recommended settings for fast moving subjects

[german]

Hi,

 

what are the recommended settings for capturing fast moving subjects (like in a

soccer game, for example) with a D200?

 

I do "C" for focusing and "CH" for shooting, but I don't know the best (or

recommended) way to set the focusing within the viewfinder (the focusing

points).

 

I'll appreciate your input.

 

Best,

 

 

Germán S.

[victor_ho2]

I reference the advice I received from a pro sports photographer who gave me some simple tips.

 

What has worked for me - use a shutter speed of 1/250 or 1/500. You need to stop the action. In dim light this may be nearly impossible and so you may have to compromise and not get stop action. Focus on the eyes or face. Hands, feet, rackets, balls and such can have blur and not be a bad photo.

 

I let the ISO run on 'auto.' It will run up as high as 1600 if the light is low. Noise is not an option you can control in low light.

 

Focusing to catch the action - use the auto lock focus button - separate the focus and shutter release. That way you can fire the shutter and focus even while the subject is on the run. It sounds redundant but this really helps. The manual will tell you how to use or set this feature. Use the motor drive on continuous and fire in bursts during critical moments. You'll end up with a lot of discards but hopefully you'll also have a few photos that capture the critical action.

 

Use a monopod. It will help to steady a heavy camera. Most sports is done with long lenses. Focus in close on the action. It's what separates a point and shoot from a pro shot. Go loose and get a wide view. It's harder to get a well composed shot without it looking too busy or confusing.

 

For most sports the critical moment is when the ball is in the frame about to be struck or just struck. Pan and follow the action. Finally trust to luck that you're in the right place and have anticipated that the action has moved into your viewfinder. For this you need to know your sport and the flow of action in order to anticipate where the players will be on the field.

 

Good luck.

[german]

Thanks Victor.

 

I was just given a link to a great article on focusing with Nikon's too.

 

Here it is: http://www.luminescentphoto.com/articles/CAM2000/cam2000.html

[mark u]

Shooting sport it's often best to use aperture priority (if the light is changing) or manual exposure (if light is constant) mode. In either case, set your lens to its widest aperture, and you are guanranteed the fastest possible shutter speed at the ISO you are using to freeze the action. Since the D200 offers an auto ISO shift mode, you may even be able to work entirely in M mode even with changing light, although there can be a downside to that or using aperture prioirity if you have teams in very dark and very light strips, since these can cause the camera metering to be fooled into over or under exposure.

[victor_ho2]

German the article you site is correct - AF on is especially relevant. As for Mark - I use shutter priority. It lets me set the shutter speed to 1/500 if allowed and then everything else falls into place. Without the shutter speed you can't stop the action.

 

Adjust in bright sun. I once shot a marathon from a helicopter at 1/4000 in bright sun. Movement and vibration of the helicopter didn't interfere.

 

In dim light I went as low as 1/30 with a VR 80-400. It was a tennis match. Getting decent shots was indeed a challenge. There was plenty of noise and a whole lot of discards. It was more like old grainy black and white. The mother and player were delighted with the results. All they had before were distant shots, no ball, from a point and shoot. It's a world of difference getting close in with a long lens.

[njfiremegs]

I find that using Shutter Priority works out best for me. 1/250 to 1/500 works nice to "freeze" the action. You can always lower your shutter speed if you want blur. If your using a lens that gives you any camera shake, I suggest using a tripod or even a monopod. Of course, it's a lot easier with a tripod.

[victor_ho2]

My recommendation is monopod. A tripod is unwieldy in a fast moving game. Not my choice but apparently it's the way 99% of pro sports guys work. I've not seen any tripods.

[german]

Thank you guys.

 

I am using a ballhead tripod that seems to be working pretty well for me right now. I do want to use a monopod though. (I wanted to post some sample images from two youth games on Saturday, but I got distracted viewing a photo of my little girl scoring a goal! That was good for her self confidence, in those early years. (4 and 5 year olds!)

[mark u]

I'm not sure how a D200 behaves if you are using a specific ISO and shutter speed in shutter priority mode if the lighting darkens or the meter otherwise determines because of e.g. a player in a dark strip that an aperture wider than your lens has is required. I suspect it will refuse to take the shot, and you will miss the image and not even have the opportunity to rescue it in post processing. Shooting in M mode, the metering won't get fooled by players in different strips and the camera will take the picture regardless, and shooting in Av mode you'll still get a shot, but at a slower shutter speed (perhaps incorrectly exposed if the meter got fooled). Of course, whichever mode you use you are seeking an adequate shutter speed and adjusting the other parameters to ensure that happens. In poor light the priority is usually to shoot wide open rather than give the camera any chance to stop down the lens, because a lower ISO where possible is preferable to increased depth of field and reduced background blur.

 

Shutter priority can be useful if you are shooting at the camera's top shutter speed when there is a risk that the camera refuses to take a shot that might be metered as overexposed, but again you would do better to lower the ISO and shoot in M mode.

[njfiremegs]

Watch out for Manual mode. It may get confusing if your are new to this. If your lighting is sufficent, then shutter priority will suffice. You can always raise the ISO, but be careful as the picture may become grainy. Raising the ISO will give you more light for your picture.

[nldimaging]

I use Sv (iso priority) mode most of the time with my K10D, with a monopod, P mode works just as well at a set iso of 200 or 400 for daytime shots. Tv is better than Av for movement as you'll be less concerned with depth of field than you will be with freezing action. 1/250 is the lowest I'll let mine get to in the daytime.

[dave_thielen]

Don't use a tripod - either hand hold or get a monopod. Tripods are just too cumbersome on a sports field.

 

Use aperture priority and open you lens as wide as possible. That will give you the fastest shutter speed available for your ISO and the condidtions. If you are outdoors - you should be fine at 400 ISO, indoors, H1.

 

Pan with the action - you will be amazed at how good a shot can look when panning. I consistently shoot hockey pics with a 80-200 2.8 at shutter speeds of 1/80 of a second and get acceptable sharp results because I panned with the action.