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Question: Action shots!?
what's the best setting aperture to use when taking photographs of action shots, whether it be of people jumping or of bands playing!?Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
You have three settings you can change on your camera!. At any one time, you can only select two of them!. The third will be determined by your choice for the other two!.

The settings are:

ISO (how fast light is collected by your CCD sensor, or film)
Shutter speed (how long light gets in to the camera)
Aperture (how much light gets to the sensor in a given time)

If you need to stop fast action, you will need faster shutter speed!. How fast depends on the nature of the action, and whether or not your are panning to follow the action!.

If you don't change ISO setting, an increase in shutter speed requires an increase in aperture (lower f number)!. However, as stated by others, increasing aperture, decreases the depth of field!. If this is the effect you want, it is not a problem!. If, on the other hand, you want the foreground and background in focus as well, you need smaller aperture (higher f number)!.

If you want both high shutter speed and small aperture, you will need to increase the ISO!. However, this will also increase the grain, or noise, in the picture!. Just because a camera has a ISO 800 setting, it does not mean you will like the pictures!.

As you see, each of the three settings has an effect on the final photo!. You have to come up with a compromise you can live with!.

My suggestion is that you practice!. It is much easier to do with a digital camera where you can see the results immediately!. With a film camera, you need to take notes about the settings to compare to the results when you get your prints back!.

Take action pictures of the kind you think you will be taking!. Adjust one setting at a time (eg, shutter speed), compensating with a change to another setting (eg!., aperture)!. Look at the results to learn how each effects your pictures!.

This is the only way to really know what settings you need!. It is best to do this before you need to take a once-in-a-lifetime action shot!.

The direct answer to your question is that you should use the aperture which gives you the depth of field you need!. If you can't do this and still get a shutter speed fast enought to stop the action, you will have to compromise on the depth of field or increase the ISO and live with the results!.

Again, practice!.

I hope this helps!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Depends on how much of the scene you want in focus!.

Small aperture = more dpeth of field
Large aperture = less depth of field

Going with a smaller aperture means shooting at a slower shutter speed, too, which will blur motion, which can make an action shot work if you want to show that motion!. Freezing that motion means getting your focus spot on the subject, though, to keep it sharp!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

An iso of 400 should work
high shutter speed 1/250
probably about f/8
the aperture setting would depend also depend on far away from the action you are!. If you go too shallow your subject won't be in focus and you could underexpose!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

set your camera shutter speed to 250th of a second and ask a friend to jump or do anything!.!.!.!.that should give you an idea!.
I shot this one at that speed and was panning the camera as well
http://www!.flickr!.com/photos/tmendoza/20!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Depends on the lense!. But low 5 or a 4 something!.

http://www!.myspace!.com/forever_your_phot!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

You need a shutter speed of at least 250 of a second to freeze the action!. The higher the better!. Aperture controls depth of field!.Www@QuestionHome@Com