HELP with taking action pics

[etjoyride]

I'm not completely sure that anyone here will be able to help me, but i thought i would try. For sometime now i have been thinking about making a setup so that i can take action pictures of games going on while actually being out on the field. So i was wondering if anyone has seen people do this or if they have done this themselves, and what they have used to make sure their cameras don't get shot.

Oh and if it is any help i will be either using a sony digital camera, or a nikon SLR digital.

Thanks everyone

[mag88888]

Maybe you could duct tape it to your leg? But seriously, I've seen people with those little cylinder cameras attached to their helmet. I know you dont have that kind of little camera but just saying...Otherwise i don't know how you can do this.

[psychowarden]

I use a rebel when I do it, but I just stand on the sidelines with a refs shield and refs vest, and I dont really get shot much, sure it happens, but never really intentional. But playing and taking pics at the same time, sounds a bit more difficult.

[etjoyride]

well, i know that it's possible because once or twice in magazines i have seen people with setups during scenario game susing full size cameras. Sadly i can't locate the magazines in my large piles.

[buzzboy]

Playing rec. I just leave my camera out of the field and get it after the games. I think it is more effective thought to just not play the game you are tryin to shoot.

[etjoyride]

I guess i didnt make myself completely clear :p . i wasnt planning on playing at the same time as taking pics, just one at a time. however i want to mkae sure i have something protective so i don't ruin a several hundred dollar camera.

[govnamac]

Borrow or buy a refs clear plastic shield. You could get a nice zoom lens and take pics from the sidelines, which is what most people do.

If you are talking about rec ball, I'd be very careful. Most people playing woods ball will shoot at anything that moves.

[etjoyride]

i tihnk that i'm going to end up going with the refs shield idea...does anyone know where to buy them and how much they cost???

[craltal]

look up "lexan shield" or "riot shield" in google and you should end up with a bunch of options.

Mine is actually used East German riot gear

[etjoyride]

alright thanks, i'll look into them a bit more after i talk some more to the field owner where i'll be taking the pics

[CaliMagFan]

keep it simple...

i have done a lot of on field action shooting. i just wear an orange shirt and drape a towel over the body of my camera. its really simple to avoid being hit in the lense even if you are in a lane or shooting over the shoulder of a player. forget trying to hold a shield or something else, cause you're going to need two hands to shoot properly.... when i get my camera, i'll try and take a pic of what i have found to be the best placement of the towel.... but basically just fold it over on its width several times to make it narrower.. the only thing that will be exposed is the lense, but that is a really small target. I would suggest, if you dont alraedy have one, get a simple UV filter for the lense. they are inexpensive and do nothing to your light level so far as F stops are concerned. generally they cost the same as a lense cap, so i use one in its place for the most part...

good luck.
the rest is just practicing shooting with the mask on, a little tricky, but not impossible.

[doc_Zox]

http://www.aquapac.net/jpgs/04_stores/expanded/450.jpg

http://www.aquapac.net/

[etjoyride]

thanks cali and doc, i dont have 100 bux to drop on a case right now, so i think i'll try out the towel idea.
THanks for all the ideas and keep the gelp coming.

[psychowarden]

You know those dish like snow sleds...exactly the same as a ref shield, just doesnt have "REF" painted on the side. Thats what I use when Im reffing, or an Umbrella.

[Rather]

Problably the easiest and cheapest ways to make one is to get zip ties and a cardboard box. Poke a couple holes in the box and make yourself a couple of loops with the zip ties. If you use a folded box it should hold up well enough to serve its purpose for a day of photo's, and will be easy to carry since you can just slide it onto your arm. Make sure you have at least 2 layers of cardboard because if one area gets shot from a lcose enough distance it may break through the first layer of cardboard.

I did this all the time when reffing because I hated carrying around those heavy plexiglass sheilds. Sure i couldn't see through it, but i could run MUCH faster to check people when using it.

and one thing I tried when doing 1 vs 1 games i cut out a section of cardboard and made a hole big enough to fit thefront of the lense through, so I wouldn'ttake any direct front shots to the camera. You can play around with how to cut it so you can protect more sides of the camera than just the front. I'd say cut it out to where it looks a bit like a cross and fold longer segments so you can fold and tape them together and havea nice little expendable protective box.


Also be sure to have some kind of lense filter or cover so should you actually take a shot to the lense... all you would have to replace is the filter and not the actual lense.

[etjoyride]

Alright thanks everyone, i'm going to play around with several of your ideas and see which one works the best.

[Skoad]

if you want very clear action pics I recommend a tripod...or if you want to move around a little easier just a monopod will do. If your camera is of decent quallity it will love you for this and show you in the photos you take.

As far as the protection thing we've always thought of getting some pretty scratch resistant plexi and creating some kind of box/case like the others have talked about - at least for the lens cover. Probably some really good foam would do for the camera body itself...might want to test how well it absorbs a paintball before you stick a camera in there though.

[ThePixelGuru]

Big thing to remember is just to watch lanes. See where people are most likely to be firing, and don't be there. If you're nervous about bringing the camera into the line of fire, just ref a couple games and see how much you get hit, then judge if it'll be safe to bring the camera out.

[White_Noise]

me and suicidalsnyper took pics at Chicago Open this year and we just wrapped towels around our cameras. if you want, get an exxtra protective lens to go on your camera, but be careful, these can do more harm than good, as they are usually plastic, and can break and scratch your lens, or they just get dirty and scratched and cause you to get bad shots.

personally..i just had the towel, tried to stay out of people's lanes, and just kept aware enough to dodge paint. Also, dont go actually on the field(not allowed at PSP anyway) you can get great shots on the sidelines with out getting shot at too much.

[sbpyro]

Just a fair warning!! My buddies had setup a plexiglass sheild around the camcorder that was mounted on the tripod mount on the camera. The mount is either heat staked into the plastic or insert molded. Basically after a day's use we notice the plastic housing on the camera had cracked. The mount was designed for sitting on the tripod and not supporting the weight of the box.

The set up that they ended up using was a foam (some pink foam with a shiny plastic feel to it.) box with a plexiglass in the front and open back. This set up was able to take multiple shots with out any issues.

[jayloo]

I've taken a bunch of pics and video in tourneys and scenario games.

1. Don't look like a player! Wear yellow or orange. Something bright. See if you can borrow a ref vest or jersey.
3. Carry a bright towel with you. Use it to shield your camera. Just watch what the towel covers as you may cover the lens or other sensors on the camera.
4. In tournaments its good to let all the teams playing know exactly who you are and what your intentions are. This will reduce the chance that someone will think you are helping a team/person cheat.
5. Several fields I have visited require certain attire if you are to film/photo on the sidelines inside the netting. Talk to the field owner or head ref for this info.
6. Bring a small lightweight mono pod. That camera get heavy after a while. It will also provide less blurry action shots.
7. If you leave your equipment on the field/sidelines unattended you risk a GOOD chance that a player or ref will knock it over.

I'm in the market for a Nikon SLR. When I get it I will get an underwater enclosure for it. The enclosure can take a hit and not interfere with the functionality of the camera.

Just my http://www.jayloo.com/files/smilies/icon_smile_2cents.gif

[SuiciDal Sn Y p ER]

expect to get shot, crotch towels help a lot, stay out of lanes, use your body to protect the camera, you can use a towel to cover up the camera. Lenses can take straight on hits (well... mine can) so you shouldn't be THAT worried, i use a filter just in case. To take those good shots position yourself on the field where you know there will be action (snake side, low bunkers, and the back corner bunkers provide nice sliding/diving shots). On those hot days bring an extra towel soaked in cold water to cover your neck, and wear a visor (sun glare gets into your mask lense and you would really have to press the viewfinder up to your lense to see if you don't have a visor)

I know nothing about cameras but i know how to take the pictures while getting shot at :)

[etjoyride]

alright thanks guys, i tihnk i'm going to try some of these ideas out first with an older somewhat crappt digital camera, and then if it worksi'll use a good one

[Automaggot68]

/me wonders where Jason is

[Muzikman]

I'm right here :)

The quality of the camera will greatly depend on the quaility of the image. With action shots it's important to understand shutter speed and film speed. Understanding Depth of Field will allow you to take even better pictures.

A decent zoom lens is also important with paintball. In tournaments you are not allowed on the field so you must stay on the sidelines. If your camera does not have a decent zoom lens the guys on the other side of the field will look like ants. If you have too much telephoto, you will not be able to get good shots of the players on the near tape.

As for protection, wear bright colors as a few others have said and be sure to have a towel. I don't usually cover the camera at all, but if you should get some splatter on it, you'll want to wipe it off right away.

The gear I take on the field is pretty high end stuff (well, it was for 3 years ago technology) and I have very little fear of having something ruined. I do use a UV filter to protect my glass, but other than that, if I start taking hits, I just turn and hug the camera.

If you need any technical pointers, let me know.

[etjoyride]

well, i have an 8meg. nikon digital SLR that has a special setting for action pics. I plan on starting out by just taking pics of regular rec woodsball/speedball games, and then maybe doing some tournies later on. next time i get out to the field i'll probably try some of this stuff out with a lowerend camera before using the nikon...THanks for all the help everyone

[p8ntballsteve]

here's what you do, head into some skydiving sites, and see what they use for taking pics and video while plumetting at the earth.

[Muzikman]

Using the "Action" setting on the camera is not as rewarding.

I say give it a try in priority mode or in manual mode.

Here are my typical settings. Obviously lighting plays a big part.

Outdoor / Good Light
ISO: 100 (or lower if you can)
Shutter: 1/1000 s
Aperture: 2.8 - 3.5 (this will depend on situation. This is what controls the DoF)
Frame Rate: Continuous Shot
Focus Point: Center
Focus: Auto / Servo AI

Obviously, keep an eye on your meter. With digital I find it good to stop down 1 to 2 stops to compensate for bright highlights.

[Cameo]

Jason i forget.. what camera model do you have?

[Muzikman]

Canon 10D

Why, want to buy me a new one?;)

[LudavicoSoldier]

Ahhh whats wrong with the 10D!? :D

I also shoot a 10D at the field. All I use is a UV filter to protect my optic. You really need to walk the field you will be shooting, and find out where the lanes are. Dont stand where cross field bunkers intersect either. If you are really worried about it, go out without the camera, but act like you are taking pictures. You will learn pretty damn fast where NOT to stand.

Jason - you go out on the field with a lens that costs more than the body! Kwazy! :D

[etjoyride]

alright, i guess i'll just get a filter adn toss a towel over my shoudler and see how it works...

[Muzikman]

Ahhh whats wrong with the 10D!? :D

I also shoot a 10D at the field. All I use is a UV filter to protect my optic. You really need to walk the field you will be shooting, and find out where the lanes are. Dont stand where cross field bunkers intersect either. If you are really worried about it, go out without the camera, but act like you are taking pictures. You will learn pretty damn fast where NOT to stand.

Jason - you go out on the field with a lens that costs more than the body! Kwazy! :D


There is nothing wrong with the 10D, I still love it. But you know, one can always use a 1D Mark II or a 1Ds Mark II. ;)

Yeah, and the lens has been hit, but never in the glass. I use the sun shade that cuts down any hits that are not direct.

This will be my next lens. It's primary use will be paintball.
http://www.adorama.com/CA28300ISU.html

[etjoyride]

wow muzikman, tha tis one hell of a lense. Thats like double the prive of my nicest camera.
(i don;t suppose you want to buy me one to???) :rofl: :bounce: :rofl:

[Cameo]

Canon 10D

Why, want to buy me a new one?;)

You and NiteHawk are at the top of my list for when I win the lottery. :p