tips for my first MMA event

[idimmu]

Greets all,

next weekend im set to go to a mixed martial arts event, and a friend of a friend is fighting. im yet to find out the exact rules on photography, but so far it looks like i'll get a seat at the front and allowed to take as many photos i like of the fights.

having not really done anything more than take photos of friends, family and some local wildlife im after some advice as the best way to approach this. i will have to shoot through the cage which i have been informed is large-ish mesh. i should image it will be fairly fast paced too.

has anyone got any experience of this? the mesh is my main concern, is there anything i can do/think about to minimize the effect this will have on my shots?

also, im looking for a new lens. this is generally the sort of stuff i will be wanting to shoot, any advice is greatly appreciated!

oh yeah, ive got a 400D!

thanks ~

[Bobster]

ISO1600, very fast lens (50 1.8, 50 1.4, 80 1.8, 80 1.2), Mixed Martial Arts is very quick action so you'll want a shutter speed faster than 1/300 you might get away with 1/250 if the guys aren't moving very quick and just throwing punches..

to get rid of the mesh effect you need to shoot over or be very close to the cage so you can shoot between the links