Photography Sports Lens Specifications
Taking good photographs of sporting activities can be a demanding pastime. The photographer often needs to capture close-up action shots in low light conditions or where flash photography is not allowed. This dictates the camera and lens that should be used.
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Lens Type
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Most sports photographers use a telephoto lens with a focal length between 200 and 400mm. Focal length determines both the angle of view and the magnification of a distant object. Telephoto lenses are good for focusing on individual players and scenes with a narrow field of view, such as two football players involved in a tackle or a baseball player hitting the ball.
Prime or Zoom Lens
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If most of the action is likely to take place at a set distance from the photographer, a prime lens may be chosen. This is a lens that shoots at a fixed focal length. A zoom lens may be used if shots at a variety of distances are required and the photographer cannot change position. A single photographer may prefer to use a zoom lens for added flexibility in shot choice. Alternatively, two or more cameras fitted with different prime telephoto lenses could be used as required.
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Aperture
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The aperture of a lens determines how much light hits the camera sensor. Lenses with wider maximum apertures are often called 'fast' lenses because they often allow a faster shutter speed to be used. This is important when taking action shots without introducing blur to the photo. Even when motion blur is a desired effect, a lens with greater aperture range affords the photographer more control over shot composition. In low light conditions and when flash photography cannot be used, a wide aperture lens still allows high quality motion shots to be captured. High-end telephoto lenses have maximum aperture settings of f/2.8. Less expensive ones range from f/4 to f/5.6.
Image Stabilization
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Many telephoto lenses now feature built-in optical image stabilization. This is extremely useful when a tripod or monopod is impractical due to space considerations. Camera shake can be a significant problem with longer lenses due both to their weight and their magnification factor. An image stabilizer helps to minimize motion blur caused by this shake when the camera is being handheld.
Considerations
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A fast digital SLR camera able to shoot continuously at several frames per second is also important. A high quality telephoto lens suitable for professional sports photography can cost many thousands of dollars. This does not mean that the amateur photographer cannot capture decent shots using more modest equipment. Even a compact digital camera with a decent optical zoom can take reasonable closeup pictures of action. A wide angle lens is perfect for capturing scene-setting shots such as a stadium or the whole field of play. Lenses in the 80-135mm range are ideal for taking team photos and individual portraits of players.
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References
- Photo Credit David De Lossy/Photodisc/Getty Images
