Sports Photography Settings Chart
Each cell gives the shutter speed, aperture and ISO that freeze action for one sport in one kind of light, so you can read your settings off a table before the game starts. It assumes a full-frame camera with an f/2.8 lens and the sport's recommended freeze-action shutter speed. In bright light the lens is stopped down and ISO stays at 100, and in dim light the lens stays wide open and ISO rises.
| Sport | Bright sun | Overcast | Pro or college stadium | School field lights | Pro arena | School gym | Poor indoor light |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basketball | 1/800 f/6.3 ISO 100 | 1/800 f/3.2 ISO 100 | 1/800 f/2.8 ISO 1250 | 1/800 f/2.8 ISO 5000 | 1/800 f/2.8 ISO 1250 | 1/800 f/2.8 ISO 5000 | 1/800 f/2.8 ISO 20000 |
| Football | 1/1000 f/5.6 ISO 100 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 100 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 1600 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 6400 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 1600 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 6400 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 25600 |
| Soccer | 1/1000 f/5.6 ISO 100 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 100 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 1600 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 6400 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 1600 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 6400 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 25600 |
| Baseball | 1/2000 f/4 ISO 100 | 1/2000 f/2.8 ISO 200 | 1/2000 f/2.8 ISO 3200 | 1/2000 f/2.8 ISO 12800 | 1/2000 f/2.8 ISO 3200 | 1/2000 f/2.8 ISO 12800 | 1/2000 f/2.8 ISO 51200 |
| Hockey | 1/1250 f/5 ISO 100 | 1/1250 f/2.8 ISO 125 | 1/1250 f/2.8 ISO 2000 | 1/1250 f/2.8 ISO 8000 | 1/1250 f/2.8 ISO 2000 | 1/1250 f/2.8 ISO 8000 | 1/1250 f/2.8 ISO 32000 |
| Tennis | 1/1000 f/5.6 ISO 100 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 100 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 1600 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 6400 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 1600 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 6400 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 25600 |
| Volleyball | 1/800 f/6.3 ISO 100 | 1/800 f/3.2 ISO 100 | 1/800 f/2.8 ISO 1250 | 1/800 f/2.8 ISO 5000 | 1/800 f/2.8 ISO 1250 | 1/800 f/2.8 ISO 5000 | 1/800 f/2.8 ISO 20000 |
| Rugby | 1/1250 f/5 ISO 100 | 1/1250 f/2.8 ISO 125 | 1/1250 f/2.8 ISO 2000 | 1/1250 f/2.8 ISO 8000 | 1/1250 f/2.8 ISO 2000 | 1/1250 f/2.8 ISO 8000 | 1/1250 f/2.8 ISO 32000 |
| Swimming | 1/1000 f/5.6 ISO 100 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 100 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 1600 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 6400 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 1600 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 6400 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 25600 |
| Track & Field | 1/1000 f/5.6 ISO 100 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 100 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 1600 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 6400 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 1600 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 6400 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 25600 |
| Cycling | 1/1250 f/5 ISO 100 | 1/1250 f/2.8 ISO 125 | 1/1250 f/2.8 ISO 2000 | 1/1250 f/2.8 ISO 8000 | 1/1250 f/2.8 ISO 2000 | 1/1250 f/2.8 ISO 8000 | 1/1250 f/2.8 ISO 32000 |
| Motorsport | 1/2000 f/4 ISO 100 | 1/2000 f/2.8 ISO 200 | 1/2000 f/2.8 ISO 3200 | 1/2000 f/2.8 ISO 12800 | 1/2000 f/2.8 ISO 3200 | 1/2000 f/2.8 ISO 12800 | 1/2000 f/2.8 ISO 51200 |
| Golf | 1/2000 f/4 ISO 100 | 1/2000 f/2.8 ISO 200 | 1/2000 f/2.8 ISO 3200 | 1/2000 f/2.8 ISO 12800 | 1/2000 f/2.8 ISO 3200 | 1/2000 f/2.8 ISO 12800 | 1/2000 f/2.8 ISO 51200 |
| Boxing/MMA | 1/1600 f/4.5 ISO 100 | 1/1600 f/2.8 ISO 160 | 1/1600 f/2.8 ISO 2500 | 1/1600 f/2.8 ISO 10000 | 1/1600 f/2.8 ISO 2500 | 1/1600 f/2.8 ISO 10000 | 1/1600 f/2.8 ISO 40000 |
| Wrestling | 1/1000 f/5.6 ISO 100 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 100 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 1600 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 6400 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 1600 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 6400 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 25600 |
| Skateboarding | 1/1000 f/5.6 ISO 100 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 100 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 1600 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 6400 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 1600 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 6400 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 25600 |
| Gymnastics | 1/1000 f/5.6 ISO 100 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 100 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 1600 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 6400 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 1600 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 6400 | 1/1000 f/2.8 ISO 25600 |
| Skiing/Snowboarding | 1/1600 f/4.5 ISO 100 | 1/1600 f/2.8 ISO 160 | 1/1600 f/2.8 ISO 2500 | 1/1600 f/2.8 ISO 10000 | 1/1600 f/2.8 ISO 2500 | 1/1600 f/2.8 ISO 10000 | 1/1600 f/2.8 ISO 40000 |
| Surfing | 1/1600 f/4.5 ISO 100 | 1/1600 f/2.8 ISO 160 | 1/1600 f/2.8 ISO 2500 | 1/1600 f/2.8 ISO 10000 | 1/1600 f/2.8 ISO 2500 | 1/1600 f/2.8 ISO 10000 | 1/1600 f/2.8 ISO 40000 |
| Lacrosse | 1/1250 f/5 ISO 100 | 1/1250 f/2.8 ISO 125 | 1/1250 f/2.8 ISO 2000 | 1/1250 f/2.8 ISO 8000 | 1/1250 f/2.8 ISO 2000 | 1/1250 f/2.8 ISO 8000 | 1/1250 f/2.8 ISO 32000 |
What the light levels mean
Light is measured as exposure value (EV) at ISO 100, which is the base-2 logarithm of the lux divided by 2.5. Each step of EV is one stop, so a school gym at EV 7 is eight stops darker than bright sun at EV 15. The indoor vs outdoor guide explains the conversion.
| Lighting | EV at ISO 100 | Approximate light |
|---|---|---|
| Bright sun | EV 15 | about 80,000 to 100,000 lux |
| Overcast | EV 13 | about 20,000 lux |
| Pro or college stadium at night, pro arena | EV 9 | about 1,300 to 2,000 lux |
| School field lights, school gym | EV 7 | about 200 to 500 lux |
| Poor indoor light | EV 5 | about 80 lux |
Adjusting the chart for your lens
An f/4 lens needs one stop more ISO than the chart in the dim columns, so double the ISO. An f/1.8 lens needs about 1.3 stops less, so divide the ISO by about 2.5. In the bright columns the lens is already stopped down, so the lens makes no difference. For other shot types, such as panning, and for your own aperture, use the calculator, which also links each result to its sport guide.
These are starting points, since venues vary a lot: a school gym can be a stop brighter or darker than the figure used here. Take a test frame, check the exposure and adjust ISO. Dark uniforms and a safety margin usually push the real ISO about half a stop above the chart.
Related reading: Indoor vs Outdoor Sports Photography Settings, Burst Mode Strategy for Sports Photography, Motion Blur vs Freeze Action in Sports Photos.