virtually the same color cast, so you could put it on the floor at your feet and shoot it even.

2. Shoot the gray card. Just zoom in on it, take the shot using just the rink lighting, and you're good to go. It doesn't even have to be in focus.

3. Set the WB to use that shot as the source. If you don't know how to do this, see your manual. It's a couple clicks at best on the menu. Once you know where they are and how to do it, it's a total breeze. It will then use that WB until you tell it to do something different.

4. Done. Shoot to your heart's content.

The gray card is more reliable than random white sources for best accuracy, because random white sources can have their own color cast which we can't readily detect with out naked eyes, but can affect overall WB to the camera's more sensitive WB detection system. A photographic gray card has no such color cast issues.

supermanning · Sep 19, 2010

Great! I know how to set a custom WB, but, like i said, I thought I had to use the ice. I'll pick up a card, and try that for the weekend.
Again, my question, if the lighting is poor, will I loose anything going for an ISO 3200? Can I change my shutter speed in AV?, or trust the camera

supermanning · Sep 19, 2010

Still a noob here, but really appreciate the feedback! I'll post some pics next week

Buckster · Sep 19, 2010

supermanning said:
Great! I know how to set a custom WB, but, like i said, I thought I had to use the ice. I'll pick up a card, and try that for the weekend.
Again, my question, if the lighting is poor, will I loose anything going for an ISO 3200? Can I change my shutter speed in AV?, or trust the camera

Why not just give it a try? Put the camera on ISO 3200, shoot some photos, and see how they look.

I suspect however, with that f/2.8 lens, you won't need to go that far with the ISO though, and that's why I suggest putting it on auto ISO. It's not like the rink is so dark nobody can see the game, right?