7D Ai Servo settings for Soccer

<p>PLEASE ONLY ANSWER IF YOU HAVE A 7D AND USE IT FOR SPORTS LIKE SOCCER, INTERESTED IN HANDS ON REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE ONLY. I DON'T HAVE MORE MONEY TO SPEND SO PLEASE DON'T SUGGEST.<br>

Thanks, and sorry for the note. But theres always somebody who spoke to somebody who knew somebody who had read something on a forum blah blah blah</p>

<p>Anyway.</p>

<p>I have an EOS 7D which I've been using to shoot soccer with a prime 200mm f2.8 L II USM.<br>

It's a big step up from the XTi I was using, and the 3 didn't have the same amount of tweakability, so I'm really after some advice on settings that work for you.<br>

I've got the AF tracking setting set to standard, and I find that it does want to latch on to players that come into the foreground etc. Will selecting a slower setting hold focus on my intended subject for longer, or will it dull the speed of the tracking?<br>

Any other settings I should be playing with?<br>

Many thanks in advance for informed answers with practical experience of the 7D.</p>

<p>Paul- I think you'll find a great crew of folks in here who will be glad to help with photographic questions and speak from real world experience rather than anecdote.<br>

Anyway, I presume you haven't spent much time reading the manual (at least where the various focusing options are described). It sounds to me like you're using the automatic 19pt AF selection mode which, by default, tries to focus on the closest object. You should learn more about AF point expansion and AF zones, as either of these approaches are better suited for what you're trying to do. You will have to enable some focusing options by CF, at least until you learn what you like. These tutorials should help:<br>

http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/controller?act=GetArticleAct&articleID=3167<br>

Once you understand the various focusing modes the 7d offers, you can choose one for your specific needs. And this can be done without taking one's eye from the viewfinder, which is a huge plus.<br>

Cheers,<br>

Robert</p>

 

<p>I shoot a lot of high school sports, including soccer and hockey using the 40D.<br>

The autofocus system on the 7D is superior to the 40D but the principles are the same.<br>

Try using the Center focus point to start<br>

Drive Mode to Single Shot or High Speed<br>

Shoot in Manual or Shutter Priority<br>

shutter speed of at least 1/250th (go as high as you can to freeze action)<br>

Use a Monopod (at least with longer lenses)<br>

Use AI Servo as focusing mode (or AI Servo - One Shot auto switch option)<br>

Start at ISO 400 and move up if you can't get a high enough shutter speed<br>

Check CF-III-1 AI Servo tracking sensitivty - you can adjust how fast the focus changes or not<br>

Check CF-III-3 - AI Tracking Method - force camera to stay focused on initial subject so it wont shift to another object moving into frame (this works great for hockey but is a different setting on my camera). ***** this is the key item and perhaps you can assign this to a function button.<br>

Good luck and let us know how it works - read the manual carefully as there are WAY too many options to figure out on your own!</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Hi Robert<br>

I've been using the forums for a fair few years and have found a lot of helpful people, but occassionally find the odd troll, somebody who has read an article, or somebody whose answer is always to spend more money.<br>

I have read the manual but your links are actually miles better so many thanks.<br>

I gave the camera its first sports test and found that it was perhaps more advance than what I'm used to.<br>

Cheers</p>

<p>Paul,</p>

<p>I keep all of the settings for sports action under one of the custom user setting modes (C1-C3) on the 7D. I use AI-Servo and EF zooms for sports, either the 70-200 f/2.8 IS or the 100-400 set in Av mode, set to f/2.8 or f/5.6, and ISO adjusted for existing light for good exposure speeds.</p>

<p>I find no problem leaving tracking at standard - CF III-1 = 0. The Cf's that I use at other than default value are:</p>

<p>CF III-3 = 1 (continuous AF tracking priority), CF III-6 = only single point with expansion is selected, CF III-12 = 1 (orientation specific AF points - I use a different, non-center AF point in Portrait and Landscape orientations). I've become accustomed on older EOS bodies to using the * button for AF and no AF on the Shutter button, so CF IV-1 has been modified to set the Shutter button for meter-only, the AF-on button for meter+AF, and the Joystick controller to select AF points, where a center push will jump back to the registered AF point while in Portrait or Landscape orientation. I also have CF I-6 = 1 to allow Exposure Safety Shift.</p>

<p>Cheers all.<br>

Will check camera with the canon videos this evening.</p>

<p>For best results use AI Servo and center point plus expansion if you want a series of shots of a moving player. You need to keep the AF point on the player as if you move it on and off while the player is not moving smoothly towards you then you will miss some shots. The other setting that you may find useful is One Shot with the center point selected (you can use expansion points as well if you like). This setting is better than AI Servo if you just want to grab shots of differemt players and action. One Shot works very well if the light is good but in poor light can struggle. I also find that MF at about F11 and manually focus - you get about 4-5m DOF at about 20m distance which can also work well. Like the others I use the C settings for sports. For Ice hockey (dark arenas) I use AI Servo and center plus expansion at 1600 ISO (occasionally 3200 ISO when unavoidable) and 1/400 or faster with a 70-200 f2.8 usually at F2.8. For ski racing I find AI Servo best for speed events but often use one shot or MF for slalom as the skier movement can confuse the AI Servo algorithms. I have never found a use for AI Focus as it is much slower. Unlike Joe I keep the AF on the shutter button for fast sports like these. While soccer is a slower sport the unpredictable motion and other potential subjects give the Af a hard time. In generally the better you can keep the Af point on the subject the more chance you give the AF.</p>

<p>I use AI Servo with spot+expansion. The problem, I've learned, is that there's no confirming "chirp" or "blink" for focus. It's almost like shooting a video. And the focus points in the viewfinder are black, which is really tough when shooting outdoor sports at night. </p>