Shooting Wrestling/Jiu Jitsu

[GadgetRick]

Not sure where to post this as I don't have shots to post yet and there doesn't seem to be a general sports section.

Anyway, I practice jiu jitsu and compete. My son has started wrestling and I coach. I shoot tournaments often but have always struggled because of the lighting. I'm trying to improve my shots and have recently gotten a good flash (finally). So I'm trying it out tonight at a tournament. Looking for advice on how to do better with the equipment I currently have:

Nikon D50
Nikon SB-600
Sigma 18-200mm f3.5

I plan on getting faster glass in the future, just not in the budget.

I was going to try shooting at a higher ISO to get a faster shutter speed (opening up the aperture as much as I can depending on the focal length). The gyms are usually lit decently but not enough for no flash. Do you think I can get away with 800 ISO in a gym on my D50? I have shot at 800 with no noise outdoors in good light but haven't tried it inside yet. Again, I'll be using my flash as well.

Thanks a bunch.

[Digidave]

I've never shot in a gym so can't give you definitive answers but I would think that you could get by with using an ISO of 800.

You may want to ask before you start flashing people. There may be rules against it.

How close can you get? You may want to consider a 50mm f1.8 or an 85mm f/1.8

The 50mm is super cheap good glass. The 85mm is more expensive but may be just what the doctor ordered. Something to think about for the future. Use this first time as an experiment & figure out what focal lengths you used the most & then work toward that as your goal for the future.

[GadgetRick]

Thanks.

Yes, I always ask before flashing. But always good to remind everyone!

I am considering what to get as far as a lens. My concern with fixed focal length is if I can't get closer (or farther) away. I have been planning to pick up a 50mm lens anyway. That's probably going to be my next lens to be quite honest.

What I (think) I need is a zoom lens at f2.8. I (think) that will be fast enough for the stuff I'm shooting. But I don't know for sure. If not, well, not sure what I'll do...

Eventually--hopefully this summer--I plan on upgrading my camera body from the Nikon D50 to (probably) a D90 so I should be able to shoot at higher ISOs (hopefully) with less noise. So that will also help some.

Anyway, off to practice now. Thanks again!

[GadgetRick]

Well, doesn't look like I can get away with 800 ISO. Got noise. Have to try 400 but not sure I can pull off 1/125 shutter speed at that ISO? Again, the lens is 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 and I have aperture all the way open. Most shots were shot at 100mm or below although a couple were zoomed in. I know zooming in much is going to be hard.

Had the flash pointed directly at subjects with diffuser. Only allows me to boost flash +1.0 which I was at.

Any other suggestions?

Here are some pics:









I'm happy--for the most part--with my composition I got. I was able to be right on the mat, laying down for most pictures so I was able to get as close as possible and as low as possible--something I like for grappling sports.

[GadgetRick]

Here are the rest of my shots. Although a photography friend called me to tell me he thought the shots were good and the noise wasn't that bad. Going to try Noise Ninja as well.

-->clicky<--

[Sonya Natasha]

I can't really give any advice on your lens (I'm fairly new to the photography world), but I absolutely love my 50mm f1.8 for shooting Brazilian Jiu Jitsu:


Camera: Canon EOS REBEL T1i
Exposure: 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture: f/2.5
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO Speed: 800
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, Did not fire



Camera: Canon EOS REBEL T1i
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture: f/2.5
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO Speed: 800
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, Did not fire


My dojo is a little smaller (brighter, with horrible fluoresent lights) and this was an informal class so I can move around a bit more - I have also picked up a 85mm f1.8 for tournaments.

[GadgetRick]

Nice BJJ shots.

The wrestling matches will (typically) be in a large gym in a school. Lighting in those is sometimes a little brighter, sometimes not as bright. The types of lights also vary.

For wrestling I can get around the mat to take different shots and try to stay close to the action. However, they usually give more mat space for a match in wrestling than jiu jitsu so I can't always get as close so I'll need some zoom.

For jiu jitsu tournaments, they could be anywhere. However, the larger ones (NAGA/Grappler's Quest) are usually in larger venues with better lighting.

For jiu jitsu tournaments, I can usually get very close to the action so zoom isn't a requirement although it's nice to have.

Been thinking of one of the 28-70mm f2.8 lenses I've seen around. Although I'd like a little more reach I believe I can manage with a lens like this.

Where do you train jiu jitsu. I'm at Team Endgame in Lodi, NJ. I do tournament occasionally but I don't have as much time as I used to now that my older son is playing sports.

[Sonya Natasha]

Thanks

I currently train in Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada (quite the long handle, hey?). I have only trained in BJJ for a few months, but I have been doing Shotokan Karate in the same dojo for 5 years. I train only casually now with the BJJ but I train 3-4 nights a week with karate.

I've been thinking of a smaller zoom lens (ie. 28-70mm f2.8) too but most of the locations that our tournaments are held are the same locations and the 50mm and 85mm work great. And I need to resist the urge to buy new lenses for a little while

Here are links to some of my other shots:
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu - Grand Falls-Windsor, NL - a set on Flickr
Shotokan Karate Seminar - Sensei Mark Minarik, October 2009 - a set on Flickr
(most of these were actually taken with my Panasonic Lumix FZ18)

[RLucas]

It looks like the wrestling photos have some decent light considering. I don't what they do there, but typically the wrestling matches here have all the lights in the gym turned off, except for one overhead light hanging directly over the mat. Very bad lighting indeed!
Yours look well exposed and even. I didn't really notice that much noise.

[GadgetRick]

Originally Posted by RLucas

It looks like the wrestling photos have some decent light considering. I don't what they do there, but typically the wrestling matches here have all the lights in the gym turned off, except for one overhead light hanging directly over the mat. Very bad lighting indeed!
Yours look well exposed and even. I didn't really notice that much noise.

Thanks. They had all of the lights on but not very good lighting as the gym is one of the older ones with the sodium lights.

I'm actually going to pick up a 50mm because some friends have offered to have me come shoot some weddings with them (they're shooting pro) and they want to have me get some crowd shots (so to say). Good way to get my feet wet and an excuse to get a faster lens.

I really plan on getting either a 28-70mm or maybe up to 105mm f2.8 for my indoor sports shots.