How can I get sharper action shots of football with a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ10?
Asked 12/6/2011
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2 answers
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I’m using a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ10 and tried photographing football players in fast motion, but the images came out very blurred. When I increased the shutter speed a bit, the photos got darker. What settings should I change to improve action shots on this camera, and are there limits to what the TZ10 can do for sports photography?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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The shutter speed is crucial.
To capture good sports images that freeze the action you will need to be using a minimum shutter speed of 1/1000 your camera does go up to 1/2000.
However, as the shutter is opening for a shorter period of time, it is not letting enough light in; you should increase the ISO to allow for the sensor to become more sensitive to light. 1600 should be OK.
However, the downside to all this is that for it to work, you will really need to be using an aperture of f2.8, your cameras max aperture is f3.3 at 25mm.
For a comparison I use a 300mm or 400mm f2.8 for sports action.
If it's sport photography, I would invest in another camera, a DSLR with a Manual mode.
Originally by user4316. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4316
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For sports, motion blur usually means the shutter speed is too slow. Aim for a much faster shutter speed—around 1/1000s if you want to freeze action well. The trade-off is that faster shutter speeds let in less light, so darker photos are expected unless you also raise ISO and/or use the widest aperture available.
On the TZ10, try:
- Sports scene mode
- Shutter Priority with the fastest shutter speed you can use
- Raise ISO from Auto to 800 or 1600, or try the higher auto-ISO mode
- If using manual exposure controls, choose the widest aperture available (about f/3.3 at the wide end) and then balance shutter speed and ISO
A tripod can help with camera shake, but it won’t freeze a fast-moving player if shutter speed is still too slow.
The main limitation is the camera itself: the TZ10 has a relatively small sensor and a lens that isn’t very bright, so in anything but good light it may struggle to deliver crisp sports shots. You can improve results, but demanding sports photography is generally easier with a camera and lens designed for faster action shooting.
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