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Focusing on camera settings

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Presets can enhance your indoor sports photography skills.

Be sure to check out my other article, Part 1: Tips for Indoor Sports Photography, for more great ways to take indoor photography.

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Recommended Lenses and ISO for Sports

Event	Recommended lenses	ISO setting	Shutter Speed	Notes
Baseball	70-200 @ f 2.8	Make sure it hasn’t been switched to manual	1/1000 and faster	Depends on light, have sun at back
Basketball	23-70, 16-35 @ f 2.8	400	1/500 (minimum)	No matter what, have at least 1/500 minimum shutter speed
Football	70-200, 300 @ f 2.8	4000/5000	1/500	4000 ISO, eventually switching to 5000 ISO @ f 2.8
Golf	70-200 @ f 2.8	400	1/2000
Soccer	70-200, 300 @ f 2.8	400, (4000/5000 at night)	1/500
Softball	24-105 A f4, 70-200 @ f 2.8	400	1/640	Night, same as football
Swimming	70-200 @ f 2.8	400	1/1000 and faster	Settings depend on the time of the day
Tennis	24-70 @ f 2.8, 24-105 @ f4	400	1/500	Sun at your back
Track & Field	70-200 @ f2.8	400	1/500 and faster	Light meter determines shutter speed
Volleyball	24-70 @ f 2.8	4000	1/500 (minimum)
Water Polo	70-200 @ f 2.8	400	1/2000	Light meter determines shutter speed
Wrestling	70-200 @ f2.8	4000	1/500 (minimum)

 

Preset Camera Settings for Sports Events

GOAL	SETTINGS	NEXT STEPS
Autofocus setting on the lens	Documented a 4 year usage trend for all facilities.	Make sure it hasn’t been switched to manual
Assess utilization of energy management systems across facilities.	Performed a detailed audit of facilities and gathered best practices.	Educate all facilities on reduction best practices.
Assess current recycling practices across facilities.	Developed metrics required to capture current recycling practices.	Use new framework to assess and measure progress.
Develop a team to lead development of new environmentally friendly products.	“manual”	Establish an environmentally focused product roadmap by product category.
Shutter	1/640 second	1/500 would be the minimum shutter speed to use
Aperture	widest setting (usually f2.8)
ISO	“auto”	If no “auto” setting, start at 4000 ISO and move up to 5000 ISO
Auto ISO setting in camera menu	100-12,800 ISO
Color Space	sRGB	Don’t choose Adobe RGB
Save images as…	Large JPEG	Can also use RAW for more control in editing the images
Focusing Cases (canon)	Case 1 for track & field Case 2 for swimming, wrestling, and tennis Case 3 for track & field Case 4 for soccer, basketball, volleyball, and football Case 5 for tennis and volleyball Case 6	Case 1 is the default

  

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Written by:
Chris Bledsoe
Arroyo Grande High School [CA]
Chris has been the choral director at Arroyo Grande High School for 34 years and currently teaches choir, piano, AP music theory and advanced graphic arts.