The Challenge: Gym Lighting
Let's be honest: most indoor gyms have terrible lighting for photography. Whether it's a high school gymnasium or a college arena, you're dealing with artificial lights that are far dimmer than outdoor daylight.
A typical gym has an exposure value (EV) of around 7-9, compared to bright daylight at EV 15. That's 6-8 stops less light — which means you need to work much harder to get enough light on your sensor while maintaining fast shutter speeds.
🏀 Recommended Basketball Settings
Shutter Speed: The Critical Setting
For basketball, your shutter speed is everything. Players move fast — a driving guard can cross the lane in under a second. Here's what different shutter speeds will get you:
⚡ Shutter Speed Quick Reference
- Stationary players (free throws) 1/250
- Walking/jogging movement 1/400
- Running/game action 1/640
- Drives, fast breaks 1/800
- Dunks, blocks, peak action 1/1000+
My recommendation: Start at 1/800 and adjust from there. This gives you a good balance between freezing action and keeping ISO manageable. If you're getting motion blur on fast plays, bump it up to 1/1000.
💡 Pro Tip
Check your first few shots at 100% zoom on your camera's LCD. Look at the players' hands and feet — these are the fastest-moving parts and will show blur first. If they're sharp, you're good.
Aperture: Go Wide Open
In low light, you need all the help you can get. Shoot at your lens's widest aperture (lowest f-number) to let in maximum light.
| Lens Type | Max Aperture | Indoor Basketball |
|---|---|---|
| Pro zoom (70-200mm f/2.8) | f/2.8 | ✅ Excellent - ideal choice |
| Quality zoom (70-200mm f/4) | f/4 | ⚠️ Workable - need higher ISO |
| Kit telephoto (70-300mm f/4.5-5.6) | f/5.6 at 200mm | ❌ Challenging - very high ISO needed |
| Fast prime (85mm f/1.8) | f/1.8 | ✅ Great light, limited reach |
If you're serious about indoor sports, a 70-200mm f/2.8 is the gold standard. Yes, it's expensive. But that extra stop of light compared to f/4 makes a huge difference when you're already pushing ISO limits.
ISO: Embrace the Noise
Here's a hard truth: indoor basketball requires high ISO. There's no way around it unless you have incredibly good arena lighting.
Typical ISO ranges by venue:
- NBA/NCAA arena: ISO 1600-3200
- College gym: ISO 3200-6400
- High school gym: ISO 6400-12800
- Recreational gym: ISO 8000-16000+
⚠️ Reality Check
Modern cameras (made after 2018) handle high ISO remarkably well. A slightly noisy sharp image is ALWAYS better than a clean blurry one. Don't sacrifice shutter speed to keep ISO low.
Camera Settings Beyond the Exposure Triangle
Autofocus Mode
Use continuous autofocus (AI Servo on Canon, AF-C on Nikon/Sony). Players are constantly moving, and you need your camera to track them.
For AF area, try zone AF or expanded point. Single point can work but requires very precise tracking. Wide/auto area tends to grab the wrong subject.
Drive Mode
Use high-speed continuous (burst mode). Basketball has split-second moments — a dunk, a block, the exact moment of a layup. Shooting 8-12 frames per second gives you the best chance of nailing the peak action.
Metering Mode
Evaluative/Matrix metering works for most situations. The court is relatively evenly lit, so your camera's default metering usually does fine.
Watch out for bright white jerseys — they can fool your meter. If your players are consistently underexposed, add +1/3 to +2/3 exposure compensation.
Positioning: Where to Shoot From
Your position matters almost as much as your settings. Here are the best spots for basketball:
- Baseline (under the basket): Best for dunks, layups, and post moves. Most dramatic angle.
- Corner of the paint: Great for drives and gives you both baskets.
- Half court sideline: Good for full-court action and fast breaks.
- Opposite baseline: Perfect for free throws and mid-range shots.
💡 Pro Tip
If you can only pick one spot, choose the baseline corner on the side of the court where the home team attacks in the second half. Most decisive moments happen in crunch time.
The Peak Moments to Capture
Knowing what to shoot is as important as knowing your settings. Look for these moments:
- Dunks and alley-oops — The holy grail. Be ready at the baseline.
- Blocks and rejections — Watch for isolation plays and drives.
- Rebounds — Multiple players, arms extended, peak action.
- Layups at the rim — Focus on body control and extension.
- Three-point releases — Capture the shooter's form at release.
- Celebrations and emotions — Don't forget the human moments!
Sample Settings by Scenario
| Scenario | Shutter | Aperture | ISO |
|---|---|---|---|
| NBA arena (great lighting) | 1/1000 | f/2.8 | 1600-2500 |
| College arena | 1/800 | f/2.8 | 3200-5000 |
| High school gym | 1/640-800 | f/2.8 | 6400-10000 |
| Recreation center | 1/500-640 | f/2.8 | 10000-16000 |
⚡ Get Instant Settings
Use our calculator to get recommended settings for basketball and 11 other sports.
Open Settings CalculatorGear Recommendations
Ideal Setup
- Camera: Full-frame body with good high-ISO performance
- Lens: 70-200mm f/2.8 (the workhorse)
- Backup lens: 24-70mm f/2.8 for wider shots
- Monopod: Helpful for stability with heavy lenses
Budget Setup
- Camera: APS-C body (crop factor helps reach)
- Lens: 70-200mm f/4 or 85mm f/1.8
- Alternative: 50-100mm f/1.8 (Sigma makes a great one)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Shutter speed too slow — Motion blur ruins more basketball shots than anything else. When in doubt, go faster.
- Wrong focus mode — Single-shot AF will fail on moving players. Always use continuous.
- Only shooting action — The emotion after a big play is often more powerful than the play itself.
- Bad positioning — Shooting from the stands gives you a tourist snapshot. Get courtside if possible.
- Chimping too much — Reviewing every shot means missing the next play. Trust your settings and keep shooting.
Final Checklist
Before the game starts, make sure you've:
- ☑️ Set shutter speed to at least 1/800
- ☑️ Opened aperture to widest setting
- ☑️ Set ISO to auto with max limit (or manual based on test shots)
- ☑️ Enabled continuous AF
- ☑️ Turned on burst mode
- ☑️ Formatted memory cards
- ☑️ Charged backup batteries
- ☑️ Found your shooting position
Now go capture some incredible basketball moments! 🏀