Newbie with a Nikon D500

[RyanandEmilysmum]

Hi,
I am a newbie to having a decent camera. I mainly invested in a good camera and lenses so I could take some good sports photos of my kids. Both play AFL and my son also umpires and I found our old point and shoot camera was just not cutting it any more. I am doing ok so far learning about Aperture, shutter speed etc and so far the only fails I am having is taking photos at night time under lights, I have tried so many difference settings and my photos are terrible, all blurry

 

[astroNikon]

your Photo EXIF
Camera: Nikon D500
Lens: AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II
Shot at 180 mm (shot wide open)
Exposure: Auto exposure, Program AE, 1/6 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100
Flash: none
Focus: Manual, at 30m, with a depth of field of about 2.3m, (from about 1.1m before the focus point to about 1.2m after)
AF Area Mode: Single Area

..

The above image showed "White + Red: Selected as primary AF point, but not locked". Thus the subject is *not* in focus as the AF system did not lock the lens on the subject. You'll notice that the grass behind the subject is in focus.

 

[astroNikon]

FIRST of all
you missed FOCUS on the subject, or more specifically your D500's AutoFocus system gained focus, but maybe the camera was set for Manual Focus ?

If you look at the grass in the background you'll see the ground is IN FOCUS. Even though your FOCUS POINT is on the subject

So I would go back and learn how to focus properly with the D500. The EXIF states you were focusing in "Manual" instead of using the AutoFocus??

I think you had the camera in MANUAL Focus, and not AutoFocus or something else was not set right ??
Check the little lever on the left front bottom of the camera. It could be set to "M" instead of "AF". AF is AutoFocus, M is Manual. If in M the lens will *not* AutoFocus.

Also check the Lens to make sure it did not have a switch to M instead of AF.

= = = = =
But another generally issue with sports, the issue you'll get is your Shutter Speed of 1/6th of a second.

For sports you'll probably have to be up to 1/1,000 to 1/2,000th Shutter Speed depending upon the size and speed of the players to *stop* motion and prevent blurry images. Quite a BIG difference from your 1/6.

That is way TOO SLOW for any type of movement.
To Compensate you Have to RAISE your ISO way above ISO 100.

By raising your ISO, you'll be able to raise your Shutter Speed.

You should be good up toe 51,200 ISO with the D500

I shoot with a D500 DX and D750 FX cameras.

In lower light with the D500 you'll be better served by setting ISO to "AUTO ISO" - press the ISO button and rotate the front dial and it will go into AUTO ISO.

But you'll have to go in the menu and set a MAXIMUM ISO, say 51,200. Then in Manual (or Shutter Priority) set Shutter Speed to a minimum of what you think will work to stop action depending upon the speed of the action. Then ISO will adjust accordingly as long as it's within the parameters of the environment.

Learn more about Shutter Speeds. Here's a brief tutorial ==> Understanding Shutter Speed - A Beginner's Guide

But as mentioned the Shutter Speed will STOP motion which you'll have to do irregardless of the amount of light available.

The ISO will help assist in compensating for lower LIGHT, so ISO has to be much higher to assist in higher Shutter Speeds.

If the shutter speed is too SLOW you'll get blurry photos due to movement of the subject and/or the person holding the camera. Most people CANNOT hold a camera steady enough at anything below 1/80th of a second which in itself can cause blurry images even on a static subject such as a building, which probably isn't moving.

 

[astroNikon]

if you were shooting a fast moving subject on the field,
I think you're basically 8 STOPs too slow in Shutter Speed, and thus 8 stops too LOW in ISO. (I'm not good at doing it in my head).

Shutter of 1,500 would need about a ISO of 25,600 at f/2.8 for the same exposure you are getting in your image, which is underexposed anyways.

Remember, for movement Shutter Speed stops action. Everything else has to move to get to that Shutter Speed to the spot to stop that movement.

But, first learn how to use the D500's focusing system.