Equipment and Settings Tips for MMA Photography

Equipment and Settings Tips for MMA Photography:

Question: So Chuck, what camera and lens did you use for these fights, and what were your camera settings?

Answer: [fvplayer src=”https://s3.amazonaws.com/gritstreet/mma-tips.mp3″]

My camera is a Nikon d700 (I’m about to purchase a second d700). I use four lenses for this type of shoot:

• My cheap 28-70 2.8 Tameron
• My awesome 135 2.8 Ai-s Nikkor
• My awesome 50mm 1.8 Ai-s Nikkor
• And my awesome 24mm 2.8 Ai-s Nikkor

Camera settings:

• 3200 or 6400 ISO
• 1/250 or 1/500 shutter speed
• Wide open aperture

I shoot a gray-card to set my white balance later in Lightroom.
I shoot in RAW.

Luke Cherep basks in the glory of victory after securing the TFC title belt during Total Fight Challenge (TFC 135) at the Willowbrook Ballroom in Willow Springs, IL.

Takedown – TFC 135 – Chicago area MMA, Friday September 25, 2015

Nikola Colovic (Left) shares a moment of sportsmanship with his opponent, Max Fuentez, during TFC 135 at the Willowbrook Ballroom, Friday September 25, 2015.

Ronnie Gibbs (Top) pounds his opponent, Angel Carrillo, during TFC 135, Friday September 25, 2015.

Eddie Lopez (Left) throws a kick to the head which is successfully blocked by Derrick Wick during TFC 135, Friday September 25, 2015.

Derrick Wick attempts to lock-in an arm-bar on his opponent, Eddie Lopez, during TFC 135, Friday September 25, 2015.

Derrick Wick (Bottom) employs a suplex on his his opponent, Eddie Lopez, during TFC 135, Friday September 25, 2015.

Safety first… Blaise Filas gets checked out by the house doctor during a match with Ivan Bivanco during TFC 135 Chicagoland area MMA, Friday September 25

Steven Paine Jennings wins the first TFC Muay Thai title fight over his opponent, Lamont Chulo Doyle, during TFC 135.