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Taking pics from crowd at football match

  • 14-10-2006 02:26AM
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 803 ✭✭✭


    Hi,

    I'm heading to Old Trafford on Tuesday for the Champions League match and want to try to get some decent photos during the game. My main intention is to watch and enjoy the match though so I won't be spending the whole time looking for a great shot.

    I only have a P&S camera and will be confined to my seat for the game. Luckily this isn't too far back or high up. My camera is a Panasonic Lumix FZ-5. I don't really know what modes, settings etc are best for this so I was wondering if anyone could give me some tips.

    Thanks


Comments

  • Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 10,583 Mod ✭✭✭✭5uspect


    well most P&S cameras have a sports mode whcih should serve you fine. I find videos from P&S cams are usually great too as they caget up to pretty high resolutions nowadays. This is handy as these cameras can be a bit slow so you may miss your shot. If you make a video you may be able to pull a good shot from it.

    Some P&S cameras have a sports burst mode where you can take multiple shots as individual files or multiplex 9 to 16 shots into the one photo. This can prove handy as you can start shooting early and get a good shot as the action goes by.

    As regards settings I'd play about with your camera a bit before hand to see what works for you. Most P&S cams don't often let you play with aperatures and exposures.

    Setting the ISO higher makes the camera more sensitive to light by gaining up the light signal before digitizing (the extreme of this is night vison!)
    So if you set your ISO higher the camera's light metering should reduce the exposure time so you don't get motion blur in your shot, this will make the image noisy (grainy) but photoshop can be good at removing that...somtimes.

    Hope some of this ramble helps.
    Have fun!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,171 ✭✭✭paulocon


    Where are you sitting.
    I've taken a few shots there on different occassions with a P&S camera and results varied very much depending on seat...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,369 ✭✭✭✭Zillah


    Unless you're right on the edge of the pitch* theres nothing fancy you can do. Set it to automatic and shoot away. Use optical zoom if you have it.

    * and even then only if they get quite close.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 803 ✭✭✭nialldinho


    Thanks guys.

    I'm sitting in row EE, block N1406 in the North Stand.

    http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid={CF7C77A4-0F8D-45BA-9561-EDFC1F9F2A13}

    The camera has 12x optical zoom, and aperture and shutter speed priority modes. Also has a sports mode and a burst mode.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,171 ✭✭✭paulocon


    Block EE, block N1406 .. I take it you are not in the upper tiers then?

    View from the lower tier is pretty good - upper tier is nosebleed section and quite a distance from the action, saw United win 7-1 seated up there and my wife wanted to go after the second goal cause she thought the stand was going to collapse during the celebrations..

    If you are on the lower tier anyway to halfway back, you'll get some good shots....

    Enjoy the trip and best of luck with it - don't forget to share the results with us...


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 410 ✭✭mervifwdc


    12 by optical.

    In that case, either sports mode, or AV mode as low as it will go (as open as possible), high iso (not so high as there is noise. That's different on each camera, do a few test shots before you go and check on the computer, not on the camera).

    Bring loads of memory chips, and belt away!
    Merv.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 803 ✭✭✭nialldinho


    I doubt the results will be worth sharing! But thanks for the advice everyone!


  • Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 10,583 Mod ✭✭✭✭5uspect


    Oh you better share!!!!
    cos if you don't...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 410 ✭✭mervifwdc


    Oh, Keep an eye on the shutter speed. if your lens goes to 300mm (35mm equiv), you'll need 1/300 second min. If it goes to 400mm, you'll need 1/400 min. If your not used to long lens usage, aim for twice that (1/800 of a second).
    To freeze soccer, you'll want 1/640 as a min anyway. Any slower you can get slight blur on the feet on kicks etc (which can be very good!).
    Merv.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,171 ✭✭✭paulocon


    well....

    how did you get on?


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 803 ✭✭✭nialldinho


    Not great! I was too busy actually watching the game to get any good shots. Plus my hands were too frickin' shaky. Most of them were out of focus! So I ended up with no action shots and a few pics of individual players.

    If you really want to see the results they're here.

    I enjoyed the game though!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,933 ✭✭✭✭thebaz


    There not bad -- the ones of Smith and Ronaldo are the best -- i tried taking photos at Lansdownde with an olypmus P&S, and i know how difficult it is to take photos at matches -- the press guys have ringside position and long zooms . well done.


  • Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 10,583 Mod ✭✭✭✭5uspect


    Okay there's no amazing "frozen in time" action shots with the ball balancing on someones toe etc etc, but even with a superduper SLR with a 10 grand lens you'd be lucky to get one of those kinds of shots.
    There are some good solid shots there, well done, I'd be very happy with those.
    And as long as you had fun thats the main thing. Just keep snapping!

    Had a look at some of the rest of your Flickr, some excellent shots there.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 803 ✭✭✭nialldinho


    Thanks for the comments guys!

    I don't really know much about photography, I just like taking pictures. I don't do it enough though.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 264 ✭✭mtracey


    You've got some nice safari images in your flickr account. Cool


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