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MMA action
hi all, i have a quick question. I am shooting a MMa match i have a Nikon d810 with a tamron 24-70 2.8 lens, that should be good for the action right and should i shoot in manual mode or another mode? thanks Apr 09 16 09:33 pm Link BlueWolf Photography wrote: 24-70? how close will you be? Apr 09 16 11:00 pm Link You need something that is long enough to blur the wire/fence of the cage in front of you. MANAUL mode!!! Apr 09 16 11:05 pm Link The light levels will determine if your lens is fast enough aperture wise. The local venue where I've photographed events over the last few years has poor lighting and a lot of the time I am struggling at 1/500 F1.6 to 2.2 ISO 3200 / 6400. My 50mm F1.4 Nikkor is just about small enough on the front element to be up against the wire mesh of the cage without obstruction. The problem is keeping it centred in the 'heat of the action'. Much better in many ways is to be up a ladder looking down on the cage. Follow focus is more effective and a lens hood can be used BUT be aware of the effect of the cage moving on both you and your photos. One event I'd taken along a CSC in case I got a chance to compare it. When one bout got to the third round and I already had a lot of action from the previous 2 I swapped over to my Fuji. Within 20 seconds of the third round my metal lens hood was severely distorted, glasses a little twisted and my eyebrow needed attention from the medics at the end of the round. The delay in the EVF meant I did not see the 80kg category combatants coming straight at the part of the cage that I was up against. Flash is not allowed during the bouts where I am. I have a second camera body with 24-70 on and flash for the arrivals and presentations. It also tends to be 'shoes off' before going into the ring so make sure your socks lean more to entertaining than embarrassing !. It is one of the few times that I find Auto-ISO to be useful. Other settings that I use: Spot metering from the focus point with EV compensation of between -0.7 to 1.3; Manual shutter at least 1/500, ideally faster; aperture F1.4 to 2.2; AF-C focus mode; 'motordrive fast' to get a few consecutive frames when the need / opportunity arises.  Apr 10 16 03:25 am Link 24-70 should be okay but you might want to go with a prime lens. Definitely want to shoot in manual mode - you'll probably need to make adjustments through the first fight. It's truly going to depend on the light, the floor of the ring and fighter skill. Usually the amateur fighters, seem to go a little fast, but older, more pro-level fighters take their time. Keep both eyes open. I've shot MMA with a 35mm and a 50mm prime lens, mostly because the venue only had one light on above the ring. I had to move around just to find a sweet spot. (Usually near a judges table seems to be the best)  35mm/ƒ/2.8/1/250s/ISO 6400 Apr 10 16 06:06 am Link what is mma? Apr 10 16 06:09 am Link mixed martial arts Apr 10 16 06:20 am Link If it is in a well lit ring the lighting should be fairly even from corner to corner. I would use Manual model. Once you lock in a good exposure it shouldn't change throughout the night. But be aware of possible light changes - example: they might use different lights when they introduce the wrestlers - or say you turn around to shoot something in the audience. If the light changes rapidly, like in a rock show, then Aperture mode is better for keeping up with the changing light. Note: If you do shoot in Aperture mode, be sure to keep the focus/metering point on a similar area every shot - example always on a face. If the metering point is on white shirt in one frame and on dark pants the next frame, the exposures will be totally different. Since things move so quickly in a fight, keeping the metering spot on a small area like a face is difficult. Apr 10 16 10:34 am Link The venue will tell you what you need to bring. Are you able to visit the location before the event? I have shot all types of college sports for about 10 years now and the venue has always told me what to bring. Finding out how close I can get (and where else I can go) tells me what lens to bring. How's the lighting? The lighting tells me how fast a lens to bring. Sometimes even 2.8 isn't fast enough and I shoot with a prime. I generally shoot in manual mode, this keeps the look of my images consistent. If lighting is really wacky, in terms of color temps, I may shoot in RAW. The list of variables is many. I don't think there is a catch all. Good luck to you and have fun with it. Apr 15 16 03:44 pm Link Keith Moody wrote: ???????????????? Apr 16 16 01:38 am Link photoimager wrote: I interpreted this as "you need to get off your bum and go to the venue. Look at the shooting angles/distances, lights, etc." Based on what you see, you will have been told what to bring. Perhaps the only allowable shooting position is in the rafters, in which case you might be talking a 300/2.8. Other times you might be stuck with a camera on a fixed position, so perhaps an option is an ultrawide. You can also take some test shots, so this is a scenario where a hairdresser mannequin head (<$100 on Amazon) on a folding light stand could make for a perfect "photo test dummy" that won't damage the fighting surface, and won't bore someone with "stand there for me, now, don't move, stay there, let me get some shots, stay there..." Apr 16 16 08:30 am Link L O C U T U S wrote: I've shot a few pseudo-professional MMA fights before...the last one being for the LFC...Lingerie Fighting Championships. Basically it's phony wrestling with women pretending to hate one another fighting in an octagon. I thought it was pretty stupid myself but hey, it got a lot of attendance and Pay Per View watchers so go figure. Apr 16 16 09:32 am Link Keith Moody wrote: OP don't rely on the venue to tell you what to bring. Visit the location if you can and see how easy it is to take photos ahead of the event. Apr 16 16 09:44 am Link The word VENUE means LOCATION. The location (and your access level) will tell you what you need to bring. Are you stuck in the stands or are you next to the action? Will you have great TV broadcast level lighting or does the lighting suck. Answers to these questions will be answered at the location / venue. If you've never shot at this location before, do some research, scout the location. Best of luck to you. Apr 16 16 07:52 pm Link Keith Moody wrote: That's a very weird way of writing the message you are trying to get across. Most people refer to "the venue" as the people who work in that location, not the physical property itself. I understand what you are attempting to say but it's a very confusing way of saying it. Apr 17 16 08:10 am Link |
