| Sign in: |
| Members log in here with your user name and password to access the your admin page and other special features. |
|
|
|
|
|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Basketball _ Lenses
Marc Gold, Photographer
 |
Reston | Va | usa | Posted: 4:59 AM on 11.24.08 |
->> Happy Early Thanksgiving , everyone
Getting ready for a heavy schedule of Basketball.
I have Nikon D3 and D300 available for shooting.
Would like some help or suggestions for lenses.
We will most likely be shooting from , slightly behind baseline behind basket. I have several lenses i can use.
Would you use Primes or zooms? focal lenghts?
I am also going to do some shooting from higher up, some of the venues have press areas we can shoot from, and from a top row of the seating areas. I like the look of shooting down at the court, and seeing all the action .
Thanks in advance for your help. |
|
George Bridges, Photographer, Photo Editor
 |
Washington | DC | USA | Posted: 7:26 AM on 11.24.08 |
->> Marc,
Depending on how far out you are from the basket the lens of choice these days is the 70-200 zoom and a wider zoom if you are inside and then use a 300mm looking down court at the far basket.
As far as zooms or primes are concerned, that is a personal choice. Some people when sitting right under the basket prefer to go with a prime like a 35mm or 28mm but others like a zoom like a 16-35.
It's really just sit down and experiment with where on your local court you like to sit, where the background looks good and you feel the most comfortable then play with various lenses to get the look you want.
I've had games where I have sat under the basket only with an extreme wide angle just waiting for that play right on the baseline or dead under the basket and giving up any outside shots. That is taking a chance but at times it has paid off when players have made a dive for the ball right at me.
Other times I go all the way out to the corner and shoot with the 70-200 and am happy.
It's probably best to start with the standards and get comfortable with the game and then start finding other spots in your gym that you like. |
|
Mark Sutton, Photographer
 |
Herndon | VA | USA | Posted: 7:34 AM on 11.24.08 |
->> Marc,
Ditto to what George just posted. I use my 300 to get the action down at the other end which is great for players posting up and rebounds. I usually try to sit at the corner of the baseline and use my 70 - 200 on my other camera. That way I limit the ref booty shots.
I see you live near me in Reston. |
|
Peter Wine, Photographer, Photo Editor
 |
Dayton | OH | USA | Posted: 7:54 AM on 11.24.08 |
->> My typical setup for basketball is currently a 17-50 on one camera and the 70-200 on the other.
Now that's partly because of lighting in the high school gyms that I typically shoot in. I have used a 1.4 extender a couple of times, and like it's extra reach on the far end, but even when I shoot college ball it doesn't feel like enough light to keep the shutter speed up.
I often use off-camera flash when shooting high school, but don't have strobes mounted for college, so it's no flash there.
If I had a 300 2.8 for the far end or above the court shots, I would likely use it, but since I don't have one, I don't have that option. Not sure having three bodies would be workable, but being able to switch the 70-200 for the 300 might be nice.
Most of the time I'll use the 70-20 (or the 300, if I had one) for the far end, and the 17-50 when they're on my end of the court, but once I'm comfortable that I've got a good shot with the wide lens, I'll use the 70-200 on both ends for a while.
It's (obviously) harder to follow the ball up close with a 70-200, though, so the number of usable shots goes down (at least for me.)
I'd love to try a D3 with the 18-200 VR, but as a Canon shooter, I don't see that anytime soon. :-(
I remember a basketball game a couple of years ago... I was really busy that night, didn't have a chance to set up lights, so was shooting 3200 ISO in a cave. (Well, more so than usual for high schools...)
It was usable, but just barely. I had trouble determining whether the shot was out of focus, or just very grainy (which on the 30D produced what looks like a soft focus effect at 3200 when on the edge of having enough light.) |
|
Robby Barthelmess, Student/Intern, Photographer
 |
Santa Barbara | CA | United States | Posted: 11:26 AM on 11.24.08 |
->> Marc,
I also shoot with a D3 and D300...
Basically, I keep my 24-70 f/2.8 on my D3 so that I can get shots while shooting directly next to or underneath the net. Then on my D300, I shoot with the 70-200 f/2.8. Sometimes it can get semi-annoying to switch between the two cameras while keeping up with the action, but that way I don't miss too many possible shots.
The combination works well (and so do both of the cameras...its hard to imagine them getting much better).
As for the 24-70 FX lens that Nikon makes, it is by far my favorite lens and just super solid. It works really well for basketball if you are looking for some semi-wide shots or even just medium shots.
I wish you luck!
-Robby Barthelmess |
|
Chuck Steenburgh, Photographer
 |
Lexington | VA | USA | Posted: 4:20 PM on 11.24.08 |
->> There are several approaches one can take.
70/80-200 f2.8 (300 f2.8 for D3) is good for action on far end of court to mid-court, under most lighting, or with strobes. The zoom also works well from the corners of the court for action on the near end.
Under the basket, a "normal" f2.8 zoom works with good lighting and strobes.
If you have bad lighting, you might stick with primes. I really like Sigma's new f1.4 primes, the 30/f1.4 and most recently the 50/f1.4. Nikon's new AF-S 50/f1.4 bears looking at as well (I have one on order). The 85/f1.8 is a nice lens but is showing its age (CA, even on the D300, can be bad wide open). Never was crazy about Nikon's 50/f1.4 AF; others love this lens.
Chuck |
|
Corbey Dorsey, Photographer, Photo Editor
 |
Cozad | NE | USA | Posted: 5:31 PM on 11.24.08 |
->> Marc, I like a three lens combination-70-200 f/2.8, a 300 f/2.8 for down court...a 50mm f/1.4 fast prime (50 f/1.2, santa please :-) can get come nice images under the basket on the baseline in low light, I would even suggest using it with a floor plate setup. A trusty 85 fast prime can prove beneficial as well. Do not discount the 24-70 f/2.8 as well, it has served me well in numerous shooting situations regarding hoops. When I first started shooting basketball as a kid, they sent me out with a 100mm fixed, it served me well back then on a Nikon FM2!
Corbey |
|
Lennart Wiedemuth, Student/Intern, Photographer
 |
Ennepetal | NRW | Germany | Posted: 3:03 AM on 11.25.08 |
->> Because most of the places where I shoot are very very dark, I tend to leave the 70-200/2.8 in the bag and use my 85/1.8 (Canon) only.
Right between my legs I have a 24-70/2.8 that I can slap on if I feel like it would be better. Plus I use a 40D with a 16-35/2.8 as a remote sitting infront of me, serving me with wideangle shots.
Lennart |
|
Jeff Brehm, Photographer, Photo Editor
 |
Charlotte | NC | USA | Posted: 12:55 PM on 11.25.08 |
| ->> I agree with Lennart. I use my 85mm almost exclusively for basketball, and I swap the 70-200 and 300 on the other body. If you park yourself midway along the baseline between the side of the lane and the three-point line, the 85 is ideal for action anywhere from the foul line in. The 70-200 is great for bench shots and half-court traps and the 300 gets you defense and rebounds at the other end. |
|
Marc Gold, Photographer
|
Reston | Va | usa | Posted: 9:49 PM on 11.25.08 |
->> Thanks to everyone for your great responces and advice.
Jeff Brehm, are you suggesting shooting from the side instead of from under the basket or from baseline behind or to the side of basket?
I have used a 24-70, 70-200 and 300 for shooting bball in the past, anyone ever use a 105 f2.8?
mark sutton, yes i am in reston, we should get together, maybe meet at santini's near Home Depot.
George, chuck all who offered help, thanks and have a great thanksgiving.
We will post some good shots, hopefully using your suggestions. |
|
Walter Calahan, Photographer
 |
Westminster | MD | USA | Posted: 10:40 PM on 11.25.08 |
->> Use only lenses that make good pictures.
A lens I like might be crap in someone else's hands.
It all depends on your approach to basketball.
Even though the D3 has great high ISOs, I'd suggest the fastest glass possible. I like a bright field of view in basketball.
The new 50 mm f/1.4 lens coming out with a silent wave motor would be sweet for bball.
Back in the day, my prime for bball was the Nikkor 105 mm f/2.5 manual focus on a Nikon F2 with motor drive, and Tri-X pushed to 1600 developed in Acufine. Dem were da days. My other camera body would have a 28 mm f/2.8. Got everything covered from baseline to mid-court. For the far end, I switch to the classic 180 mm f/2.8. Who'd want anything else???? |
|
Jeff Brehm, Photographer, Photo Editor
|
Charlotte | NC | USA | Posted: 11:40 PM on 11.25.08 |
->> Marc, I know people who like to shoot basketball from the side, but I'm not one of them. I like shots of people mixing it up inside too much. I'm suggesting a spot on the baseline, about two-thirds of the way from the side of the lane to where the 3-point arc meets the end line.
Of course, a lot of other guys like that spot, too, so get there early! |
|
Kent Nishimura, Student/Intern
 |
Honolulu | HI | USA | Posted: 5:02 AM on 11.26.08 |
| ->> Marc, i use a Canon 1Dmk2N and a 1D, one with a 85mm and the other with a 300mm for down the court stuff. |
|
Marc Gold, Photographer
|
Reston | Va | usa | Posted: 7:39 AM on 11.26.08 |
->> I usually hang! on baseline at about where the right side of the lane is marked, i also like to view the action from behind and underneath, more exciting.
Sometimes where i can get up high, I will do some time from above, Those shots looking down, can be really dramatic.
Thanks for the help. |
|
Lennart Wiedemuth, Student/Intern, Photographer
|
Ennepetal | NRW | Germany | Posted: 2:04 PM on 11.26.08 |
| ->> If possible I change possitions twice or more times during a game to get different angles. For expamle shooting from above or shooting from different possitions along baseline, that way I mostly get an angle plus a shot which others don`t have. |
|
David Lovell, Photographer
 |
Adelphi | MD | USA | Posted: 6:03 PM on 11.26.08 |
->> I use a D3/D300 combination as well. I switch between a number of configurations during the game just to mix up the shots, since you don't get to change position much:
D3: 300 f/2.8, D300: 24-70 f/2.8
D3: 70-200 f/2.8, D300: 24-70 f/2.8
D3: 300 f/2.8, D300: 70-200 f/2.8
D3: 14-24 f/2.8, D300: 70-200 f/2.8
D3: 24-70 f/2.8, D300: 70-200 f/2.8
Anytime I have something wide on the D3, I keep the 70-200 on the D300 in case something interesting happens on the far end. I never put the 300mm on the D300 because, with the crop factor, it's just too close.
On occasion, I will go up in the stands with the 400 f/2.8 and get shots looking down on the floor.
I swap lenses a lot at the game, and I switch back and forth between the bodies like a fiend. Swapping lenses means regular sensor cleaning. |
|
Renay Johnson, Photographer, Assistant
 |
San Diego | CA | | Posted: 10:29 PM on 11.26.08 |
| ->> Great info here. Hoping to get a chance to shoot some basketball. |
|
Patrick Murphy-Racey, Photographer
 |
Powell | TN | USA | Posted: 12:32 AM on 11.27.08 |
->> Marc,
Downcourt: either a 1DSMIII/5D MarkII with a 400mm f/5.6L or
a 1DMIII with a 300mm f/4L IS
Under the basket: 1DMIII with the EF70-200 f/4L
occasionally for a big game, I'll shoot a little with the 16-35... |
|
Marc Gold, Photographer
|
Reston | Va | usa | Posted: 1:57 AM on 11.27.08 |
->> You are all teriffic, Walter i agree use only what gives you great photos, no time to waste on junk.
Well today is Turkey day and some time with the family. Tomorrow, we can start to try some of your suggestions. I love bball and am really looking toward a great season.
Thanks again for all the help.
Eat lots of turkey and have a great holiday. |
|
|| Sponsor Special Deals
SB-900 TTL AF Shoe Mount Speedlight
|
Available from:
Samy's Camera
|
Price: $499.95 |
Notes:
The SB-900 i-TTL Speedlight leads the Nikon Creative Lighting System delivering the portability, power and versatility to support any photographer's creative lighting imagination. SportsShooter.com users should call 866-726-9463 to get the special SportsShooter price.
|
|
-- More Info -- |
|
Return to --> Message Board Main Index
|