action sports

pentaxgrl · 10-23-2011, 08:22 AM

I love my K-5 so far.. what do you think the best lens would be to do action sports. I have never done that type of photography and would love to start learning..

kenafein · 10-23-2011, 08:32 AM

If you can get close then the Tamron 70-200/2.8 or the Pentax 50-135/2.8. If you want something longer it gets very expensive. Poor folks like me have to make do with a DA 55-300 which really isn't fast enough for sports.

**Lowell Goudge** · 10-23-2011, 08:47 AM

I use a sigma APO 70-200 F2.8 EX This is an old lens, made for film as it lacks the newer DG (full frame digital) designation. aF is screw drive so it works with sigma's 1.4x and 2x TCs. I like this lens because of the flexibility. I can have F2.8 if I only need 200 mm but still have good speed even with the 2x at 400mm.

There are some newer versions of this lens but except for the last version with HSM II I don't think any are sharper and some were reported soft at 200mm. The lack of an HSM teleconverter is a shame.

With the K5 the absolute need for an F2.8 lens may be gone, but it sure is nice. BTW what types of sports do you want to cover, and from what distances

Remember.

Image size = subject size x focal length / distance

You need to think about the focal length you will need

pentaxgrl · 10-23-2011, 09:52 AM

Highschool gyms what i want to shoot in and football fields... I was trying out some settings in tv mode.. useing a promaster 70-300 mm so if I'm setting in a gym my daughters basketball game what settings would work without useing the flash. I was experimenting by turning the dial to user then in my menue turning it to tv and trying different apertures couldn't get anything good. allot of darkness.. what would work best for indoor action? I'm a total ameture when it comes to action. here is what kind of photographer i am Welcome to Facebook - Log In, Sign Up or Learn More I think im pretty good at what i do. but i think my action needs ton of work..

pentaxgrl · 10-23-2011, 09:53 AM

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Andreasen-Photography/235454636475130#!/pages/...475130?sk=wall if the other link didn't work try this one..

RonHendriks1966 · 10-23-2011, 09:59 AM

Well light is the most important part. Some sports you can cover even with 85mm. For longer fields 70-200 is essential as is f2.8 (or so). For soccer you don't need in daytime the f2.8, with DA*60-250mm/f4 you can cover that good.

JeffJS · 10-23-2011, 10:08 AM

Originally posted by pentaxgrl

Highschool gyms what i want to shoot in and football fields... I was trying out some settings in tv mode.. useing a promaster 70-300 mm so if I'm setting in a gym my daughters basketball game what settings would work without useing the flash. I was experimenting by turning the dial to user then in my menue turning it to tv and trying different apertures couldn't get anything good. allot of darkness.. what would work best for indoor action? I'm a total ameture when it comes to action. here is what kind of photographer i am Welcome to Facebook - Log In, Sign Up or Learn More I think im pretty good at what i do. but i think my action needs ton of work..

I'm no expert at it but what I would Try is this.

Set Tv mode front dial (or rear) to control EV Compensation and dial it to about -1 if the uniforms are dark, +1 if they are bright (white).
Center Spot focus and spot meter
Auto ISO with a limit as high as you're comfortable with
Pick a shutter speed that doesn't peg the aperture wide open

Fire away. You'll know within a few shots if you're getting what you want. You can then thank me for the advice. If the advice fails, I'll gladly accept an e-slap across the back of the head

rwfarnell · 10-23-2011, 11:01 AM

I bought the Tamron 70-200 2.8 to take pictures of my son during his High School swim season. Here are a couple examples of him and his team mates. So far I’ve been very satisfied with both the K-5 and the lens.

Picture #1
Exposure Time = 1/500
F stop = F4
ISO = 200
Lens Focal Length= 200mm

Picture #2
Exposure Time = 1/1500
F stop = F4
ISO = 280
Lens Focal Length= 77.5mm

Picture #3
Exposure Time = 1/750
F stop = F4
ISO = 400
Lens Focal Length= 200mm

Picture #4
Exposure Time = 1/750
F stop = F4
ISO = 140
Lens Focal Length= 200mm

Thanks for looking

**Ex Finn.** · 10-23-2011, 11:14 AM

I have only done outside girls HS soccer with K5 and DA*60-250 so far this fall.
These settings have worked pretty well for me, shooting in late afternoon, early evening in natural light.
TAv, f 5.6 to 6.7, shutter 1/500 or 1/640 and let ISO ride from ISO 80 to ISO 8000. Multi-segment metering and center focus or AFC, which works very well also.
Almost forgot, EV comp -.7 to -1 otherwise their white uniform tops will end up being blown out.

These were shot at f 7.1 and cropped quite a bit. JPEG`s,

**Ex Finn.** · 10-23-2011, 11:16 AM

That Tamron seems to work pretty good.

pentaxgrl · 10-23-2011, 04:03 PM

great pictures Ex finn!!

geezer52 · 10-23-2011, 04:24 PM

For indoors I think one of the F2.8 70-200 from Tamron or Sigma would be best. I have the non-hsm Sigma version and while it is a bit heavy the results are excellent. For outdoors in good light I get good results on my K5 with the Sigma 70-300 APO lens. IQ is a overall a bit soft after 200mm but the center stays acceptably sharp all the way and best of all (for me at least) it focuses fairly fast and doesn't hunt to often. (The Pentax 55-300 drove me crazy with focus hunt). It may not be pixel peepers lens but for most uses it works quite well and it has the benefit of being fairly cheap.

I used this lens for most of the shots at this link but you can go to any other week at the site and find more examples. Pictures with a small "Photo by YoBo" in the lower left corner are mine.

Around The DZ - October 15 2011

**Ex Finn.** · 10-28-2011, 05:42 PM

Originally posted by pentaxgrl

great pictures Ex finn!!

Thank`s. The K5 does well for action shots.

kenafein · 10-28-2011, 05:46 PM

Originally posted by rwfarnell

I bought the Tamron 70-200 2.8 to take pictures of my son during his High School swim season. Here are a couple examples of him and his team mates. So far I’ve been very satisfied with both the K-5 and the lens.

Picture #1
Exposure Time = 1/500
F stop = F4
ISO = 200
Lens Focal Length= 200mm

Picture #2
Exposure Time = 1/1500
F stop = F4
ISO = 280
Lens Focal Length= 77.5mm

Picture #3
Exposure Time = 1/750
F stop = F4
ISO = 400
Lens Focal Length= 200mm

Picture #4
Exposure Time = 1/750
F stop = F4
ISO = 140
Lens Focal Length= 200mm

Thanks for looking

These are remarkable shots. Great colors and sharpness, good work.

garyk · 10-28-2011, 09:08 PM

Those are some very nice shot of the swim action. The Tamron is a sharp lens it looks like.

10-23-2011, 11:01 AM	#8
rwfarnell Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Elko, Nevada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 150	I bought the Tamron 70-200 2.8 to take pictures of my son during his High School swim season. Here are a couple examples of him and his team mates. So far I’ve been very satisfied with both the K-5 and the lens. Picture #1 Exposure Time = 1/500 F stop = F4 ISO = 200 Lens Focal Length= 200mm Picture #2 Exposure Time = 1/1500 F stop = F4 ISO = 280 Lens Focal Length= 77.5mm Picture #3 Exposure Time = 1/750 F stop = F4 ISO = 400 Lens Focal Length= 200mm Picture #4 Exposure Time = 1/750 F stop = F4 ISO = 140 Lens Focal Length= 200mm Thanks for looking Last edited by rwfarnell; 10-23-2011 at 04:44 PM.

10-23-2011, 11:14 AM	#9
Ex Finn. Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern Maryland. Espoo. Kouvola. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,975	I have only done outside girls HS soccer with K5 and DA60-250 so far this fall. These settings have worked pretty well for me, shooting in late afternoon, early evening in natural light. TAv, f 5.6 to 6.7, shutter 1/500 or 1/640 and let ISO ride from ISO 80 to ISO 8000. Multi-segment metering and center focus or AFC, which works very well also. Almost forgot, EV comp -.7 to -1 otherwise their white uniform tops will end up being blown out. These were shot at f 7.1 and cropped quite a bit. JPEG`s, Last edited by Ex Finn.; 11-11-2014 at 05:48 PM.*

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10-23-2011, 08:22 AM	#1
pentaxgrl New Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: idaho Photos: Albums Posts: 18	action sports I love my K-5 so far.. what do you think the best lens would be to do action sports. I have never done that type of photography and would love to start learning..

10-23-2011, 08:32 AM	#2
kenafein Veteran Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Southern California Photos: Albums Posts: 4,082	If you can get close then the Tamron 70-200/2.8 or the Pentax 50-135/2.8. If you want something longer it gets very expensive. Poor folks like me have to make do with a DA 55-300 which really isn't fast enough for sports. Last edited by kenafein; 10-23-2011 at 08:53 AM.

10-23-2011, 08:47 AM	#3
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,887	I use a sigma APO 70-200 F2.8 EX This is an old lens, made for film as it lacks the newer DG (full frame digital) designation. aF is screw drive so it works with sigma's 1.4x and 2x TCs. I like this lens because of the flexibility. I can have F2.8 if I only need 200 mm but still have good speed even with the 2x at 400mm. There are some newer versions of this lens but except for the last version with HSM II I don't think any are sharper and some were reported soft at 200mm. The lack of an HSM teleconverter is a shame. With the K5 the absolute need for an F2.8 lens may be gone, but it sure is nice. BTW what types of sports do you want to cover, and from what distances Remember. Image size = subject size x focal length / distance You need to think about the focal length you will need

10-23-2011, 09:52 AM	#4
pentaxgrl New Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: idaho Photos: Albums Posts: 18 Original Poster	Highschool gyms what i want to shoot in and football fields... I was trying out some settings in tv mode.. useing a promaster 70-300 mm so if I'm setting in a gym my daughters basketball game what settings would work without useing the flash. I was experimenting by turning the dial to user then in my menue turning it to tv and trying different apertures couldn't get anything good. allot of darkness.. what would work best for indoor action? I'm a total ameture when it comes to action. here is what kind of photographer i am Welcome to Facebook - Log In, Sign Up or Learn More I think im pretty good at what i do. but i think my action needs ton of work..

10-23-2011, 09:53 AM	#5
pentaxgrl New Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: idaho Photos: Albums Posts: 18 Original Poster	http://www.facebook.com/pages/Andreasen-Photography/235454636475130#!/pages/...475130?sk=wall if the other link didn't work try this one..

10-23-2011, 09:59 AM	#6
RonHendriks1966 Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,675	Well light is the most important part. Some sports you can cover even with 85mm. For longer fields 70-200 is essential as is f2.8 (or so). For soccer you don't need in daytime the f2.8, with DA*60-250mm/f4 you can cover that good.

10-23-2011, 10:08 AM	#7
JeffJS Inactive Account Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Michigan, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,484	Originally posted by pentaxgrl Highschool gyms what i want to shoot in and football fields... I was trying out some settings in tv mode.. useing a promaster 70-300 mm so if I'm setting in a gym my daughters basketball game what settings would work without useing the flash. I was experimenting by turning the dial to user then in my menue turning it to tv and trying different apertures couldn't get anything good. allot of darkness.. what would work best for indoor action? I'm a total ameture when it comes to action. here is what kind of photographer i am Welcome to Facebook - Log In, Sign Up or Learn More I think im pretty good at what i do. but i think my action needs ton of work.. I'm no expert at it but what I would Try is this. Set Tv mode front dial (or rear) to control EV Compensation and dial it to about -1 if the uniforms are dark, +1 if they are bright (white). Center Spot focus and spot meter Auto ISO with a limit as high as you're comfortable with Pick a shutter speed that doesn't peg the aperture wide open Fire away. You'll know within a few shots if you're getting what you want. You can then thank me for the advice. If the advice fails, I'll gladly accept an e-slap across the back of the head

10-23-2011, 11:16 AM	#10
Ex Finn. Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern Maryland. Espoo. Kouvola. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,975	That Tamron seems to work pretty good.

10-23-2011, 04:03 PM	#11
pentaxgrl New Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: idaho Photos: Albums Posts: 18 Original Poster	great pictures Ex finn!!

10-23-2011, 04:24 PM	#12
geezer52 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: High Desert, California Photos: Gallery Posts: 231	For indoors I think one of the F2.8 70-200 from Tamron or Sigma would be best. I have the non-hsm Sigma version and while it is a bit heavy the results are excellent. For outdoors in good light I get good results on my K5 with the Sigma 70-300 APO lens. IQ is a overall a bit soft after 200mm but the center stays acceptably sharp all the way and best of all (for me at least) it focuses fairly fast and doesn't hunt to often. (The Pentax 55-300 drove me crazy with focus hunt). It may not be pixel peepers lens but for most uses it works quite well and it has the benefit of being fairly cheap. I used this lens for most of the shots at this link but you can go to any other week at the site and find more examples. Pictures with a small "Photo by YoBo" in the lower left corner are mine. Around The DZ - October 15 2011

10-28-2011, 05:42 PM	#13
Ex Finn. Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern Maryland. Espoo. Kouvola. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,975	Originally posted by pentaxgrl great pictures Ex finn!! Thank`s. The K5 does well for action shots.

10-28-2011, 05:46 PM	#14
kenafein Veteran Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Southern California Photos: Albums Posts: 4,082	Originally posted by rwfarnell I bought the Tamron 70-200 2.8 to take pictures of my son during his High School swim season. Here are a couple examples of him and his team mates. So far I’ve been very satisfied with both the K-5 and the lens. Picture #1 Exposure Time = 1/500 F stop = F4 ISO = 200 Lens Focal Length= 200mm Picture #2 Exposure Time = 1/1500 F stop = F4 ISO = 280 Lens Focal Length= 77.5mm Picture #3 Exposure Time = 1/750 F stop = F4 ISO = 400 Lens Focal Length= 200mm Picture #4 Exposure Time = 1/750 F stop = F4 ISO = 140 Lens Focal Length= 200mm Thanks for looking These are remarkable shots. Great colors and sharpness, good work.

10-28-2011, 09:08 PM	#15
garyk Inactive Account Join Date: Feb 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 488	Those are some very nice shot of the swim action. The Tamron is a sharp lens it looks like.