MMA + BOXING photo advice

f1ynn

f1ynn

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Hi guys I've recently been asked to shoot at an mma event for a friend of mine.
I shoot with a Nikon d90 which is a good low light camera but my lenses are 18-55mm kit and 70-300.
Will the kit dx 18-55 vr do the job?As I'm a little way off buying a faster lens but its something I really want to do!!!
Any feedback will be great!!!
 
Hi. I think you may struggle in the sort of light you find at these events. Possibly a 50mm 1.8 might help but your kit lens will need a high iso i think.
 
Perhaps look into hiring something like the 35mm 1.8 or similar, if you can't quite yet stump up the funds to purchase. Then at least you'll know what it's like/what you want to properly spend your money on when the time comes.

I'm not sure what focal lengths would be appropriate for MMA/Boxing. Perhaps 35mm or 24-8mm on crop sensor. Someone with more experience will probably be able to advise you better.
 
Having covered a few MMA events there will be relatively little light which will often fall off quite dramatic to the side of the ring/cage, so thats one thing to look out for.

I used a 50mm F1.8 on a cannon 50D and a manual focus pentax 50mm F1.7 on a pentax K100d before that, the 50 can be a bit long at times but equally it can come up a tad short depending on the size of the cage, the main benefit is obviously the fast aperture enabling a much faster shutter speed which is something I would stress the importance off!

Noisy photos are much preferable to blurry ones, if your using you kit lens try to at least freeze the action then remove the noise later or convert to B&W and hide it with grain.

Personally I would go for a tamron 17-50mm F2.8 in future or use one body with a 50mm and one with a 35mm, the zoom however would more likely be useful.

If I may ask, please please don't use flash for the fight photos! By all means if your taking shots after/before the bout in the ring flash away, but please not while photographing the fights the results will always look cheap IMO.

Any way enough rambling good luck and I hope you see some great fights :D
 
you need something fast 2.8 or lower even when the lighting is really good they move really quickly so your shutter speed will be 1/500 or more so a fast lens really helps.

Heres some of mine from last night in a venue with good lighting!

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last time I shot kickboxing I used a 24-70 f2.8 and a 1dsmk2 with a 430ex flash
 
all my above shots were taken with the 24 -70 2.8 L. Id be interested to know how well you found the 5d2's autofocus to cope with kickboxing???? I'm going to buy one, not for sports photography but it would be a bonus if it handled these types of events. People have told me it doesn't cope well with sports
 
shooting mma over the cage is a bit rubish.. far better through it IMHO

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Again no flash! I fight and have had a togger use flash and its not nice at all, very off putting and the last thing you need it sharp night flashes blinding you when there are punches, kicks and elbows coming at you.
 
KIPAX said:
shooting mma over the cage is a bit rubish.. far better through it IMHO
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Yes you get some good shots through the cage but often there are a few photographers cornermen etc at floor level shooting through the cage using a ladder separates your pictures from the rest because not everyone can get this angle. On this occasion there was another photographer shooting through the cage for the same agency so it would be stupid to use the same angles and perspective.
 
49Clicks said:
70-200 2.8! Thats what i use and its perfec..............
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I'd love a 70-200 2.8 for the bigger shows. Next on my shopping list I think
 
POAH said:
I didn't use a 5d2 but there would have been no problem even if I did
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Sorry poah didn't read your post properly. Whats the 1ds2 like at high iso?
 
ferret1981 said:
Yes you get some good shots through the cage but often there are a few photographers cornermen etc at floor level shooting through the cage using a ladder separates your pictures from the rest because not everyone can get this angle. On this occasion there was another photographer shooting through the cage for the same agency so it would be stupid to use the same angles and perspective.
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of course yes.. I did some work for MMAPics who had multiple photogrpahers... one on ladder wiht on camera flash... yuk..
 
HAHA Kipax, I bet your a really nice bloke in real life. You just come across on this forum as someone who worries and has an opinion about what everyone else is doing.

I shoot for MMA pics sometimes and yes I have also shot with the photographers who use flash during the fights and personally I don't think its a good idea. I wouldn't personally shoot with any flash during the fights but for walk ons and the hand raise shots if the lighting is bad I will use external flash if needed. The venues usually have really bad lighting.

When you watch big events not local shows like what MMA pics shoot at, like the UFC and Bamma where do you don't see the main official photographer like Josh Hedges?
They get up a ladder because they can, so why not utalise this position if its available and has no restrictions? When I have shot at both I'd of done anything to get up the ladder and not be on the deck.

Everyone else needs pointy stiff elbows and fight with other photographers and cornermen to shoot through a good position at cage level.

My advice to OP is try as many different positions as possible nothing is right or wrong. Pick up tips and get advice off the top proffesionals like Lee Whitehead and Martin McNeil here's a recent interview with Martin

http://www.frontrowmma.com/industry-feature/
 
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Guys can't thank you enough,I fight myself aswell so I know how annoying a flash can be. . Followed by a fist to the face!!ha ha
Some really great advice here keep it up!!x
 
ferret1981 said:
HAHA Kipax, I bet your a really nice bloke in real life.
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I am I am!! I am a sweetheart :)

ferret1981 said:
You just come across on this forum as someone who worries and has an opinion about what everyone else is doing.
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I love these forums... so many opinions haha

ferret1981 said:
I shoot for MMA pics sometimes
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done a couple in my area.. usualy when i have been asked to cover it by local paper.. i then speak to him and its extra money while I am there.. he likes to use students who work cheaper so i probably wouldnt travel to do them.. but on my doorstep and already there.. its handy :) Pluis hes a decent blokey ..

I still ahve my teeshirt :)

ferret1981 said:
and yes I have also shot with the photographers who use flash during the fights and personally I don't think its a good idea. I wouldn't personally shoot with any flash during the fights but for walk ons and the hand raise shots if the lighting is bad I will use external flash if needed. The venues usually have really bad lighting.
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hmm the ones I did where being flimed as well so had some decent lighting setup..

I ahve done local gym cages thare are a lot smaller with flourecent lights overhead ...thats poor

done boxing wiht people using flash.. taken like 10 pictures per round while they wait for flash to recharge :)


ferret1981 said:
My advice to OP is try as many different positions as possible nothing is right or wrong.
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very true.. i offer my opinion as my preffered way of doing things.. not as the best or the right way.. but when asked.. then my answer would be shoot through the cage :)
 
I knew you had a heart somewhere Kipax. I'm sure flash is even less essential for you as you have some top kit there which the original poster doesn't.

Yes Saif's a good bloke and he's willing to give people with less experience a chance. Everyones got to start somewhere, MMA is relatively new in this country and everyman+his dog is offering to do the pictures free for event organisers. Student photographers are really lucky to be starting out, learning and earning some money even if its not big bucks.

OP good luck with your event!
Kipax keep making me smile!
 
I shot a boxing card last year and didn't want to use flash but the lighting was really bad so everyone else used flash and the 500D wasnt really capable due to the lighting so I had to use flash, I won't be using flash on the next one at the weekend.
 
i've shot a few fight matches
great fun.
not only is low light challenging but I think in a boxing ring the corner lights are a major pain. also variable light throughout the evening.
I would push the ISO as far as you can to get 100/s or similar
also f2.8 is the bare minimum I think
I've used flash and it's not so bad but not ideal of course.
I didn't shoot directly at the fighters as that would be awful but used a diffuser and aimed the flash gun upwards and on reduced power.
didn't have any complaints and there are so many harsh lights in the ring they hardly noticed I think. My reason was to capture the action and reduce the effect of the horrible ring mounted lights.
At the next one though will try to ditch that and use a 1.4 prime where at all possible.
Used to shoot a few fights in Nottingham and hope to do so in the north east again later in the year.
I personally don't think the kit lens will cut it. I also used a battery pack on my 580exII to improve recycling times.

examples just to join in
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ferret1981 said:
Sorry poah didn't read your post properly. Whats the 1ds2 like at high iso?
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Couldn't tell you. I was shooting for someone so just shot and give them the cards. Not as good as the 5D2 though
 
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