Action Shots?

[bmarkey]

I rule I was taught was that your shutter speed should be twice (or close to it) the focus length of the lens. So, a 200 mm lens should be used at 1/400 shutter speed or greater. Of course, that can't always happen and was set before IS.

Indoors for sports such as basketball, 1/400 is barely enough to stop action.

http://www.diyphotography.net/shutter-speed

[Guidenet]

I rule I was taught was that your shutter speed should be twice (or close to it) the focus length of the lens. So, a 200 mm lens should be used at 1/400 shutter speed or greater. Of course, that can't always happen and was set before IS.

Indoors for sports such as basketball, 1/400 is barely enough to stop action.

http://www.diyphotography.net/shutter-speed

Yeah, there are so many various rules floating around about this. I was taught the reciprocal but some taught one and a half or twice like you. I think it's just some general rule to give some new person an idea on where they need to be. I can hand hold way slower and for action often go way higher. I think it all depends on the situation. :-)

[Germ]

It does depend on the look you are going for too

[mississippi mac]

Craig...

Yeah, there are so many various rules floating around about this. I was taught the reciprocal but some taught one and a half or twice like you. I think it's just some general rule to give some new person an idea on where they need to be. I can hand hold way slower and for action often go way higher. I think it all depends on the situation. :-)

i was taught the same as you were....

however, with the advent of IS lenses and bodies some of that goes out the window...
i can say that i stay pretty close to the reciprocal of the lens, even with IS but sometimes have to modify to fit the conditions...

tim

[Guidenet]

Craig...



i was taught the same as you were....

however, with the advent of IS lenses and bodies some of that goes out the window...
i can say that i stay pretty close to the reciprocal of the lens, even with IS but sometimes have to modify to fit the conditions...

tim

Me too, Tim. For example, most birding I do at 1250th of a second just because I find I get a slight blur to the wing tips and the rest is sharp which I sort of like to show motion. When perched the whole bird is frozen at 1250th. I know that's a weird mid-stop speed, but I like it. At a full stop speed like 1000th, I get a little too much blur and at the next stop of 2000th, I don't get much if any. Anyway, I don't really pay much attention so long as it's up there and that's way more than the reciprocal like you and I were taught. It's even more than twice than the reciprocal.

Even without IS/VR, I've often hand held successfully at a tenth of a second with my 85 f/1.4 on full frame. I just have to be careful and use good hand holding technique. It sometimes can reward you.

I think any of these rules are good for starting off. It gives us all a good reference point to make us remember that as we move to a longer telephoto, we have to be more careful and as we move to a wider angle, we can shoot slower. Not a bad rule in the least. :-)

[WaterEngineer]

I don't really pay much attention so long as it's up there and that's way more than the reciprocal like you and I were taught.

This.

[mississippi mac]

Craigs...

I was out at horn island (one of our barrier islands) yesterday....
the place was eat up with ducks and common mergansers...
i got a few decent images and i usually stay a bump or two over 1000th for the same reasons...
i also shoot most birds at iso 400 unless they are wading birds or perching that pause for seconds at a time...
then i'll drop down to iso 200...
don't often get a chance to drop down to iso 100....

tim

[Guidenet]

You know, looking at Dave's (Flash) kids sport pictures and having him coach me a little really did make a difference in my style. He told me the key was making sure I caught a great expression on the kid's face and try to get the ball in the shot. Both these concepts are absolutely on the money and has made a fairly big difference in my kid's sports technique.