[Frogfish]

Why not learn to anticipate the action, and take the right picture at the right time, instead of whining that the yet unreleased camera cannot take enough pictures in 3, 5, or 123657 seconds?

People used to take sports shots when cameras were manual focus only. People nowadays take sports pictures with compacts taking one second to focus. I'm sure we can manage with the K-5. Heck, amazing as it is, I even got two sports pictures in the PPG with the K20D. Can you imagine?

</>Tongue in cheeck<>

Are you trying to compare yesteryears shots with todays ?

Take another look - most them were actually OOF !

[RonHendriks1966]

Hi!

Thanks a lot for this info, that sounds good!

François

I pict up the brochure only, wich is in German, but you will find the same data in it.





Everyone can take pictures the way he/she likes to do it. When I shoot sports in an indoor event and I need speed then using RAW with hi ISO on my K-7 makes my pictures looking better then when I would take Jpg's

Manon Flier 55mm f2,5 1/640ste iso1250 Dutch Volleybalteam at an International game against Turkey.

[Jonson PL]

I was told by a professional sports shooter (using Canon) that they always shoot JPEG, not RAW.

Often they need the pictures out, as fast as possible. News of the winner and who makes the publishing first, is what matters. Better, but later pictures; is in the non-news section.

I prefer RAW. I hope that Pentax puts in an option to choose 12 bit or 14 bit. I read that hardly any can spot the difference between 12 and 14. So bigger buffer would be more valuable to me.

Yup....I was thinking the same...Pentax may have finally got their sports camera with K-5 , but SDM doesn't cut it for fast-action shooting

Gonna be interesting to find out, if the new 18-135mm F3.5-5.6ED AL IF DC WR, is gonna be ring-type sonic lens.

A weathersealed 500/5.6 would be nice reach with portability too. But as a student, still dream scenario for me.

Everyone can take pictures the way he/she likes to do it. When I shoot sports in an indoor event and I need speed then using RAW with hi ISO on my K-7 makes my pictures looking better then when I would take Jpg's

Manon Flier 55mm f2,5 1/640ste iso1250 Dutch Volleybalteam at an International game against Turkey.

Good shot !

[brecklundin]

Not with the K-7, they can hardly hear it!
Seriously I hear the Canons and Nikons when they're 50 metres away, they probably don't think I take many!

HAHAHAHA....yeah, great point!! you are certainly right there...heck my old 40D was one noisy sucker compared to the K7 and would be at worst the same difference with the K5....darn that Pentax and their quiet and semi-discrete bodies!! taking all the fun out if it!! hehehehe....

I pict up the brochure only, wich is in German, but you will find the same data in it.

Everyone can take pictures the way he/she likes to do it. When I shoot sports in an indoor event and I need speed then using RAW with hi ISO on my K-7 makes my pictures looking better then when I would take Jpg's

Manon Flier 55mm f2,5 1/640ste iso1250 Dutch Volleybalteam at an International game against Turkey.

Ron:

That is as good a sports shot as I have ever seen. And one of my fav sports to watch is lady volleyball. My first college was a perennial NCAA powerhouse so I had fun watching top teams all the time when in college. We even hosted the NCAA Finals a few times over the years. And a life long buddy of mine is coaching down in the San Diego area last I heard. But those girls LOVE their sport, something so lacking in other "major" sports.

Just a fast question, I have never spent much time at sports shooting so my efforts have ever approached the degree of IQ in your shot, that is so scary great!! But do you have somewhere to suggest for reference info/tips etc? I know there is the technique one only gains through experience of doing it, but also the PP skills to clean up and stop when it's "done"...I hope the girls appreciate the shots you take...just superb!! thanks for posting that one!

[jrforman]

I don’t think I am hijacking this thread, but if I am, I seek forgiveness. This is a question about sports shooting. First of all, let me admit my ignorance. Although I have shot for a long time, I have been of more studio/landscape shooter - focus through center point, recompose, shoot - I really don’t have much experience shooting sports. I shot some triathlons and discovered the hard way the best way to shoot a fast bike rider is to pre-focus and shoot at that point, and after many hundreds of shots how to pan. But I feel like I am missing some basics.

I shoot with a K20D (I WILL be upgrading to a K-5 when it comes out) and will be shooting a marathon (just for my own enjoyment) a week from this Sunday. Not a real fast sport but still a moving target. So my question is, which of the following would be better?

1. Set focus on AF.C and Drive mode on Continuous, select subject and shoot, or

2. Set focus on AF.S, and drive mode on single, then select subject bring the shutter release down, letting the camera fire once it has focus or

3. Some other alternative I don’t know about.

Thanks a lot.

Joe

[RonHendriks1966]

Thanks for all the loving words on my picture. To be honest, this one standing out in my collection (next to the horses picture here in the collection).

I'm just an amateur on sports, following my possabillitys regarding my equipment and the sports I love to shoot. Never followed a course on that, some lectures in nearby camerastore or at venues for photography.

The types for focussing mentionet are all possible. AF-c on the K20D is dead slow, so you can only use for passing by not so fast moving objects. Pre-focus is also a good choice if you are patient to wait for the action at the point where you want/expected it (what I did with this volleybal picture, where I was waiting for ground action).

[Miguel]

Hey Joe,

Good advice provided prior. Technical issues aside, you should plan out your approach for covering the race. Decide on the balance of wider group shots vs. Individual runners. Try to determine how closeup you will be to the action and how many other photographer bodies you will be jostling with. Figure out where the sun will be.

Bring a hood. Maybe a monopod or small Ultrapod II depending on the conditions and your lens.

Re: your query, use AF.C. and the high-speed shutter and center point focus. Moving the AF function to the AF button is the fast way to focus. RAW will slow you down, but it will be easier to fix the shots later if needed.

In a sport such as track, the emotions and body language of one or more runners will make the shot special. So get good definition of the faces. Practice quickly shifting from vertical to horizontal shooting because some of your best shots can be vertical in orientation. The grip helps here if you have one. Shallow DOF is preferred, unless you are documenting the mass of runners, and even then it's worth experimenting with.

Also consider different shooting heights and focal lengths.

I would think a minimum of 1/250 would get you by, so adjust ISO to facilitate and then shoot AV mode. ISO 1600 on a K20D should be OK if you shoot RAW and cleanup, though noise on those kinds of shots is secondary or even tertiary if you are in daylight. Use larger cards too.

Sounds like a fun time.

Hope this helps.

M

[deleted]
So my question is, which of the following would be better?

1. Set focus on AF.C and Drive mode on Continuous, select subject and shoot, or

2. Set focus on AF.S, and drive mode on single, then select subject bring the shutter release down, letting the camera fire once it has focus or

3. Some other alternative I don’t know about.

Thanks a lot.

Joe

[jrforman]

Hey Joe,

Good advice provided prior. Technical issues aside, you should plan out your approach for covering the race. Decide on the balance of wider group shots vs. Individual runners. Try to determine how closeup you will be to the action and how many other photographer bodies you will be jostling with. Figure out where the sun will be.

Bring a hood. Maybe a monopod or small Ultrapod II depending on the conditions and your lens.

Re: your query, use AF.C. and the high-speed shutter and center point focus. Moving the AF function to the AF button is the fast way to focus. RAW will slow you down, but it will be easier to fix the shots later if needed.

In a sport such as track, the emotions and body language of one or more runners will make the shot special. So get good definition of the faces. Practice quickly shifting from vertical to horizontal shooting because some of your best shots can be vertical in orientation. The grip helps here if you have one. Shallow DOF is preferred, unless you are documenting the mass of runners, and even then it's worth experimenting with.

Also consider different shooting heights and focal lengths.

I would think a minimum of 1/250 would get you by, so adjust ISO to facilitate and then shoot AV mode. ISO 1600 on a K20D should be OK if you shoot RAW and cleanup, though noise on those kinds of shots is secondary or even tertiary if you are in daylight. Use larger cards too.

Sounds like a fun time.

Hope this helps.

M

Thanks everyone so much for the ideas. This was a wonderful summary. Appreciate your sharing of ideas and your knowledge.

joe

---

Last edited by jrforman; 09-24-2010 at 06:18 PM.

[jrforman]

Shot the marathon last Sunday (Twin Cities). Albeit a little high contrast - direct sun, but followed your advise and I am pleased with the outcome.
2010 Twin Cities Marathon - a set on Flickr

Although I did say more than once I wish the K-5 was already here for a little faster focus than the K20D. Thanks again.

[MikeW]

Shot the marathon last Sunday (Twin Cities). Albeit a little high contrast - direct sun, but followed your advise and I am pleased with the outcome.
2010 Twin Cities Marathon - a set on Flickr

Although I did say more than once I wish the K-5 was already here for a little faster focus than the K20D. Thanks again.

I think these are good! And they cause me to reconfirm my non-marathoner status.

[RonHendriks1966]

Shot the marathon last Sunday (Twin Cities). Albeit a little high contrast - direct sun, but followed your advise and I am pleased with the outcome.
2010 Twin Cities Marathon - a set on Flickr

Although I did say more than once I wish the K-5 was already here for a little faster focus than the K20D. Thanks again.

Wow there are some pretty good shots!

[Christine Tham]

Hi - I have been playing with my friend's EOS 1D Mark III and "sports" lenses (200/2.8, 135/2).

Of course, it is a joy to use (I notice people get intimidated whenever I use the 10fps mode - it sounds like a machine gun!).

But I can confirm even on a camera like this you don't just press and hold the shutter button. Even a large frame buffer will get depleted in a few seconds. I have to use the same techniques as on my humble K10D - anticipate the shot, take a few burst frames, wait for the buffer to empty, take another few frames.

I can get good shots (mainly birds in flight) on my K10D as well as on the EOS 1D - it's just that the good to bad shot ratio is higher on the EOS 1D.

At the end of the day, if you are pro, you want to maximise the chances of getting that perfect shot. But if you are a hobbyist, then there's nothing wrong with Pentax cameras.

If anyone is interested, I'm happy to post photos (from the K10D as well as EOS 1D).

[Miguel]

Hi Joe,
I'm impressed with your shots and am happy that the shooting went so well for you. The direct sunlight really adds to their definition. I like it. Such muscle definition--especially on the women.

My fave is the fifth from the end--the woman with the green top--the lighting on her shows a fine intensity. Tree makes an interesting background too. I also especially like the one of Kassaye Gemeda, great color. He looks so composed, whereas the runner behind him visually reveals how hard it is.

Nice work.

M

[str8talk83]

Hi - I have been playing with my friend's EOS 1D Mark III and "sports" lenses (200/2.8, 135/2).

Of course, it is a joy to use (I notice people get intimidated whenever I use the 10fps mode - it sounds like a machine gun!).

But I can confirm even on a camera like this you don't just press and hold the shutter button. Even a large frame buffer will get depleted in a few seconds. I have to use the same techniques as on my humble K10D - anticipate the shot, take a few burst frames, wait for the buffer to empty, take another few frames.

I can get good shots (mainly birds in flight) on my K10D as well as on the EOS 1D - it's just that the good to bad shot ratio is higher on the EOS 1D.

At the end of the day, if you are pro, you want to maximise the chances of getting that perfect shot. But if you are a hobbyist, then there's nothing wrong with Pentax cameras.

If anyone is interested, I'm happy to post photos (from the K10D as well as EOS 1D).

This is a great observation. At the end of the day it is about getting what you need and learning how to use it correctly. I shoot wildlife as a hobbyist and my 40D has served me well at this. I would get better tracking performance from a 1D or 7D, but I don't really NEED it. I would buy a 7D if I had the funding but I continue to use my "old" camera body to get shots on a daily basis.

[jrforman]

Hi Joe,
The direct sunlight really adds to their definition. I like it. Such muscle definition--especially on the women.

M

The most difficult part was the direct sun was only on a small portion of the road so I had to wait until the runners were illuminated on that section. It narrowed the area I could shoot. I picked a spot that had shade behind it for background. Fun day. I got there before anyone was around and then started to shoot. I wouldn't say I was in a zone but when I got done, I was surprised to see hundreds of people around me - I had just zoned them out completely when I was shooting.