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Category: Photo Exposure Troubleshooting

Photography Question 

Lisa Doyle
 

Canon EOS 10D Hockey Photos


Hi

I just purchased the Canon EOS 10D. I need to get some good shots at a hockey game, this is the 1st time I have used an SLR. I was wondering if anyone can help with what settings to go with? The camera's action or should I adjust the ISO and shutter speed myself. If so what would work best?
Thanks


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February 26, 2004

 

Jon Close
  The lighting is apt to be different from the white-balance presets, so use the Custom White Balance.

The large expanse of white ice and side boards is likely to fool the camera's exposure meter into underexposing the players. You should expect to set +1 or more exposure compensation.

The indoor lighting is going to be dimmer than daylight, so expect to set a higher ISO of 400, 800, 1600, or 3200 to get action-stopping shutter speeds.

Do not try to use the flash unless you are sure you are within its range (which depends on the aperture of your lens and ISO setting used). For the built-in flash the maximum camera to subject distance is 40 ft x square root of (ISO setting/100)/aperture setting. Example: ISO 800 and f/5.6 lens limits the useful flash distance to 20 ft (40 x sqrt(800/100)/5.6 = 20.2).


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February 27, 2004

 

Lisa Doyle
  Jon

Thank you very much for your advise, I will try it, the game is tonight and this will be very helpful.


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February 27, 2004

 

Lisa Doyle
 
 
 
Jon

Here are some examples of my 1st try. I had ISO of 800, the pic's did come out darker then I wanted, I did not use a flash. I was taking the photos through the plastic glass. I am going back and will try a differant spot with no glass. These are not perfect but better then I have done before, thanks again for your help.


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February 28, 2004

 

Gary Hart
  Good start Lisa. If you want to improve your exposure and familiarize yourself with a feature that will make you an even better photographer, try shooting in manual mode. Manual mode is ideal for events like indoor hockey games because both the light and your subject (hockey players) are constant throughout the game. That means you can set the exposure once and then not worry about it. Here’s what you do: with the mode dial set to “M” (manual page 86), set the 10D's metering mode to "partial" (manual page 75), open your aperture all the way, and determine your shutter speed with the lens zoomed in on a red jersey (since it looks like the "good guys" are the ones in red). Make sure that the player you choose is on the ice (so he’s in the right light) and the red of his jersey fills the circle in the center of the viewfinder. Finally, because the red looks to be about 1 stop darker than medium, make the shutter speed 1 stop faster than the meter suggests (the meter wants make everything a medium tone and will trick you into making dark objects too light). That’s pretty much it. I also suggest that you familiarize yourself with the 10D’s histogram (page 109) so you can check your exposure and make adjustments if necessary. Good luck!


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March 04, 2004

 

Lisa Doyle
 
 
  Hockey 1
Hockey 1

Lisa Doyle

 
  Hockey 2
Hockey 2

Lisa Doyle

 
  Hockey 3
Hockey 3

Lisa Doyle

 
 
Hi all

I want to thank everyone again for all the great advice ... I am still at this and trying to get a good hockey photo, what I have is not perfect but much better then other shots I have taken ...Here a a few from the last game I was at ....

Lisa


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March 06, 2004

 
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