Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

Andrew Hancock’s Methodical Approach to Shooting Super Bowl 50

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Andrew's Pre-Game Gear Packing

Andrew’s Pre-Game Gear Assembly

Top-level sports photographer Andrew Hancock was kind enough to talk with me last week about his approach to Super Bowl 50 and how he deals with the logistical side of managing remote cameras, memory cards and data transfer during and after the game. We see plenty of sidelines action and the resulting images from sports shooters; however, we rarely get a peak into the hard work and planning that goes into making those opportunities possible.

Andrew is on assignment for ESPN at Super Bowl 50 this week. Before the game ever gets underway though, he’s worked for several days planning, packing and setting up remote cameras. [Read more…]

 

Photographer’s Lens Hood Falls on Ice in Hockey Game, Mistaken for Second Puck

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[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULW6hbtlq_8&w=700&showinfo=0&rel=0]

If you are shooting an ice hockey game, maybe make sure your lens hood doesn’t fall through the glass cutout and onto the ice.

This embarrassed photographer lost his lens hood and confused the hockey players into thinking there was another puck out on the ice. It resulted in stopping the game and the ref returned the offending lens hood back to the photographer.

[via ISO1200]

Peter Read Miller: Sports Photography is About the Gear

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[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW9-8kBcx1I&w=700]

Ok, that title is a bit of a generalization of his statement; however, in this video from Kelby Media, Peter Read Miller says that the number one shortcoming of people coming to his workshops looking to improve their sports photography is their gear.

While the video has a little bit of an infomercial feel with regard to the Canon 7D Mark II, I can’t really fault any of his comments about gear and sports photography. You can fake a lot of other types of photography with cheaper gear; however, fast glass, fast AF, low light performance and high frame rates all provide an advantage in sports photography – and that costs money.

I’ve got high hopes for the 7D Mark II and everything that I’ve seen thus far backs those hopes up. I’m looking forward to seeing the camera in person and putting it through its paces.

[via ScottKelby.com]

SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-I SD Card in the Nikon D7000

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The Nikon D7000 is the first DSLR to take advantage of the new UHS-I SD card specification.  Unfortunately though, it doesn’t appear to take full advantage of that speed potential.  The Nikon D7000’s buffer seems to cap at 10 frames during continuous high speed shooting no matter which SD card is inserted.

I got my hands on the latest SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-I SDHC cards, which are due out in March, to see just how well they worked in this first-generation UHS-I camera.

While the difference between the SanDisk Extreme and Extreme Pro SD cards is marginal in the D7000, there is still an obvious difference.  After capturing the full complement of 10 frames at the D7000’s max frame rate of 6fps, the D7000 delivered the following results with each of the cards. [Read more…]

Canon 1D Mark IV vs. Nikon D3S – Autofocus Performance [Part 4]

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Canon 1D Mark IV vs. Nikon D3s

In Parts 1 and 2 of this series, I provided an introduction to this autofocus evaluation, as well as a brief overview of the Canon 1D Mark IV and Nikon D3S AF systems.  In Part 3 of this series, I looked more in-depth at images captured during basketball games with the 1D Mark IV and D3S. If you have not read the previous installments in this series, you can do so now by clicking the links below:

  1. Canon 1D Mark IV vs. Nikon D3S – Autofocus Performance [Part 1]
  2. Canon 1D Mark IV vs. Nikon D3S – Autofocus Performance [Part 2]
  3. Canon 1D Mark IV vs. Nikon D3S – Autofocus Performance [Part 3]

In Part 4 below, we will look more in-depth at images captured during a track and field event with the 1D Mark IV and D3S. [Read more…]

Canon 1D Mark IV vs. Nikon D3S – Autofocus Performance [Part 3]

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Canon 1D Mark IV vs. Nikon D3s

In Parts 1 and 2 of this series, I provided an introduction to this autofocus evaluation, as well as a brief overview of the Canon 1D Mark IV and Nikon D3S AF systems.  If you have not read the previous installments in this series, you can do so now by clicking the links below:

  1. Canon 1D Mark IV vs. Nikon D3S – Autofocus Performance [Part 1]
  2. Canon 1D Mark IV vs. Nikon D3S – Autofocus Performance [Part 2]

In Part 3 below, we will look more in-depth at images captured during basketball games with the 1D Mark IV and D3S. [Read more…]

Canon 1D Mark IV vs. Nikon D3S – Autofocus Performance [Part 2]

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Canon 1D Mark IV vs. Nikon D3s

In Part 1 of this series, I provided an introduction to this autofocus evaluation, as well as a brief overview of the Canon 1D Mark IV AF system.  If you have not read part 1 of this series, you can do so now by clicking here:

Canon 1D Mark IV vs. Nikon D3S – Autofocus Performance [Part 1]

In Part 2 below, I provide a brief overview of the Nikon D3S AF system as it relates to sports photography concerns. [Read more…]

Canon 1D Mark IV at the Super Bowl

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Canon 1D Mark IV

Canon has issued a press statement touting the effective use of the new flagship EOS 1D Mark IV at Super Bowl XLIV.  Canon interviewed four photographers who used the 1D Mark IV at the big game, all of whom brag on the effectiveness of the camera’s new autofocus system.  You can read all of the soundbites in the press release below. [Read more…]