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 06/17/2006 11:57:39 AM · #51
Originally posted by JRalston:
... The problem I seem to have with monopods & tripods is it makes it harder to switch from portrait to landscape orientation. Maybe it's just a matter of getting used to using them all the time! I have rarely used mine.
It's easy to switch if you're using a lens with a tripod collar. I use a 322RC grip action head on my monopod.

As for A1 Servo, I wouldn't reccommend using it for portraits, landscapes, etc. where the subject is not moving. For sports I use it all the time.

Message edited by author 2006-06-17 12:10:10.
 06/17/2006 12:27:46 PM · #52
Originally posted by jmsetzler:
Canon's AI Servo Focus Tracking:

I did some experiments tonight with burst photography using the AI Servo focus. I did several 10-15 shot burtst at 5fps with the 20d. I wanted to track a base runner running towards me to see if the focus could keep up with the subject moving that quickly towards me. I didn't think that it would work particularly well, but I was surprised. It worked great :)

The only thing I noticed that was not just perfect was that the camera burst firing would occasionally pause slightly. I'm assuming it was waiting on the autofocus to catch up...

I think my 20D in AI Servo mode can track & focus better than I can keep the camera pointed at a fast moving subject. A tip from kyebosh last weekend regarding shooting cycling seemed to help a lot. He said to lock on the handlebars instead of the face. Not exactly the same thing but for baseball I think you'd use the players belt buckle. The idea is to concentrate on a smaller area instead of the larger person when trying to keep the subject framed properly as you pan to keep up with it's movement.

I like your low angle shots for baseball, think I'll try that.
 06/17/2006 01:17:50 PM · #53
Originally posted by jmsetzler:
A MUST HAVE MONOPOD:

Bogen / Manfrotto 685B NeoTec Monopod

I had a monopod and I didn't use it. I had
THIS ONE and I couldn't make myself use it. I thought it was too cumbersome for sports photography. I finally figured out that it was not such a great tool for sports. I like to change my camera height quite frequently, as shown in some of the photos I have posted here. The NeoTec solves that problem in a very nice way. The squeeze grip allows you to adjust the height on the fly with no problem at all. I recommend this monopod to anyone who wants to shoot sports :)


John, What head do you use on that pod?
 06/18/2006 12:13:56 AM · #54
Originally posted by jemison:
Originally posted by jmsetzler:
A MUST HAVE MONOPOD:

Bogen / Manfrotto 685B NeoTec Monopod

I had a monopod and I didn't use it. I had
THIS ONE and I couldn't make myself use it. I thought it was too cumbersome for sports photography. I finally figured out that it was not such a great tool for sports. I like to change my camera height quite frequently, as shown in some of the photos I have posted here. The NeoTec solves that problem in a very nice way. The squeeze grip allows you to adjust the height on the fly with no problem at all. I recommend this monopod to anyone who wants to shoot sports :)


John, What head do you use on that pod?


I don't use a head on it. I mount the lens collar on the 70-200 directly to the monopod.
 06/18/2006 12:30:32 AM · #55
i was at the U.S. open today, and i saw something really cool that the photographers had (not the 400 2.8L's or the 500f/4 L's...) it was like, a ring i guess, where they could just turn the camera on the lens, any way they wanted, without moving the monopod head, wondering if anyone knew what this was?

-Dan
 06/18/2006 12:31:31 AM · #56
Racing, Panning, and Tilt



14-year-old Matt DiBenedetto drives to another third place finish in the Limited Late Model Sportsman class at the historic Hickory Motor Speedway on Saturday night...

Canon EOS 20D
Canon 24-70L f/2.8 @ 55mm
f/5.6 - 1/160"
ISO 100
AI Servo AF

Panning is a difficult task most of the time. It can be difficult to find the balance between shutter speed and motion blur. It's important to keep your subject (or the important parts of it) sharp while allowing enough blur to show the desired sense of motion in the photo. I spent a majority of a 35 lap race in this turn photographing this car as it came around the track. I shot in aperture priority and adjusted my aperture from f/2.8 to f/4 and then to f/5.6 to finally get a combination of shutter speed and panning that worked to my satisfaction. It would be just as easy to shoot this in shutter priority to hunt down the shutter speed that works best.

I also kept my camera tilted quite a bit during this shoot to add some extra dynamics to the image. I think the tilt on the car looks more interesting than if the car was horizontal in the frame...

06/18/2006 04:17:42 AM · #57
Good job on the panning. I sort of like the tilt, but I don't think it would work as well if it were printed among other photos and text.
 06/18/2006 09:10:21 AM · #58
Originally posted by I Enjoy Ham:
a ring i guess, where they could just turn the camera on the lens, any way they wanted, without moving the monopod head, wondering if anyone knew what this was?

-Dan


You discription sounds like what is on my 100-400mm, and my 300mm. It is an attachment 'ring' for monopods (and tripods) that is built around the lens that has a tension knob on it.

Loosen the tension knob and you can trn the camera body from portrait to landscape.
 06/18/2006 11:01:33 AM · #59
Originally posted by American_Horse:
Originally posted by I Enjoy Ham:
a ring i guess, where they could just turn the camera on the lens, any way they wanted, without moving the monopod head, wondering if anyone knew what this was?

-Dan


You discription sounds like what is on my 100-400mm, and my 300mm. It is an attachment 'ring' for monopods (and tripods) that is built around the lens that has a tension knob on it.

Loosen the tension knob and you can trn the camera body from portrait to landscape.
More commonly known as a Tripod Collar, or sometimes as a tripod mount, it comes as standard equipment with most large telephoto lenses.
 06/18/2006 05:00:37 PM · #60
Originally posted by MadMan2k:
Good job on the panning. I sort of like the tilt, but I don't think it would work as well if it were printed among other photos and text.


Any thoughts on why?
 06/18/2006 08:29:50 PM · #61
Originally posted by jmsetzler:
Originally posted by MadMan2k:
Good job on the panning. I sort of like the tilt, but I don't think it would work as well if it were printed among other photos and text.


Any thoughts on why?


Because the lens is usually too heavy to mount the pod to the body. It's a balanceing act.
 06/18/2006 09:46:00 PM · #62
Originally posted by American_Horse:
Originally posted by jmsetzler:
Originally posted by MadMan2k:
Good job on the panning. I sort of like the tilt, but I don't think it would work as well if it were printed among other photos and text.


Any thoughts on why?


Because the lens is usually too heavy to mount the pod to the body. It's a balanceing act.


I think you lost me on that one... ???
 06/18/2006 10:03:12 PM · #63
It seems like he quoted the wrong reply by mistake. I could be wrong about the tilt photo, it just seems like it would fit better with the other race/sports photos on a page if it was horizontal.
 06/18/2006 10:24:33 PM · #64
The Double Play Attempt:



Hickory Post 48's Isaac Harrow gets forced out at second base as Caldwell Post 29's Josh Shehan attempts to make the double play to first base...

Canon EOS 20D
Canon 70-200L f/2.8 w/ Kenko 1.4x TC
@ 280mm
f/4
1/1000"
ISO 800

This photo is a good choice of action shots for baseball. You can shoot this play from two different locations and get two different results. It's a good idea to determine if the 2nd baseman and the short stop are right or left handed. If they are both right handed, you can shoot this play from along the third baseline or from behind first base. If they are left handed, this third baseline view is no good because they will have their back to you on the throw.
 06/23/2006 12:22:02 AM · #65
The Stall:




06/23/2006 11:26:47 PM · #66
Well John,

I have been following this thread and tried to put some of the info to use tonight as I went out to play a bit. I have to agree that with minor league stuff and especially little league, alot of the basic rules are tough to follow. Busy backgrounds, angles needed. Geeze sometimes its tough to find a spot out of the parents way and still not be shooting through a fence. Here are a couple of my shots, certainly not in your league, but not bad for the first night out with new equipment.



MattO
 06/23/2006 11:42:33 PM · #67
Matt,

I think those are excellent :) The backgrounds in these cases are most difficult to work with but you have no choice. Angles are even tougher in situations like this. Most baseball fields where I have shot, with the exception of my local minor league park have zero considerations for press coverage outside the press box.

This is why I originally commented in another thread about those 'rules' being basically worthless unless you are shooting in professional venues. You simply can't execute them. You do have to learn how to get the best out of what you have, and that's the best you can do.
 06/28/2006 11:34:45 PM · #68
The Turn at 3rd:



Hickory Crawdads shortstop Brent Lillibridge makes the turn at third base and heads for the plate in tonight's game against the Kannapolis Intimidators at L.P. Frans Stadium in Hickory, North Carolina... Photo by John M. Setzler, Jr. / MiLB.com

Canon EOS 20d
Canon 70-200L f/2.8
Kenko 1.4x TC
f/4.0 @ 195mm
ISO 200
1/1250"

As a player is rounding third base, you can get some good diagonal flow as they lean into their turn. You can accentuate this also by tilting the camera counterclockwise just a tad if you like. This photo is from a burst of about 12 shots of his trip from 2nd to 3rd base using AI Servo focus and adjusting my zoom as he moved in closer.

After examining this particular shot for a bit, I think it can be improved. The outfield wall at this stadium is rather busy and it needs to be more out of focus. Since I'm normally using my 1.4x TC while the light is good, I could have shed that and had this same photo at f/2.8 and blurred out the background a little more. When the runner starts from 2nd to 3rd, they are 'digging' fairly hard and they don't look up until they are getting close to 3rd base. Those shots with their face down aren't so great either. Here's a shot from earlier in that same sequence...



1/1000" @ f/4 @ 280mm

He didn't look up where I could get a face in the photo for a couple more strides in my direction.

I processed the first photo in b/w because I'm making a print of it. I'm gonna get his autograph on it at tomorrow's game. I heard through the grapevine that tomorrow will be his last night in Hickory. He is moving up a level to the High-A Pittsburgh Pirates club in Lynchburg, VA. We'll miss Brent in Hickory. He's a great ball player. You can see his stats

HERE.


07/07/2006 11:41:26 PM · #69


Hickory Crawdads Shelby Ford steals 2nd base ahead of the throw to Augusta GreenJackets 2nd baseman Kyle Haines...

Canon EOS 20D
Canon 70-200L f/2.8 @ 280mm
Kenko 1.4x TC
1/2000" @ f/4 @ ISO 400

Shooting from the thrid base dugout, I took the low angle approach to the pickoff attempt at second base. This photo can also be shot from behind first base, and is often a better place for it if the fielding second baseman is going to attempt a double play throw to first.
07/08/2006 12:17:15 AM · #70
Learning lot! I really like that new monopod and I hadn't seen it before.
 07/08/2006 01:45:29 AM · #71
Originally posted by C-Fox:
Learning lot! I really like that new monopod and I hadn't seen it before.


I use it constantly for sports and highly recommend it.
 07/20/2006 11:22:58 PM · #72


Lakewood BlueClaws Greg Golson slides into third base...


07/20/2006 11:35:10 PM · #73
Pittsburgh's First and Fourth Overall...



In the 2006 Draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates signed Brad Lincoln for a mere $2.75 million. He had his first mound appearance with the Hickory Crawdads on July 19, 2006 at L.P. Frans Stadium in Hickory, North Carolina.
07/21/2006 12:01:59 AM · #74
Originally posted by jmsetzler:


Hickory Crawdads Shelby Ford steals 2nd base ahead of the throw to Augusta GreenJackets 2nd baseman Kyle Haines...

Canon EOS 20D
Canon 70-200L f/2.8 @ 280mm
Kenko 1.4x TC
1/2000" @ f/4 @ ISO 400

Shooting from the thrid base dugout, I took the low angle approach to the pickoff attempt at second base. This photo can also be shot from behind first base, and is often a better place for it if the fielding second baseman is going to attempt a double play throw to first.


It looks like a lot of your games are day games or is the lighting that good there at night. I'm amazed you can use those settings. The Minor League games here start at 7:05 pm and most are under the lights. Even with an ISO od 1600 couldn't get that fast of a shutter. Well done.
 07/21/2006 12:06:37 AM · #75
Just about all of my games start at 7:00pm.
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