I mention this because your equipment for low light sports would be sub par, but for something like a marthon I don't think you will find it limiting at all. You may want to shoot with a shallow depth of field small aperture, or small aperture plus a long focal length , to blur the background, but you still have some control over this and probably enough control over this with your current equipment.
Aperture priority is great if you specifically want to control the depth of field, or how much is in focus. That doesn't mean that it is what you want to lock your camera into and leave it alone though. You might consider shutter priority mode so you can specifically control the amount of motion blur that the subject has. If you want a crisp clear runner, you will want a fast shutter speed.
If you want to show motion blur of the runner moving, you will want a slow shutter speed. Using shutter priority mode will of course help you dial this in very easily to your liking. Burst mode is typically a good idea with any sporting event, as the subject is moving and burst mode will help ensure that you do not miss the decisive or most important moment. In the case of a race, without burst mode you might get quite a few shots with other runners obstructing a view of a certain runner you would like to see in the frame.
Burst mode can help with that. It also will help if you are trying to capture the moment when they cross the finish line for example. One of the most important things to utilize when capturing moving subjects such as a runner, is to use AF-Continuous Nikon , AI-Servo Canon or similar. This will constantly maintain focus on the subject runner as best as possible. An important thing to remember at an event like this, is to move around and get as many perspectives as possible.
No one wants to look at a shoot full of the same framing or background. Get elevated if possible, get on the course during a break in the action a terrible idea generally speaking, but of course possible , move from the finish line to mile 15, etc. If you are trying to shoot specific people like the elite runners, you will certainly want a long lens in the mm or longer range as you have.
Personally I shoot the runners as they are closer to me with a shorter lens, but that is just how I shoot. If I had to get coverage of an elite runner with varying backgrounds, I would want a long telephoto lens to do so. I know you specifically are interested in settings and such, so here are a few examples from my experience:. I tried to do a tracking shot here to show the movement, and also the emotion of the runner. Although it could have been done better by me. At the time I'm writing this, I have completed 40 marathons, 36 half marathons and many other races.
Recently, I volunteered as a photographer at a small marathon. Based on this, I would start by asking a few questions:. Clearly, you need different strategies for a major marathon like Boston, Chicago or New York than a small marathon with runners.
While I waited at each location, I used a small folding chair and listened to podcasts and music - you can't read a book or a screen because you might miss the runners! As for timing, if you are just photographing your friends, ask them about their race pace. If you are photographing the larger field, ask the race director for the timing of the aid stations, which should tell you when the runners are expected along the course.
Don't forget that the group of runners will spread out over the length of the course. Afterwards, I wound up with about photos. I wanted to minimize the post-processing work and storage space on my computer. If shooting sprinters you would have to increase your minimum shutter speed to account for their faster movements.
Rather than using Aperture Priority , I tend to shoot most sports in Manual mode unless there is a big difference in the level of light from one area of the field to the next. You really need constant aperture zoom lenses to do this, though. It also helps to have a camera with a deep buffer so that you can use RAW files without losing the ability to shoot high frame rate bursts. You can then correct the minor exposure differences in post processing. If you're shooting the marathon in a more open area, such as a large public park, there might not be a lot of variation in the light.
If you're shooting parts of the marathon on narrow, downtown streets with a lot of tall buildings casting shadows the light will be much more varied. This is especially true at the beginning with an early morning start time.
If the light is too uneven I switch to Shutter Priority so that I am guaranteed to get the minimum shutter speed Tv I need.
Select an ISO high enough to keep the aperture setting Av where it needs to be with your minimum Tv and live with the noise. This would be more of an issue early in the morning or during a dark, overcast day. Being familiar with your gear will go a long way in achieving a higher "keeper ratio" in terms of focus.
Understanding the actual area for each focus point in the viewfinder, as opposed to the size of the square in the viewfinder, is critical because the camera will focus on the highest contrast area covered by a given focus point rather than what happens to be at the center of each focus point's coverage area. The better you understand your camera's AF system, the less you will need to shoot at narrower apertures to allow a safety margin for missed focus.
A wide aperture will allow you to isolate a specific runner in a crowded pack. On the other hand, a narrower aperture will allow you to place your runner in the context of the other runners. Nikon recommends against using 3D Tracking 11 points for moving objects. Using 3D or Auto Area AF will result in many shots with the pavement or grass in the foreground in perfect focus. Your runners, on the other hand will probably not be in focus. With the D, be aware that enabling certain automatic settings, such as Active D-lighting, can reduce the maximum burst performance.
One thing that separates the D from most other entry level bodies is the way you can set a minimum Tv using Auto ISO, then the camera will dynamically adjust the ISO to stay above your chosen Tv. This is particularly helpful for shooting sports. Another advantage of using Auto ISO is you won't need to worry as much about the lens' maximum Av changing as you zoom in and out with your variable aperture lens.
Your D can take up to 9 RAW frames 2. Once the buffer is full, you can continue to take about 1 fps until you can pause enough for the buffer to clear. This limitation means you will need to decide whether the extra latitude in post processing is worth it or not. Shooting JPEG only you can shoot 24 frames 2.
As with RAW, once the buffer is full you can continue to shoot about 1 fps until you can allow it to clear. In practice you can pause for a few seconds say, 10 then shoot another short burst say, about frames 2. The runners in a marathon train many hours to prepare for the big day. This is my assumption, but many of these have anti-vibration systems.
What Nikon body should I consider if I want to be able to shoot in small bursts with several shots taken in a partial second? What systems other than Nikon should I consider? Thanks in advance. Last edited: Aug 25, Gavjenks TPF Noob!
If you are the official photographer and thus probably have permission to do so, have you considered setting up flash lighting at a certain point along the course?
If the runners are warned of this ahead of time, it shouldn't be startling or unsafe. You would also of course pick a spot that is particularly level and free of things to trip on or whatever.
Or if flash is too distracting, strong continuous lighting? Anyway, some of the other things you asked: VR: no, it is useless for freezing running people's motion. VR only prevents your own hand shaking from blurring the image. Fast bodies and lenses: These things are not compatible with "keeping costs low.
Lighting is much cheaper. Another option if you are able to get your car within extension cord's length of the race course and at a slightly higher elevation than the runners would be to go to home depot or whatever, buy a cheap car inverter with sufficient wattage rating, and then run your engine to power a nice big halogen lamp looking down a bit on them.
Or similar hackish solutions, if you can get away with them. Derrel Mr. Rain Cloud. Image stabilization is not going to be the issue In and I shot two or three,sometimes four, sports assignments a week for a pair of local newspapers, and back in , was stuck using the Nikon D1h and later that year in May, I bought the brand new Nikon D2x as the then-current Nikon model of the market at the time.
I'm actually familiar with bad-light sports shooting, and can tell you that Vibration Reduction is not what you need--you need sheer, raw lens speed much more than you need VR. Why these lenses? Well, they are light, small, easy to frame with, and they do not magnify the subject a whole lot, so with image magnification low, visible blur is not a huge issue, nor is ultra-demanding focusing.
If you are "the official" photographer, it is assumed that you will have access, as opposed to being cordoned off and shooting from wayyyyyy back.
You need to capture an image that's well-focused, and which has movement of the athlete's stopped. When runners approach the camera head-on, it takes less shutter speed to stop them than when they are moving across the film plane, as in a direct side-view, so that makes it easiest to stop them when they are running full-face, approaching the camera.
That also shows their faces and expressions, and their school uniform front and is kind of "the yearbook" approach. Also, on the start, a 50mm or 85mm lens from 20 yards shows a good bunch of athletes, and shows the runners in situ Forget the VR Use whatever camera you can afford.
Consider using a group dynamic AF or "pattern" focusing approach if you have a lower-end body. DO some tests to see how the combo you have actually focuses. If your gear and you cannot focus on the fly, then yeah, pre-focus and pick the runners off one by one as they approach a point where you are off to the side and 20 feet distant. This won't work terribly well with moving subjects, but it may help enough. Specially if you already own that equipment. All, After looking around a bit and reading the responses let me propose four potential camera systems.
I still need to get this first before I consider lighting, which I can do a bit later in the season when the sun sets later. For all of these options, I would get a used camera off of Craigslist, Ebay, or from one of the NY camera stores that does much online business. With a Canon half frame sensor camera, this would give me a mm equivalent system. Would be a mm equivalent system. Would give up lens speed and automatic focusing, but would be the least expensive.
Please let me know your thoughts on these systems. Am I ok with a half frame sensor camera or do I really need to jump up to a full frame sensor camera which would force me into a lower resolution out of production early system based on my budget? I appreciate all of your responses, wisdom, and guidance. KmH In memoriam Supporting Member. I kind of put outfits like Quantum, Nissin, Sigma in the "better 3rd party flash units" category.
When one has "official access", and is relatively close, a long super-tele type lens is not always a plus; it can be a drawback. But still--I think an AF lens would be better for you. I know this is a year late. An interesting thread with much useful advice. In this mode, the camera will continue to focus on your subject, as you hold the shutter-release button halfway.
This mode will then anticipate the future position of your subject, so he or she will be in focus when you release the shutter. Framing runners from the waist to the head is better than a full-body shot. You can certainly shoot a few of these wider views, but to record dramatic facial expressions and sweating bodies, you want a tighter composition.
The general rule is to crop limbs between the joints and not at the joints. Your feedback is important to thousands of PhotographyTalk. If this article is helpful, then please click the Like and Re-Tweet buttons at the top left of this article. Looking for the best canvas prints? Check this out.
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