ISO 51200 & 25600 with Sigma 120-300mm on Nikon D4

by Stanley LearyNikon D4
Nikon D4, Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM w/ Sigma 2x, ISO 51200, ƒ/5.6, 1/2000

Chick-fil-A Kickoff

Last night I had the privilege to shoot the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game between Ole Miss and Boise State. Ole Miss pulled away in the second half from Boise State for a 35—13 victory.

I enjoyed shooting with my Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM. I also added a Sigma 2x converter to my gear, which gave me a 600mm ƒ/5.6 lens. So I made the photo with that combination.

Yin-Yang

Photography has more to do with Yin-Yang than anything I have ever encountered.

Yin-Yang is a concept used to describe how opposite or contrary forces are complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world and how they give rise to each other as they interrelate.

When you change any one of these three, you must adjust one of the other to keep a proper exposure. The Exposure Triangle is the trade-off made all the time in photography.

Nikon D4, Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM, ISO 16000, ƒ/4, 1/2000

Sports Settings

Here are my default sports settings for a game with these three:

  • Aperture—While I love the Bokeh at wide open, I tend to shoot around ƒ/4 or ƒ/5.6
  • Shutter Speed—1/2000 If maxing out to the highest ISO, then any need for more light, the shutter speed will drop below 1/2000 when using the Auto ISO settings.
  • ISO—Auto ISO 100-12800, but for some of this game, 100-51200
Warning about Auto ISO—you cannot use manual and keep a constant setting. The meter will adjust the ISO up and down. To indeed shoot Manual Mode, you must turn off the Auto ISO.
Nikon D4, Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM, ISO 7200, ƒ/2.8, 1/2000
I love the Bokeh on the Sigma 120-300mm, and with the Ole, Miss dancer opened up to ƒ/2.8. However, for action, I find while I love the ƒ/2.8, I prefer a little more depth-of-field to keep them tact sharp.