Sports Photography Equipment
Equipment is important in sports photography. The equipment you will need in order to be successful in sports photography is more intensive than some other types of photography. Because you are hindered in your movement (you usually must stay in one location during the game) you will need more lenses and possibly more DSLR bodies in order to capture different shots. In basketball for instance, you may be positioned at one end of the court with a 50mm lens, ready to capture the action when suddenly the ball is stolen and the other team heads to the other end of the court. In this instance you will need a zoom lens of 200mm-300mm in order to capture that action.
For football and soccer, you will need at least a 200mm-300mm zoom lens to capture the action that may be playing midfield. However, for close-in, goal-line stands, a 200mm-300mm may be too much. You will only need a 50mm lens for close-up action.
When choosing equipment for sports photography you will need to consider lens speed and shutter speed. These are the two most important factors in capturing live action sports without blur. Faster equipment is more expensive but may be necessary to get professional looking shots.
Minimum requirements:
- Digital Single Lens Reflex camera (DSLR) with shutter speed at least 1/500th of a second at f/2.8 and ISO 3200 or 6400.
- 18mm-55mm f/1.8 lens for basketball, tennis, and volleyball.
- 200mm-300mm f/4-5.6 lens for football, soccer, and lacrosse.
- Monopod or tripod.
- Extra batteries.