Lenses For Boxing

Bilko

Bilko

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Robert
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I've been asked to take some photographs for a local boxing club.

The only lenses I have are 18 - 105 3.5 - 5.6 and a 70 - 300 4.5 - 5.6

Obviously the 70 - 300 is out and I'm worried the 18 - 105 will struggle. For a quick fix I was going to get a prime.

Would a 35mm or 50mm be ok for boxing?

If I was to eventually get a zoom, which would be best for a D7000 17 - 50 2.8 or 24-70 2.8?

Thanks.
 
Are you on a cropped body or full frame? I started out doing Boxing photography a few years back

I have a 20-40 2.8 that I think is the ideal focal length (on FF) decent on a cropped body too. You will need the f2.8

At a push, if you are FF then a nifty fifty will do the job. In fact some of my best shots have been with that configuration. A second body with a 70-200 for the ringwalk is a decent addition too.
 
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I did 20 bouts of kickboxing saturday night using a full frame and the nifty 50..perfect.. on a crop the 35mm f2 is perfect...
 
Thanks chaps. It's cropped Steve.

35mm it is then.

What about the zoom 17 - 50 2.8 or 24-70 2.8?
 
Bilko said:
What about the zoom 17 - 50 2.8 or 24-70 2.8?
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35mm f2 gives you some more light in usualy dim places..

24-70 is preffered by a lot of boxing photogrpahers but I prefer a prime.. better quality and less to do..I am alread switching focus points left and right and adding zoom to do as well with such a fast moving sport... personally on the 1dmkIV thats a crop.. the 35mm was absoloutly spot on for boxing..

24-70 more versatile, more to do and massively more expensive
 
Bilko said:
Thanks chaps. It's cropped Steve.

35mm it is then.

What about the zoom 17 - 50 2.8 or 24-70 2.8?
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70mm on a cropped body would be pretty useless for the boxing to be honest. The other end would be very good though.

17-50 would be my preference. Even better when you (if you) ever go FF too.
 
i use a 17-50 2.8, can't fault it, alot cheaper than a 24-70
 
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That was tough last night, mainly as I hadn't done boxing before. But it gave me an insight, even if was just training and sparring in the ring. As expected the 18-105 wasn't good enough. I shot most at 35mm to see how it was and i'll get the lens this week.

I know fights are going to be tougher.

One thing I noticed was positioning. Is there an etiquette or place to shoot from. No flash of course, but I found myself bobbing up and down from the bottom rope trying to get the boxers into from. I was in the middle of one side.
 
Bilko said:
One thing I noticed was positioning. Is there an etiquette or place to shoot from. No flash of course, but I found myself bobbing up and down from the bottom rope trying to get the boxers into from. I was in the middle of one side.
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depends on the venue.. if its a pro fight then you will be told where you can go.. usualy just one side designated..

stay away from the red/blue corners where boxers are..

if I am the only photogrpaher then i choose one of the nutural corners.. the one wiht less people behind me.. watching boxing is quite expensive and nobody wants to pay all that to see the back of my head.. so small venue is nutural corner.

yes you can get back ach.. your twisting and bobbing up and down between middle and bottom ropes depending where the boxers are...


have you set your focus points. i set mine to 9 and flick left/right onto the oncoming fighter.. center point is pretty useless..
 
Brilliant, good info. Thanks Tony.

I was knackered when I got home last night and a bit of a sore back.

Yes, I set my focus points lower and switched side to side with them, but need to get used to doing it quicker.

Thanks tony.
 
Bilko said:
That was tough last night, mainly as I hadn't done boxing before. But it gave me an insight, even if was just training and sparring in the ring. As expected the 18-105 wasn't good enough. I shot most at 35mm to see how it was and i'll get the lens this week.

I know fights are going to be tougher.
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hope to see some of your shots on the sports section.I did my first fight last month, i used my 24-70 but forgot my w/b, wonky horizons and a lens cloth to clean away the sweat from the boxers.
 
Pick said:
hope to see some of your shots on the sports section.I did my first fight last month, i used my 24-70 but forgot my w/b, wonky horizons and a lens cloth to clean away the sweat from the boxers.
Click to expand...

I get the ref to stand in the middle of the ring and I take a picture of his back for my WB setting...or if a big pro event just use the white corner pad :)
 
Pick said:
hope to see some of your shots on the sports section.I did my first fight last month, i used my 24-70 but forgot my w/b, wonky horizons and a lens cloth to clean away the sweat from the boxers.
Click to expand...

There not very good to be honest, so I might just skip this time. :(
 
Boxing is my favourite sport to do, but it is definitely one of the hardest. With flash it depends on the venue and its rules. At amateur level no one has complained about flash to me, at a higher level Sky are there and they do the light for you ;)

But if you don't need it, don't use it, it's very awkward with the ropes
 
Just been reading the above and looking at MB photogrpahic they've a couple that appear to fit the bill

Nikon AF 50mm f/1.4D - £169
Nikon 35mm f1.8 G AF-S DX - £124

I'd appreciate comments on the suitability of both, whether the 50mm is worth the extra cash etc.

Cheers
 
I have the 50 AF-D 1.4. Because it is an older lens I find its focussing is very sluggish. I love it for portraits, but not sport. The 35mm is very good and a friend of mine has also managed to use it on a full frame with no corner shading, unbelievably.

But both those prices look like a very good deal.
 
A wee update:

I went ahead and bought the 35mm 1.8 and I'm really glad I took your advice on getting it Tony. It's a great lens which I'm finding hard to take off the camera. I've been down the boxing club a few times and did some training and sparring shots. I was getting the hang of shooting boxing...or so I thought.

I'm just back through the door from a boxing night and I'm cream crackered. The biggest issue was the absolutely shocking lighting, but the speed of the boxers was phenominal.

I'm just about to load the pictures onto the HD but I'm not holding my breathe.

What sort of PP do people do on high ISO boxing shots? Do you keep the grain for effect or try and denoise them as much as possible?

I always loved the B&W grainy boxing shots of old, but not sure people want it now?
 
recently snapped from my seat with a 70-200 on cropped
but I used to shoot 17-50 cropped from the ropes
without flash a nice 30mm prime would be my preference
with a 17-55 ish with a flash for the presentation shots

metering is a sod at boxing matches
partly because of the spots they often put on the ring corners.
 
Oh dear. My shots are bad.

Didn't set the right white balance. I had to have the ISO at 6400 and that was with the 35mm @ 1.8

Just going through them trying to save some.
 
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