Night Football Shots too grainy

[tiffythom]

I'm having a hard time with the grainy shots using my Canon D50 with my EF 200mm 2.8 L lens using ISO 500 with 1/400 sec at 2.8. I am trying to keep the ISO as low as possible because of the grain while still trying to stop the action. I am using my Adobe Raw program to bump up exposure post. My grains have a cross pattern or you can see lines in the graininess. Am I missing something or does my camera need cleaning? I haven't had the camera a year yet.

[lputman]

You have to bump your ISO, the 50D can handle it. Additionally, most photogs run their night game images through a noise reduction program. Bumping up the exposure in post is going to exploit noise also. Granted, this is taken with a 5DII but it was also using a 70-300 f/4-5.6 lens. This is a cropped photo.

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Exposure: 0.006 sec (1/160)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 300 mm
ISO Speed: 6400

I've seen outstanding night shots with the combination that you have. Here's a quote from a photog on a different forum that uses your same combination...

Thanks. No, I didn't use a flash. This is a brand new high school (first year in the new building / on the new field). I was able to get 1/800 at f/2.8 and ISO 3200. The field I normally shoot on requires ISO 6400 for 1/800 @ f/2.8.

BTW, I use the 50D too.

Here's the website of the person I quoted, he does excellent work...http://www.midtnsportsphotos.com/

[tiffythom]

Thanks so much! Can you recommend and noise reduction program? Also, I host my photos on the same smugmug site that "Midtnsportsphotos" does!

I will keep on trying with the higher ISO then. I have been taking local sports shots for a little over a year. This is my first football season.

[lputman]

Noiseware and Noise Ninja are probably the top names that get thrown around. You can try the noise reduction from the DPP software that came with the camera. Also, check in your custom functions that high ISO noise reduction is set to strong when shooting the night games.

[shiraq]

this image dont look like a shoot with 500 iso, looks kike mire than 800. you can try using topaz noise reduction.

[tiffythom]

Ya it seems really grainy to me too for only 500. That's why I wondered if there was something wrong with the camera. I learned about setting the camera's noise reduction after I took these shots tho... I have another game this friday and will try all of the tips I learn about here. I'm hoping it is not my camera, just me, a novice

[tiffythom]

Thanks so much again! Funny that I had to learn about Noise Reduction camera settings and software that came with my camera from forums and not from checking out my camera info myself :O !

[kirbinster]

Proper exposure is critical to reduce noise. It is better to shoot at a higher ISO with correct exposure than to have the ISO lower and under expose.

[lputman]

Originally Posted by tiffythom

Thanks so much again! Funny that I had to learn about Noise Reduction camera settings and software that came with my camera from forums and not from checking out my camera info myself :O !

I know for me, sometimes something that I've read in the manual doesn't click until it is mentioned in a forum.

[tiffythom]

I have been so stingy with my ISO. I knew there had to be something I could do differently but I was too afraid to try it out on a game and miss something.