In his over 25 years of experience capturing sports action at the highest levels, veteran sports photojournalist and Sony Artisan Patrick Murphy-Racey has honed his gear combinations for different sports. Back in football season, we shared his kit for What’s In My Bag: See This Sports Photographer’s Kit For College & Pro Football, and now we're gearing up for college basketball's big tournament with his kit for basketball photography. Keep reading as he shares what's in his bag for shooting hoops.
Product Preview – In This Article You'll Find:
–Sony Alpha 9 III
–Sony 28-70mm f/2 G Master
–Sony 300mm f/2.8 G Master
“It’s not just that it has no equal, there is no other camera that can make this photograph.” – Patrick Murphy-Racey on the Sony A9 III for basketball photography
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Cameras
Sony Alpha 9 III: I used two Sony A9 III camera bodies with vertical grips for this game. Because the global shutter in each allows me to sync flash at any shutter speed, I could use a set of battery powered strobes set to 1/8 power, a set of sport reflectors, and some Pocket Wizards to link them all together. There is quite literally no still full-frame camera made that can do the things that the A9 III can do with strobes. The A9 III exists, at least for now, as a sole source provider for sports photographers shooting on strobes. It’s not just that it has no equal, there is no other camera that can make this photograph.
I drag a lot of gear to shoot basketball games because I much prefer the look of “lit” or “strobed” basketball. In recent years LED lighting has taken over from the incandescent bulb and so most people don’t bother to shoot with strobes anymore. But if you want the best possible look for your photos, there is no better way to shoot the game. As LED lights replaced older bulbs in gyms and arenas, the light levels increased so much that most shooters stopped using strobes as the look was better than before or good enough. Obviously, shooting at 30, 60, and even 120 frames per second would make most photographers want to go for the better odds and use the crazy fps rates now possible with A9 II, A1, A1 II and especially A9 III. Call me crazy but I like my strobes better than having thousands of frames to edit.
Lenses
Sony 28-70mm f/2 G Master: I had my A9 III with the 28-70GM attached and set to 1/1000-sec, f/2, ISO 250. The new G Master zoom is spectacular for shooting hoops because things move really fast under the net. The 28-70mm offers prime lens-like results but with the added zoom which makes it a deadly piece of glass for shooting sports. The dual linear AF motors allow it to focus instantly on any subject you choose.
Sony 300mm f/2.8 G Master: The 300GM is a no-brainer and has been the only lens of choice for shooting downcourt since the first 300mm f/2.8 was made by Topcon back in 1958. Between the 28-70mm and the 300mm, I was able to cover all the game action as well as get images of the coaches too.
Accessories
ThinkTank Camera Backpack: Everything I need fits in this comfortable-to-carry backpack.
Lighting: The FJ Westcott FJ400 units offered me the power I needed and super short recycle times because they were set to 6.0, or 1/8 power. With this setup triggered by the Pocket Wizard system, I was able to shoot the layup as well as the rebound as the lights were using so little power, I could shoot two frames back to back and have the correct exposure on both. The FJ400’s are great for shooting sports because their flash duration is much shorter than other brands. At the 6.0 setting, the strobes were putting out each pop at 1/5800-sec. The downcourt 300GM setting on the other A9 III was 1/500-sec., f/2.8, ISO 500.
Crazy Creek Chair: The most important item not to forget about shooting basketball is the Crazy Creek chair. This is an essential piece of equipment as important as any camera or lens if you shoot a lot of games each season. The Crazy Creek chairs give relief to your back while sitting indian style on the court and will keep you away from chiropractors and PT’s later on in life. If you forget yours, Aleeve is my favorite solution for back and neck pain.
When sports shooters get together at events and kill time before games, a global shutter camera was something I thought would take many more years to introduce to sports shooters. Up until the A9 III came out, global shutters were only used in super high-end film cameras that are used to make major motion pictures. I’m still amazed that the technology is in my ThinkTank back-pack, ready for any assignment. Combine this unique camera with the 28-70GM and 300GM, and you have the tools to mop the floor at any game and make amazing photographs.
See more of Patrick Murphy-Racey’s work on his Alpha Universe Profile and at pmrphoto.com.
Watch videos about the Sony A9 III on our A9 III YouTube Playlist.
