Paintball Photography?

[gamerz]

Has anybody had any experience shooting some paintball or other impact sport photography? My brother plays about once a week, and I thought that it would be a good opportunity to go out and take some photos, and maybe if I get good enough, could sell some prints to the players.

My main concern is my camera or lens getting hit, and then the paint getting into the body and ruining the internals. I don't really know how to protect it other than putting a UV filter on the lens, and wrapping a plastic bag around the body.

Any ideas?

Eric D.

 

[AlaskaMoose]

This guy is one of the best I have ever seen. Maybe he can give you some ideas if you ask. He had some incredible action photos stolen already, too. I believe he uses Canon cameras. Look at the amazing photo below.
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=546168

I forgot to mention that this photographer is a member "PaintballPhotography.com." Why don't you ask the photographers who already do that?

 

[M@lew]

You need some serious camera protection if you're going to be on the field. Otherwise get a telephoto lens and you might be ok. I read up on this a while ago and saw a guys camera that had been hit straight on by a paintball. UV filter + lens shattered. Not a pretty sight.

 

[csista]

I actually did paintball photography for the first time, about a month ago. Just friends celebrating a birthday, nothing really competitive. I only got hit with a stray once, and that was when I started getting brave and really got in for the close-ups. Camera was safe the whole time, but that was just luck.

I shot with an SLR, with a 70-300 lens. I very rarely went lower than 150mm, and I was usually fully extended. (This was on a Nikon D200, so I had the 1.5 crop in the sensor like most lower-mid priced SLRs.) Whatever camera you use, just find a good, long zoom lens, and you should be okay.

If you don't have a UV filter on the lens, I definitely recommend getting one. Depending on how close to the action you are, you'll probably have to wear a helmet. You may as well put a bag over the camera, since looking in the viewfinder will be difficult anyway. Looking back, I may have tried wrapping the camera in plastic wrap up until the focus ring, cutting slots for any buttons or dials, and one for the memory card.

Hope some of this helps.

 

[Doylem]

Borrow someone else's camera...

 

[gamerz]

Thanks everyone.

I will be using my D50 and my cheapo 70-300, so hopefully I will be able to get far enough away that any stray shots wont break anything.

 

[onomatopoeia]

I say use your good stuff. If putting your camera in harm's way means getting the shot then so be it. Just make sure you are safe and wearing eye protection.

Besides, a paintball at 300 fps isn't going to do real damage to a camera's exterior. At worst you're looking at a messy clean up job. You'd probably be at greater risk of tripping over something in the woods and dropping your camera than getting a direct shot at the center of your lens.

 

[gamerz]

I say use your good stuff. If putting your camera in harm's way means getting the shot then so be it. Just make sure you are safe and wearing eye protection.

Besides, a paintball at 300 fps isn't going to do real damage to a camera's exterior. At worst you're looking at a messy clean up job. You'd probably be at greater risk of tripping over something in the woods and dropping your camera than getting a direct shot at the center of your lens.

My good stuff is my D50 and 70-300

Im not so much worried about the body, but I have played paintball before, and paint tends to get where you least expect it. If my camera does get hit, im assuming that some paint will be driven into the cracks because of the force on impact, and just might get into the internals of the camera.

Eric D.