Selection Sunday is this weekend and just fans as are ready to fill out their brackets, sports photographers are ready to pack their kits. Sony Artisan Patrick Murphy-Racey has many years of experience capturing sports action – including basketball tournaments. “I was recently hired by a D3 school to shoot their tournament, so I was able to use my new trinity of lenses with two of the new Alpha 7 V camera bodies,” Patrick explains. ”Here is the gear list that was perfect for this assignment.” Keep reading as he shares the perfect photography gear for basketball – and good luck to you and your brackets this year!
Shop This Kit:
–Camera: Alpha 7 V (2)
–Lenses: 28-70mm f/2 G Master, 50-150mm f/2 G Master, 300mm f/2.8 G Master
–Accessories: VG-C4EM Vertical Grips (2)
Courtside With A Pair Of Alpha 7 V Cameras
I’ve been shooting with a pair of Alpha 7 V cameras ever since I got my hands on them and I have to say it’s one of the most underrated cameras Sony has ever produced. YouTubers do not know what they are talking about when they say it’s not a great choice. The Alpha 7 V is literally the Swiss Army Knife of the entire Sony lineup. It does everything well from weddings, landscape, portraits, photojournalism, to sports action. With a full frame 33mp sensor on board, killer internal stabilization, low noise at high ISO’s, 30 fps with up to 1 second pre-capture, and a 14ms sensor readout speed, the feature list reads like a camera that punches way above its sub-$3K price-tag here in the states.
Photo by Patrick Murphy-Racey. Alpha 7 V. 28-70mm f/2 G Master. 1/1250-sec., f/2, ISO 4000
The Holy Trinity Of Lenses For Basketball
The Alpha 7 V’s did great on this tournament and I’m still marveling at the quality of the images that came from the three G Master lenses I chose to shoot with for the two days. Many will be shocked that I shot the two semi-final games with the fps set to 5. Only at the final game did I change the 50-150mm f/2 G Master camera to 10 fps but I still left the 300mm f/2.8 G Master at 5 fps. I spent 35 years shooting on strobes so I’m used to capturing the peak moment of action without “spraying and praying.”
The 50-150mm f/2 G Master lens is the greatest basketball lens ever made…period. I’m sure I’m not the first to say that because the lens is gaining popularity for roundball as well as many other sports. It is always the right lens from beyond half-court to right under the basket. The AF speed and accuracy ensure sharp faces and eyes even when the action is extreme. Any time I want, I can just hit the Focus hold button to get 225mm f/2 by zooming on sensor.
Photo by Patrick Murphy-Racey. Alpha 7 V. 50-150mm f/2 G Master. 1/1250-sec., f/2, ISO 4000
The 28-70mm f/2 G Master is the best possible choice for the end of the game to shoot what the AP calls, “jubo.” Jubilation and dejection are the assignments at the buzzer when the clock hits zero. The 28-70mm f/2 G Master is great for getting into huddles during time outs and for the electric energy that happens when the winning team reacts to getting to go to the NCAA tournament. It’s a lot of fun.
Photo by Patrick Murphy-Racey. Alpha 7 V. 28-70mm f/2 G Master. 1/1250-sec., f/2, ISO 3200
While it doesn’t produce as many keepers as the 50-150mm f/2 G Master, the 300mm f/2.8 G Master is essential for covering the entire game from one side of the court It’s my go-to lens for photographing coaches, especially when I “punch-in” to 450mm f/2.8 (zooming on sensor to APS-C). It’s the best lens for shooting defense under the opposite basket and it’s great for shooting pin-guards driving towards you too.
Photo by Patrick Murphy-Racey. Alpha 7 V. 300mm f/2.8 G Master. 1/800-sec., f/2.8, ISO 8000
I also added the GPWalshDesigns lens shade for the 300mm f/2.8 G Master so that the lens is shorter than the stock shade. I get added protection from its ABS plastic construction and it also locks in tight to the bayonet receiver on the front of the 300mm f/2.8 G Master. Once you use this shade for hoops, you are hooked!
These three lenses make the trinity of basketball glass, in my opinion. I never felt like I wished I had anything else for the three games. By using the FF and APS-C options, I can get a range of field of view from 28-450mm and the press of a button. The Alpha 7 V cameras were fantastic! I can’t wait to shoot some baseball and tennis next week with them.
Photo by Patrick Murphy-Racey. Alpha 7 V. 50-150mm f/2 G Master. 1/1250-sec., f/2, ISO 4000
Settle In, But Stay Ready
While the least expensive of all the gear I brought to the games, the Crazy Creek chair is an absolute lock no matter what other gear I bring. The Crazy Creek bottom pads wear out and my butt gets older every year so I insert the Teton blow-up seat cushion and stick it in there before I sit down. It makes for a super comfortable way to spend a few hours sitting on hard-wood. I’d never go to even one game without the combo. This goes for track meets too.
Photo by Patrick Murphy-Racey. Alpha 7 V. 28-70mm f/2 G Master. 1/1250-sec., f/2.8, ISO 12800
There are thousands of moments in any basketball game but the mistakes are the best images. It’s relatively easy to make images of lay-ups and 3-point shots, but loose balls or an explosive coach reaction beats the former pictures by a mile. You have to stay in the viewfinder and search the whole game for the in-between moments that are found in every game, no matter the age group you shoot. Getting good at basketball takes time, patience, and a lot of games before you can start to get confident.
Photo by Patrick Murphy-Racey. Alpha 7 V. 28-70mm f/2 G Master. 1/1250-sec., f/2, ISO 3200
See more of Patrick's work on his Alpha Universe Profile and on Instagram @murphyracey.
