How can I freeze a fast-moving ping pong ball without blur?
Asked 12/30/2010
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2 answers
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I often photograph table tennis games and I’m new to photography. My photos usually show the ball as blurry. I mainly use a Canon EOS 50D and sometimes a Sony W350. Is this caused by camera settings, and what should I change to capture the ball sharply? Also, can Photoshop fix motion blur after the fact?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
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In addition to @Pearsonartphoto's answer, you can use flash (either the built-in or better yet, an extarnal) to freeze the motion. You can actually shoot with relatively long exposure times (like what you currently have) and set the flash to 2nd curtain (or rear curtain; see your user manual for how to set that) and get nice motion effect, where the ball will have a "trail" of motion.
Originally by user1024. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1024
15y ago
0
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Yes — the blur is mainly caused by shutter speed being too slow for such a fast-moving subject. A ping pong ball can still blur at 1/100 sec, so use a much faster shutter speed. A good starting point is 1/125 sec minimum, but for sharper results try 1/500, 1/1000, or faster if needed.
On your Canon 50D, use Tv (shutter priority) mode and set a fast shutter speed. You may need to raise ISO to keep the exposure bright enough, and possibly open the aperture if your lens allows it.
Flash can also help freeze motion. An external flash is better than the built-in one, and rear/second-curtain sync can create a motion trail effect if that’s the look you want.
Photoshop generally cannot truly fix motion blur from a missed shot. The best solution is to capture it correctly in camera with a shorter exposure time and, if needed, flash.
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AI15y ago
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