Chit Chat Football in 5-1/2 weeks!

[GFaulk]

Hi everybody,

I realize this forum is visited by people from many countries who may not care at all that American football starts in about four weeks. For me, it's a big deal. Last year was my first full year to shoot high school and college games. A typical weekend included a HS game on Friday night, process those images, travel to a college game site on Saturday morning, an afternoon or night game shoot, and then home to process the college images. I shot the games with two E3's and an E30 along with the 7-14, 12-60, 50-200, and 150. I used the 2X convertor on the 150 alot.

The year went well with a lot of the images published in the winter and summer editions of the magazine I shoot for. After football season was over, I used Lightroom's Library Filter to summarize shooting by lens. As expected, the 50-200 was the most used lens followed by the 150 with 2x convertor. My friend Mohammad also shoots Big 12 games with Olympus and he owns the 300. That's a great lens, but I decided to get the 90-250. I found an Olympus demo(it arrived looking unused) and shot spring training games in April with it. The image quality is excellent, focus speed adequate, and build quaility superb. As soon as the new E camera arrives with one more stop of noise reduction, 8FPS, and improved CAF, I'm all set!

When I started writing this, I had a point to make, but now I've forgotten what that point was. Any way, I'll soon be very busy. The first college game is SMU versus Texas Tech on September 5. It's a national broadcast ESPN game, so be on the lookout for a couple of Oly shooters.

Here's a couple of shots from Texas Tech's and University of North Texas' spring games shot with the 90-250.

[Will in Tejas]

I'm looking forward to it, especially since I finally got ABC in HD! I miss Leach!

[Petephoto1]

Gary good to see you ! Great photos , question for you . 90-250 @ 150mm fl and 150mm @ 150mm fl is the image quality the same or is one better then
the other? Cheers Pete

[WRYphoto]

awesome thanks for sharing.
I love love love football. Of course I would love to shoot football but i doubt that will ever happen.

If i may ask how did you go about finding an olympus demo to buy for the 90-250?

[GFaulk]

Hi Pete,

I have not had the chance to shoot the 150 and 90-250 at the same event. I would be surprised if the 90-250 was as sharp as the 150. It is a zoom, after all. In my opinion, there aren't going to be very many lenses that match the 150 for sharpness.

The 90-250 is large and heavy. I tried shooting it hand held a few times, but I don't think I've got the strength to hold the 90-250 for four hours at a game. The focal length is just about perfect for football. This lens is a perfect companion to the 35-100 which I do not own, unfortunately. Olympus really did design a great series of SHG lenses.

Gary

[GFaulk]

Hi Billy,

I bought the lens from Adorama. The lens had a barcode attached to it near the lens mount. I suspect the barcode was scanned when the lens was loaned to photographers for testing. The lens arrived in perfect condition.

Gary

[Petephoto1]

Thank you Gary have the 90-250mm to and plesed with it but as you
Said takes some doing handheld . Been thinking
And having gas over the 150mm as walk about lens . Still have the bad knees from being a center
In high school was clipped and flipped the wrong way . Look forward to the season . Cheers Pete

Ps : now if we could find OzRay ?

[Rick Waldroup]

Yes, five weeks until The Greatest Sports Franchise Known to Man, hits the field.

I pity the rest of the NFL, as this year, is the magic year for the Dallas Cowboys- 50 years in the league, #22 goes in the Hall of Fame, and for the first time in history, a home team will be playing in the Super Bowl.

Thank you.

[ajcgn]

Originally Posted by GFaulk

I realize this forum is visited by people from many countries who may not care at all that American football starts in about four weeks. For me, it's a big deal..

Me Too (don't get me started).
I watched nearly every minute of every FIFA World Cup Football game recently, but nothing beats NCAA College Football for me. (NFL and CFL are okay too though.) I even pay the extra cable fees for the minimum 4 month period so I can get all the extra games they don't have on network TV.
I have posted many video highlights on youtube over the last couple of years if you want to relive some of the NCAA moments while you wait.
http://www.youtube.com/user/ajcgn6?blend=2&ob=1#p/u

Given that this is a photography forum, I have some pics from the International Bowl (Big East vs Mid American) that's played here in Toronto, the only local opportunity to see live smash mouth NCAA Football, not to mention NCAA Cheerleaders(mostly 50-200SWD but very dark inside). One of these days I am going to spend the money to go see a big time game like Ohio St vs Michigan (Texas vs Texas Tech is too far away for me.)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ajcgn/sets/72157623979876499/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ajcgn/sets/72157624104157166/

[GFaulk]

Nice shots, Andrew! Shooting the cheerleaders, fans, pre-game tailgating parties, and post game team meetings really adds to the game experience. It also adds to the post processing experience. You tend to see the same guys week after week on the sidelines. One very good shooter I know averages about 1500 shots per game. He's a D3 shooter for a competitor magazine. He shoots JPG's and even for routine games, uploads everything at half time and then selects shortly after the game is over. He carries two D3's, 16-35, 70-200, 400 F2.8(almost always with the 1.7 attached), and a 24-70. The D3's are excellent cameras, but man are they big. My E3 with grip and 14-35 is dwarfed by the D3 and 24-70. Same thing can be said for the E3 with 300 and 1.4 versus the Nikon D3 and 400 F2.8. As much as we might complain about the size of the E3, it really is a lot smaller than the D3 and Canon 1DMk3 and 1DMk4. The Olympus also cost a lot less!

It's really frustrating at times shooting Olympus. The cameras are so good in many respects. Their deficiencies have been noted here a million times so I won't go into that. IMO, the 2X crop factor is THE reason to shoot Olympus. Last year in the Kansas State/ Texas Tech game, I walked from end zone to end zone 16 times in the first half. It was misting heavily and 35F. Having cameras and lenses that could be used in the rain that did not weigh a ton was a tremendous help. Every time I have let a fellow shooter look at the Olympus, I can tell they are very impressed. I can also tell they have never touched an E system camera before no matter what they say. Lenses like the 150 and 7-14 are totally unknown to these people.

[Chuckr53]

Originally Posted by Petephoto1

Thank you Gary have the 90-250mm to and plesed with it but as you
Said takes some doing handheld . Been thinking
And having gas over the 150mm as walk about lens . Still have the bad knees from being a center
In high school was clipped and flipped the wrong way . Look forward to the season . Cheers Pete

Ps : now if we could find OzRay ?

OzRay can be found posting at mu-43.com

[DonR]

Hey Gary, good to hear from you. these are some nice shots and I'll be looking for more from you as football season gets going. Are you going to get to Abilene to photograph our State Champs his year? Give me a shout if you do. I'm still lovin the 50-500 I got from you but haven't been able to shoot as much as I'd like to lately.

[GFaulk]

Hi Don,

I hope all is well. I'm pleased you like the 50-500. I wish I could have kept it.

I'm scheduled to shoot local high school teams like Garland and Mesquite. I'd love to come to Abilene, but that would really make shooting the college game on Saturday difficult.

How's the E30 working with the 50-500?

[DonR]

Originally Posted by GFaulk

Hi Don,

I hope all is well. I'm pleased you like the 50-500. I wish I could have kept it.

I'm scheduled to shoot local high school teams like Garland and Mesquite. I'd love to come to Abilene, but that would really make shooting the college game on Saturday difficult.

How's the E30 working with the 50-500?

Gary,

Actually, I'm having trouble getting used to the E-30. Don't know why but it seems kind of random at everything. I posted some shots the other day taken with it that were nice but I'm not really satisfied with. I've see it do better. I sent the E-30 to Olympus for another random problem it's having with CF cards and they'er going to check it over closely for anything else.

Sorry to hear you won't be comming to Abilene but we can't be two places at once.

[gbmax]

Originally Posted by GFaulk

Hi everybody,


Here's a couple of shots from Texas Tech's and University of North Texas' spring games shot with the 90-250.

Just look at both photos- they're great, but you can NOT handle a ball in a football with HANDS - it's a yellow/red card or penalty kick...

Better to called that sport - American Version of Rugby...but, I'm sorry, it's not a football...football is played in Europe and South America - most popular...and around the World....and people play football using their feet, only goaltender can handle a ball with their hands...
Rugby is played mostly in England and Australia...

[WRYphoto]

Originally Posted by gbmax

Just look at both photos- they're great, but you can NOT handle a ball in a football with HANDS - it's a yellow/red card or penalty kick...

Better to called that sport - American Version of Rugby...but, I'm sorry, it's not a football...football is played in Europe and South America - most popular...and around the World....and people play football using their feet, only goaltender can handle a ball with their hands...
Rugby is played mostly in England and Australia...

there's always one isnt there?
No body in the United States cares. Football is played in pads with an egg shaped ball and no body cares about Soccer except for the world cup.