Jordan Jimenez (@__jsquared) is a Bay Area-based freelance photographer specializing in basketball. His YouTube Channel shows life behind-the-scenes as a sports photographer, from pre-production to post-processing. He relies on a set of G Master lenses to cover all of the on-the-court action – keep reading as he shares his best G Master lenses for basketball photography and videography.
Product Preview – In This Article You’ll Find:
–Sony Alpha 7R III
–Sony Alpha 9
–Sony FX3
–Sony 12-24mm f/2.8 G Master
–Sony 24mm f/1.4 G Master
–Sony 50mm f/1.2 G Master
–Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master
–Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master
–Sony 135mm f/1.8 G Master
–Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master
Cameras
Sony Alpha 7R III: The Sony A7R III is still a very good body for the work that I do as a basketball photographer. Oftentimes, I’m shooting from the auxiliary media sections, which, in some arenas, can be a little bit further away from the action. I keep the A7R III in my kit when I travel to arenas that I’m not familiar with just in case I need the flexibility to crop in with the RIII’s high megapixel count. This is also my preferred body for when I’m taking close-ups and detailed shots of athletes, the gear they are wearing, portraits, and product photos.
Sony Alpha 9: The Sony A9 has been my work horse for years! This is my main body that I bring to every game and event. I’ve shot championship series, parades, and so many iconic games and photos on this camera. I love how fast this camera is and how well it has held up for me in every situation. I absolutely love how fast this camera is and it has been the perfect tool in making sure that I don’t miss important moments.
Sony FX3: The Sony FX3 is my go-to camera for filming games and documenting my life. With this camera, I have been documenting my journey as a freelance photographer and creative in the basketball space. I love how great the FX3 performs in lowlight and how powerful it is when creating in so many different situations.
Lenses
Sony 12-24mm f/2.8 G Master: The 12-24mm is such a unique lens in the sense that I can create with such unique perspectives because of how wide the lens is at 12mm while still having the flexibility to get a little bit tighter at 24mm. I use this lens for my videos and vlogs, but it’s also a beautiful lens for setting the scene, getting environmental shots, or even just making my subjects look so much larger than life.
Sony 24mm f/1.4 G Master: This is one of my favorite lenses of all time! This lens rarely ever leaves my kit because of how portable yet powerful it is. I just absolutely love how sharp the images are, even at 1.4. This lens is excellent in low light and perfect for up close and personal situations.
Sony 50mm f/1.2 G Master: This is actually my most recent lens pick up and ever since I got it, it hasn’t left my kit. After not shooting with a 50mm for years, this lens reminded me how versatile and beautiful the 50mm focal length is. With such a fast aperture, this lens is so good in low light and creates such a dreamy look when creating all the way open at 1.2. This lens has been reminding me how beautiful it is to shoot at 50mm.
Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master: One of the most versatile lenses ever! This lens needs very few words because of how great it is. Perfect for any situation with showing the setting at 24mm and showing the details at 70mm. This is definitely one of the lenses that I recommend every photographer to have in their kit.
Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master: The PERFECT lens for shooting basketball games. I’ve used this lens for literally every basketball game I’ve shot over the last seven years. At 2.8, this lens creates such a beautiful separation between the athletes and the background while also keeping what’s important in focus.
Sony 135mm f/1.8 G Master: One of my personal favorite lenses because of how fast it is, especially when shooting in darker high school and college gyms. This is a great lens for creating portraits during games and capturing the close detail shots.
Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master: A really great lens for getting closer to the action when I’m shooting from further away in arenas!
Accessories
Vintage Sony Handycam: Unique and stylized vintage look for my videos and vlogs.
Portable SSD: Back-up photos and videos from events and games.
Dust Blower: Keeps my sensors clean!
Tripod: Necessary for filming myself when I’m traveling and creating videos by myself.
Magic Arm: Helps me rig my FX3 to unique angles.
Filters: Polarizers, Black Mist, ND.
See more of Jordan Jimenez’s work on Instagram @__jsquared, his YouTube Channel and jsquaredvisuals.com.
