What's the best settings to get indoor sport shots for a Nikon coolpix B500

Need help my grandson plays basketball and my sports pictures are turning out blurry. Just got this camera for Christmas and still learning it but haven't figured out what settings are best for indoor sports yet. It does great outside but blurry inside. Thanks for any help I can get.

Need help my grandson plays basketball and my sports pictures are turning out blurry. Just got this camera for Christmas and still learning it but haven't figured out what settings are best for indoor sports yet. It does great outside but blurry inside. Thanks for any help I can get.

Whoo...where do we start...okay, blurry pictures are usually the result of things moving too fast for the camera to capture. A) camera shake from you holding it.. B) object/target moving too fast for the shutter speed selected..(with poor light). choose “M” or “S” If you expect the action to be fast, then select a fast shutter speed, being aware that the sensitivity (ISO) can ramp up, and maybe produce pictures with more “grain”. Outdoors there’s lots of light, indoors, less so, so the camera’s computer responds accordingly.l I stand to be corrected...;)

Whoo...where do we start...okay, blurry pictures are usually the result of things moving too fast for the camera to capture.

A) camera shake from you holding it..
B) object/target moving too fast for the shutter speed selected..(with poor light).

choose “M” or “S”

If you expect the action to be fast, then select a fast shutter speed, being aware that the sensitivity (ISO) can ramp up, and maybe produce pictures with more “grain”.

Outdoors there’s lots of light, indoors, less so, so the camera’s computer responds accordingly.l

I stand to be corrected...

That's right but adding... Set camera to shutter high, may be something like 500 or a 1000 depending on the lighting level. Set ISO to auto. Wide aperture. The problem you'll get with that is that images may be noisy and focus is much more critical.

That's right but adding...

Set camera to shutter high, may be something like 500 or a 1000 depending on the lighting level. Set ISO to auto. Wide aperture.
The problem you'll get with that is that images may be noisy and focus is much more critical.

I meant to comment on this a few days ago but forgot... As above, your priority is shutter speed, your problem is poor light. You need a fast shutter speed to freeze movement. (How fast depends on the speed of the action). A fast shutter speed lets in relatively little light, and you need a certain amount for a correct exposure. Equally, you might want to use a longer focal length and that also cuts down light getting into the camera. So you need to increase ISO (light sensitivity). That will reduce image quality but will help you to get a reasonably exposed and sharp image. Wider angle will give you a lot more light. But there's another important aspect - how you time and compose your pictures. Try to fill the frame, avoid lots of empty space in the foreground and middle. Avoid cutting off arms and feet. Always aim to get the ball in the picture, otherwise it's difficult for the viewer to understand the action. And try to get faces not backs of heads. Sport photography depends on knowledge of the sport, try to follow the actual action so that you can predict when something interesting is about to happen. The best basketball shots are taken from behind or along side the hoop. A low viewpoint can be very effective. If you look at the main photo gallery here you can make a filtered search for Sport / Action pictures. Have a look at pictures of indoor sport, look at the settings. That may give you some hints. And why not upload some of your pictures here. If you tick the [i]Critique wanted[/i] box that will put your upload into the Critique Gallery, and you will get detailed attention. Regards, Moira

I meant to comment on this a few days ago but forgot... As above, your priority is shutter speed, your problem is poor light.

You need a fast shutter speed to freeze movement. (How fast depends on the speed of the action). A fast shutter speed lets in relatively little light, and you need a certain amount for a correct exposure. Equally, you might want to use a longer focal length and that also cuts down light getting into the camera. So you need to increase ISO (light sensitivity). That will reduce image quality but will help you to get a reasonably exposed and sharp image. Wider angle will give you a lot more light.

But there's another important aspect - how you time and compose your pictures. Try to fill the frame, avoid lots of empty space in the foreground and middle. Avoid cutting off arms and feet. Always aim to get the ball in the picture, otherwise it's difficult for the viewer to understand the action. And try to get faces not backs of heads.

Sport photography depends on knowledge of the sport, try to follow the actual action so that you can predict when something interesting is about to happen.

The best basketball shots are taken from behind or along side the hoop. A low viewpoint can be very effective.

If you look at the main photo gallery here you can make a filtered search for Sport / Action pictures. Have a look at pictures of indoor sport, look at the settings. That may give you some hints.

And why not upload some of your pictures here. If you tick the Critique wanted box that will put your upload into the Critique Gallery, and you will get detailed attention.
Regards,
Moira