Shot an NBA game with the M10

[onasj]

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I shot the Celtics-Raptors game last night with the M10 + 135 APO wide open (f/3.4, 1/350s, ISO 4000-8000 typically), and was surprised how well it worked.  The strengths of the M10 that enabled some keepers were:

 

1) 5 fps (10 would be better but 5 is doable even for close-up pro basketball action)

2) Rangefinder focusing with only the 1.25x magnifier at 135 mm means you can see wayyy outside your frame lines, which helped enormously to compose moving subjects

3) Small and quiet enough to be allowed inside the stadium and to not annoy my neighbors (DSLRs are forbidden).

 

A sample photo and a link to the entire flickr album are here:

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/283280-shot-an-nba-basketball-game-with-an-m10-130-apo/

[hollisd]

I would play to the rangefinder's strengths and shoot more of a reportage style.

 

Your player snapshots are fine but they're rote like a dslr with big glass. 

 

Instead of 28 keepers out of 1,000 frames push yourself to pick 2 out of 36 exp

 

Focus less on photos and more on photography. Slow down and look around. 

 

Shoot the periphery or quiet areas of the stadium where there are no players or fans. Try focusing and waiting for a subject to move into your frame. Shoot a hotdog vendor portrait or an usher's. 

 

What does the concourse look like with 2 minutes to go in the fourth period? Or the parquet floor from the nosebleed seats or Jayson Tatum shooting around two hours before the game?

 

The Garden's goings-on offer a fresh eye on the sport and its characters.

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[fsprow]

A fine job indeed.  The M would not be my choice for basketball or other action sports but it shows that the rangefinder can do well in good hands. Good imagination in the choice of images as well.

[Kwesi]

I would play to the rangefinder's strengths and shoot more of a reportage style.

 

Your player snapshots are fine but they're rote like a dslr with big glass. 

 

Instead of 28 keepers out of 1,000 frames push yourself to pick 2 out of 36 exp

 

Focus less on photos and more on photography. Slow down and look around. 

 

Shoot the periphery or quiet areas of the stadium where there are no players or fans. Try focusing and waiting for a subject to move into your frame. Shoot a hotdog vendor portrait or an usher's. 

 

What does the concourse look like with 2 minutes to go in the fourth period? Or the parquet floor from the nosebleed seats or Jayson Tatum shooting around two hours before the game?

 

The Garden's goings-on offer a fresh eye on the sport and its characters.

 

Great advice had that been the OP's focus. But as he/she stated "I shot the Celtics-Raptors game last night with the M10 + 135 APO".

Shooting the game was the goal here and it was done brilliantly. There is "story" in these images

[onasj]

I would play to the rangefinder's strengths and shoot more of a reportage style.

 

Your player snapshots are fine but they're rote like a dslr with big glass. 

 

Instead of 28 keepers out of 1,000 frames push yourself to pick 2 out of 36 exp

 

Focus less on photos and more on photography. Slow down and look around. 

 

Shoot the periphery or quiet areas of the stadium where there are no players or fans. Try focusing and waiting for a subject to move into your frame. Shoot a hotdog vendor portrait or an usher's. 

 

What does the concourse look like with 2 minutes to go in the fourth period? Or the parquet floor from the nosebleed seats or Jayson Tatum shooting around two hours before the game?

 

The Garden's goings-on offer a fresh eye on the sport and its characters.

 

I agree with the value in each of your recommendations, and I suspect your suggestions would have made for outstanding reportage photos.  But I only brought one lens so as to not press my luck against the "no interchangeable lenses" rule at the Garden.  Since I was fortunate to get courtside seats, I picked the 135 to attempt the challenge of shooting the action in an NBA game with a rangefinder—something I would not have thought was possible.  It was incredibly fun and I had a grin on my face the entire game.

 

Next time (if I'm fortunate to be invited again), I'll try to bring a 50 as well as the 135 to capture some reportage and contextualized shots, in addition to trying to increase to quality of my action shots.

[hollisd]

I agree with the value in each of your recommendations, and I suspect your suggestions would have made for outstanding reportage photos.  But I only brought one lens so as to not press my luck against the "no interchangeable lenses" rule at the Garden.  Since I was fortunate to get courtside seats, I picked the 135 to attempt the challenge of shooting the action in an NBA game with a rangefinder—something I would not have thought was possible.  It was incredibly fun and I had a grin on my face the entire game.

 

Next time (if I'm fortunate to be invited again), I'll try to bring a 50 as well as the 135 to capture some reportage and contextualized shots, in addition to trying to increase to quality of my action shots.

 

If 2.8% are keepers you're better off shooting a DSLR

 

There's a fundamental difference shooting RF vs spray and pray

 

I'm encouraging you to use the tool to your advantage and your shots will be better for it 

[Herr Barnack]

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@onasj,

The set of images you came away with is outstanding -  well done!

 

 

 

To the other posters,

Please read his comments - he did say up front that fans are prohibited from bringing DSLRs and long lenses inside the venue; he used the camera he was allowed to use and did so with great effectiveness.  I see no words to the effect by onasj that 28 of 1000 was his "keeper rate" - not that the so-called keeper rate matters a hair on a rat's ass.  After all, we are image makers, not accountants or statisticians.

 

If DSLRs and long lenses were allowed, it would have be like shooting fish in a barrel.  The "shortcomings" of the M10 and 135 APO for shooting an NBA game present a formidable challenge and reveal the skill which onasj brought them to bear.  Shooting a high speed NBA game (is there any other kind?) with a 135mm lens wide open and ending up with such a great set of images is no mean feat.

 

Onasj's images also show the rest of us what is possible when our equipment choices are limited by rules and regulations, IF we have made a serious effort to really learn how to use our M cameras and lenses. 

 

We can all learn something from onasj and his image set - if we choose to do so.

Edited April 5, 2018 by Herr Barnack

[onasj]

I agree with Herr Barnack about the value of the "keeper rate"-- it's pretty meaningless since one person's reject is another person's keeper, and since many of the "non-keepers" I chose to leave out of this set were passed only because they were redundant with ones already in the set.  In other words, if I shot 500 or 5,000 frames I probably would have also ended up picking about 25, since that seemed to me to be the right number to document the action and other events during the game from my seat.  Another constraint I didn't mention is that I was not free to roam around the stadium, and the timing of my entrance and exit was not under my control since I was with a group of work colleagues.  

 

There were many others I could have (perhaps should have) included in the set, such as the attached, but chose not to to be more concise.

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[Bill W]

Given the challenges, there are some very nice images. Well done.

[John Ricard]

I would play to the rangefinder's strengths...

The obvious question that no one is asking is, Who asked you?

[Reciprocity]

The obvious question that no one is asking is, Who asked you?

 

I see no reason whatsoever to chastise Hollisd for giving their opinion, it's no different than any other really and may be of value to the OP or to someone else that might read it down the road. 

 

When one posts photos on the internet, this is exactly what should happen.

Edited April 12, 2018 by Reciprocity

[onasj]

Inspired by some of your comments, I picked out a photo that focused on the crowd following the action, rather than the players.

 

Much better quality files: https://www.flickr.com/photos/37601806@N05/?

 

 

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[Simon]

See that I really like! Works well!

[abrewer]

These are terrific shots. Congratulations on such impressive work!

 

I don't see anything wrong with culling 1000 shots down to 25-30 really good, sharp ones---that's just how it's done professionally anymore.

 

It's my great fortune to be able to get close to IndyCar and their support series, and the challenge of capturing fast-moving objects and people is no small obstacle to overcome.

 

Waiting as a subject enters focus is one of my favorite tricks, too. Using the 35 ASPH and stopping down helps some, but not as much as you'd think (especially with the M10). Another is to always return the focus tab to infinity and pull it back to focus on every shot--seems a lot faster than going back and forth to find the focus. 

[randman]

One of the most amazing things I have seen.  

 

I shoot games often with a 5dmkIII.   It's hard enough in full auto.