Shooting action and sports events requires the right camera settings and timing.
Action photography involves shooting fast-moving main subjects such as those doing sports and other motion-oriented activities. The challenge of shooting a very mobile object is get the best timing to frame and expose it.
Without the right lens and camera settings, it is not possible to take a good action photo. This type of photography generally requires stopping the action to capture a clear shot. Otherwise, the photo may merely show an unintentionally blurred and/or ghost-like image.
Telephoto Lenses
Telephoto lenses ranging from 100 mm to 300 mm allow intimate close-ups of action subjects from a considerable distance. The longer the lens, the longer the required distance to capture a suitable framing for the subject.
As a general guide, a 100-mm lens would suffice when taking shots of a basketball game from the baseline or sideline near the baseline. However, 135 mm to 150 mm lenses are more suitable when taking photos of players at the mid-court. And 200-mm to 300-mm lenses best fit shots of players on the far side of the court.
Super-Telephoto Lenses
Wildlife and sports photographers use a variety of super-telephoto lenses, especially when shooting animals from very far distances and sports events that require the photographer to be significantly far from the action. The wide range of super-telephoto lenses typically starts from 400 mm.
As a basic guide, shooting a soccer game from a typical distance within the audience area requires a 400-mm lens. This type of lens makes it possible to safely shoot even dangerous animals incognito. In such cases, the photographer can be very far from the subject but still produce close-up photos that seem shot from nearby.
Macro Lenses
Macro lenses are similar to telephoto and super-telephoto lenses because of their ability to produce detailed close-up shots of their subjects. However, the primary difference between them is the distance required to shoot their subjects.
Unlike telephoto and super-telephoto lenses that are widely used in action shots shot from afar, macro lenses are used to shoot very small objects coming from a regular distance -- anywhere from a few millimeters to a number of inches away from the main subject. A macro lens is ideal when shooting very small insects and other small moving things or creatures without having to go significantly far from them.
Zoom Lenses
A zoom lens features a changeable focal length and maximum aperture to give the photographer the flexibility to take different types of action photos. It can provide shots similar to prime lenses, which is the category where telephoto and wide-angle lenses fall. There are many options for zoom lenses such as a 28 mm to 200-mm lens, 200 to 300mm lens and 55 to 100mm lens.
Although a zoom may look more beneficial compared with a prime lens, it also has its disadvantages. It is generally heavier than most primes and it has moving parts that are more prone to damage through wear and tear and bumping accidents. It also requires more light to properly expose an image, which is not favorable for low-light photography.
Tags: super-telephoto lenses, camera settings, game from, shooting very, shot from, significantly from