Football skycam
Skycam? Polecam? Feeling like a wally holding a camera up in the air on a monopod? Call it whatever you want but Monday evening was my first attempt at using an elevated camera to shoot football.
The easy bit is that you can reliably shoot in AV mode so you don't need to worry about metering. The difficult bit is that you need to pre-focus the lens which will always be a best-guess because you don't know where the action will be.
I used a Canon 1D fired by Pocket Wizards with 17-40 lens at 17mm f/4.
What do you think? Worth pursuing the idea?
21 May 2007: After having his line of sight blocked by his own defenders, Ross-shire Club goalkeeper David Mitchell is unprepared for a strike by Balintore's Graeme Davis. Balintore won 5-1 in Monday night's welfare league game, which was brought forward due to the UEFA Champions League final on Wednesday.
about 4 years ago
Very cool. I think the shot is definitely worth pursuing. The focus is always the tough thing for me too. I sometimes prefocus on something in front of me that I think will be about the same distance my camera will be from my subject once the camera is in the air. Other times I just bump the fstop up and hope for the best. I definitely miss more than I make when it comes to skycams or remote cameras, but when you get that one sweet shot you couldn’t have gotten any other way, it makes it so worth it.
about 3 years ago
Great shot
I’ve done this too – and it often works well.
I’m having to use it at a friend’s wedding soon too – they are getting married in a castle in a small room and its it’s the only way I’ll get a vantage point.
Up to now I’ve trusted my Nikon’s autofocus, but I won;t be doing that at the wedding.