HELP! Need assistance please.

[littlebritbabe]

Hi. I am new to photography after purchasing a DSLR (Nikon D3000). My son is playing High School Varsity soccer and his games are in the evenings. I want to take pics using continuous shooting, but in low light conditions (they have tall spot lamps). I have tried changing the ISO, however this slows down my shutter speed. How can I take great shots in these conditions, but with a quicker shutter response?
Any assistance will be appreciated. Many thanks.
PS I have a game this evening (thought I had it all worked out).......

[littlebritbabe]

Hi. I am new to photography after purchasing a DSLR (Nikon D3000). My son is playing High School Varsity soccer and his games are in the evenings. I want to take pics using continuous shooting, but in low light conditions (they have tall spot lamps). I have tried changing the ISO, however this slows down my shutter speed. How can I take great shots in these conditions, but with a quicker shutter response?
Any assistance will be appreciated. Many thanks.
PS I have a game this evening (thought I had it all worked out)........

[Jonbar18]

What mode are you shooting in? auto, program, manual?

[littlebritbabe]

Hi Jon
I am shooting in Auto

[faeriegodess612]

Have you tried something in the Guide Mode on your camera? Reading the manual might help too. If your just starting out, I would suggest reading EVERYTHING about photography that you can get your hands on. There are A LOT of great threads here on DPS, check out EVERYTHING in the Digital Photography Tips and Tutorials

Browse your local used book stores for books on photography. You can get some great composition ideas from the photo coffee table books as well.

Also, a few tips. Photography is a VERY competitive world. Make SURE that this is something that you REALLY want to pursue. DPS is a great place for people of all levels of skill. There are some people here that will speak their minds very freely. Listen to them,... these people are usually the ones who have been thru it all. If you check out their websites and photo blogs, you can see for yourself that they know what theyre talking about. I've had to learn this myself.

Welcome to DPS!! Glad to have you here. Sorry I couldnt be of more help, I'm currently saving for my DSLR.

[Sime]

M mode.

Iso 1600

Widest aperture (lowest f/ number)

Play with your shutter speed until you have the right mix of stopping movement and no shake.

repeat.

Welcome - Sime

[inkista]

Originally Posted by littlebritbabe

... I have tried changing the ISO, however this slows down my shutter speed.

Higher ISO -> Higher shutter speed. Do not lower your ISO.

It's probably not your ISO that's lowering the shutter speed as much as the sun going below the horizon. Cameras need more light to see by than our eyes do.

How can I take great shots in these conditions, but with a quicker shutter response?

Blow four figures on a fast long lens with a larger maximum aperture. This is not an option most folks can afford.

One more persnickety note--your thread title isn't that useful for someone who's going to come along a month or so from now looking for similar advice. "Need help shooting night time sports!" might even attract more answers from those who shoot a lot of night-time sports. Just saying, specific and descriptive is likely to help both readers and posters more.

[Sime]

Oh yeah, I should have just said buy a 70-200 f/2.8IS MKII.... ;-)

[littlebritbabe]

Thanks for the tip! It is really just the beginning of a new hobby! Good luck with the saving!

[inkista]

Originally Posted by Sime

Oh yeah, I should have just said buy a 70-200 f/2.8IS MKII.... ;-)

For a D3000 shooter? I mean, you could, but wouldn't that just be mean?

Of course, if you wanted to be ultra-cruel, you could just say, "Buy a D700 or D3x".

BTW, Sigma and Tamron make 70-200 f/2.8 lenses for slightly less than $1k, so they're not all four figures. But $700-$800 is probably the minimum pricetag on those. Low-light sports is the worst when it comes to lenses, because you want long and fast in combination. Either one tends to cost, but together in the same lens, the prices really go up fast.

The only thing, if you do start looking for another lens, keep in mind that the lens is going to have to have a focus motor if you want autofocus on the D3000.