Originally posted by Brooke Meyer Sure. Most of the time, I'm shooting dance or portraits but occasionally, I cover events for a local online publication. I get to shoot the frisbee dogs once a year. The horse jumping was a scouting visit for a portrait session. Dad bought a 16x20 print.
Thanks for sharing the photos. You got some nice ones. It must be fun to shoot the frisbee dogs - I think I'd enjoy that.
Although I suppose it's strange for me to call it "fun," because as much as I like to shoot runners, it's also exhausting. I'm constantly changing the focus point, camera orientation, framing, and myriad other variables as each new runner or group of runners approaches. And then I do it again 2 seconds later for the next group.
As I mentioned, the DA*50-135 is one of my favorite lenses. But it's of little use in the above situation because it's seldom in focus, whereas the FA135 can do it:
Top Highlights - Central Park Invitational 2012 - EventTime Photos
When your aperture is f/3.5, the athletes fill the frame, and they're coming right at you full speed, focus accuracy is paramount. The DOF is so shallow it leaves little room for error, and the lens must constantly re-adjust in AF-C mode to remain in focus. If the subject is moving across the frame the focus barely changes, and if the aperture is f/8 you have so much DOF you can hardly miss. But this isn't using a lens to its potential, as I'm sure you know.
So while you
can get certain types of action shots with this lens, I wouldn't want to mislead the OP if sports is a primary application for him.