Nikon D90 help please

[scrappinmom]

Hi everyone - it's been a little while since I've visited the boards...but I'm hoping someone here can & is willing to help me. I just got the Nikon D90, with the 18-105 lens. My daughter is an ice skater, and this weekend is the annual ice show. I am signed up for the Nikon school, but not until next month. There are 5 shows, so I thought I would try to see if I could get some shots. I'm looking for direction in shooting in low light, spotlight, action shots. Anyone have any advice?

thank you so much

 

[mom2rtk]

There are many much more experienced here than I am.... but I have a few thoughts.

Indoor action shots are some of the most challenging. You need the fastest shutter speed possible, which is difficult to obtain in low light. The easiest thing you can do is crank up your ISO as high as possible. This allows for greater light sensitivity and higher shutter speeds.

This might not be enough though.It helps to have a fast lens (one with a large aperture represented by a low number). Do you have any other lenses?

Many zoom lenses have a smaller aperture the more you zoom in. So to get the largest aperture possible for your zoom, you will want to be as close to the action as possible so you don't have to zoom as much. The more you zoom, the smaller your lowest possible aperture will be, and the longer your shutter will need to be open, allowing for camera shake and blur.

Another idea is to set your camera to the continuous shooting mode. If you take lots of shots in quick succession, your odds of getting a keeper will be increased.

Good luck. Be sure to post back here with some of your shots after the weekend!

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

I'm not a Nikon shooter and not familiar with that lens, but I'm assuming it is a variable aperture lens, probably 3.5-5.6. While ice rinks look like they are well lit, unfortunately, they are not. You may not have much luck without an external flash. The flash on your camera is probably not strong enough to project out to where she will be skating. You can crank up the ISO but eventually you will end up with a lot noise in the images. My DGD is also an iceskater and I have to use my 70-200 f2.8 zoom lens to obtain the stop action without blurring. I tried a constant f4 once and it didn't work well. If you have any fast prime lenses they will also work, but I didn't see that you do. You may get lucky, but you won't be consistent with that lens. Sorry for the bad news, but good luck.

 

[MICKEY88]

I'm not a Nikon shooter and not familiar with that lens, but I'm assuming it is a variable aperture lens, probably 3.5-5.6. While ice rinks look like they are well lit, unfortunately, they are not. You may not have much luck without an external flash. The flash on your camera is probably not strong enough to project out to where she will be skating. You can crank up the ISO but eventually you will end up with a lot noise in the images. My DGD is also an iceskater and I have to use my 70-200 f2.8 zoom lens to obtain the stop action without blurring. I tried a constant f4 once and it didn't work well. If you have any fast prime lenses they will also work, but I didn't see that you do. You may get lucky, but you won't be consistent with that lens. Sorry for the bad news, but good luck.

wouldn't flash be kind of dangerous for an ice skater..

 

[disneyboy2003]

mom2rtk and Gianna'sPapa are correct. For ice skating, there are 2 things to keep in mind: (1) it's fast-action and (2) it's low-light. Because of this, you'll need a lens that has a large aperture (small f-number). You'll need a lens with at least an aperture of f/2.8 or larger (f-number of 2.8 or smaller).

In terms of the 3 things that contribute to exposure:

1. aperture - you'll need a large aperture (like f/2.8 or larger) to let more light into your camera
2. shutter speed - you'll need a fast shutter speed to prevent motion blurring, perhaps 1/1000 sec
3. ISO - you'll need a high ISO, like ISO 800 or even as high as ISO 1600, so that your sensor is more-sensitive to light

Your current 18-105mm lens has a variable aperture of f/3.5-5.6. As mom2rtk mentioned, that's both a variable-aperture lens and the aperture is too small for this sport.

You mention that the show is this weekend. If you don't have any large-aperture lenses, then see if there's a local camera store that rents lenses, or you can try renting a lens from lensrentals.com or borrowlenses.com. You can rent the 70-200mm f/2.8 lens. On lensrentals.com, you can rent this lens for 4 days insured for $52.50, or 7 days insured for $70 (link to lensrentals.com). They ship via UPS 2nd day air, so you should be able to get it in time if you hurry right now!

I used a 70-200mm lens for these ice skating photos:

1/1250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800, 175mm

1/1600 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800, 200mm

1/1250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800, 190mm

1/1250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800, 170mm

1/1250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800, 200mm

1/1250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800, 200mm
​

Hope that helps!

 

[mom2rtk]

LOVELY shots Disneyboy!

 

[handicap18]

Ice Rinks are horrible for lighting when it comes to taking pictures. I did a hockey game last year in a local ice rink and rented the 70-200mm f/2.8. I was wide open at f/2.8 at using ISO2000 and 3200 on my D300 and was getting about 1/320th for a shutter speed. Just enough to stop the action.

If this is something you'll be doing a lot over the coming years, then you may want to invest in buying a fast long lens. The Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 is expensive, however, Sigma makes one that is about 1/2 the price. Sigma also make a 50-150mm f/2.8 that is about $900.

If you can keep yourself right at the boards, then you can probably get away with something like the 85mm f/1.8 for about $450. Or maybe a used 90mm f/2.8 for under or around $300. Or a Sigma 105mm f/2.8 for about $480. Less expensive options, but they are primes so you do have keep yourself close.

 

[photo_chick]

If you can't swing a new lens you gotta work with what is in your bag.

I disagree that the 18-105 is too slow altogether. It can be used with some serious limitations. It's far from ideal, but in the right hands it can get useable shots. They won't be great, but you'll have something.

If the given lens is all you've got, keep the shots wide. The shorter the lens, the faster the shutter speed you'll be able to get.

no flash. It's not likely to help much here.

If it were me, I'd go into it with the ISO set as high as you can go and with the minimum shutter speed you need set. Keep the lens as wide as possible. See if the exposure can be made. If not, you can always shoot raw and push the exposure up when you process. You'll take a serious hit in image quality when you push (proportionate to how far you push), but at least you get the shot.

Be realistic in your expectations. Getting these types of shots with the equipment you listed isn't easy.

 

[scrappinmom]

I used a 70-200mm lens for these ice skating photos:




Hope that helps!

Can I just buy you a plane ticket for Chicago? ha ha ha

ok, I'm on a quest to find a smaller aperture lens....I knew I wanted a couple of different lenses when I bought the camera, just couldn't quite get the camera & the lenses at the same time, I'll be going to look today...

I did try last night at dress rehersal....& didn't get very good shots...

thanks all - I'll let you know what I manage to do

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

Too bad you don't shoot Pentax, I could loan you mine.

 

[disneyboy2003]

LOVELY shots Disneyboy!

Thanks so much for the kind compliment. The camera did all the work. I just pressed a button.

ok, I'm on a quest to find a smaller aperture lens....I knew I wanted a couple of different lenses when I bought the camera, just couldn't quite get the camera & the lenses at the same time, I'll be going to look today...

I did try last night at dress rehersal....& didn't get very good shots...

thanks all - I'll let you know what I manage to do

I don't know if you've already found or ordered a new lens. If you haven't, I did a quick Google search for "Chicago lens rentals", and looks like you've got a Calmut Photo (http://www.calumetphoto.com/) that rents lenses. They've got 2 locations in the Chicago area.

With Calmut Photo, if you pick up the lens after 3pm on Friday and return by Monday at noon, you're only charge for ONE rental day! What a deal! (link)

You've also got a Helix Camera & Video (http://www.helixcamera.com/) that also does lens rentals in the Chicago area, too.

Hope it's not too late. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[scrappinmom]

Hi all - I thought I'd post a couple of my pics from the ice show. I was able to find someone that let me borrow a smaller lens (it was a 50mm with an f-stop of 3.4 I believe). Anyway that's the lens I used. Thanks for the advice, I never would have even looked for a differernt lens! They're not the best, but I'm happy - they're the best ice show pics I've gotten in the past 6 years!

 

[photo_chick]

Those are great for your first time shooting an event like that.

 

[GoofyontheHiSeas]

These are great shots but I thought you had a D90? These were all shot with a D700 with a 70-200 f/2.8 lens.