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12/30/2009 08:01:02 AM · #1 |
I have been photographing some high school basketball this week and have a question about how those of you who photograph sports handle your auto focus point. I have struggled with either using the center focus point (which causes problems with composition and the focus being on the background if the action isn't in the center) or auto selection (which often selects for the wrong point).
Does anyone have a suggestion about what works best for you?
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12/30/2009 08:12:31 AM · #2 |
| Canon used to have a great solution to this dilemna call Eye Controlled Focus. The camera selected the focus point that you were actually looking through and it was available on the high end and midrange film SLR's. Sadly, they chose not to migrate the technology to digital (at least so far). |
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12/30/2009 10:24:53 AM · #3 |
Wow. Thought for sure you'd get more feedback on your question.
Where's  Skip, and  MattO?
I don't shoot much indoors (yet, although my son is playing basketball this year, so that will change). For outdoor sports I shoot using WA focus point and continuous focus mode and pan the movement. Works well for soccer - could be too much movement in the gym for that to work well however. ???
I'm curious to see what the experienced indoor shooters have to say as well. |
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12/30/2009 10:29:34 AM · #4 |
I am *not* an experienced indoor shooter, but using "sports mode" doesn't work for me in either football or basketball. There is generally so much movement, the camera was focusing on something other than what I wanted.
For me, the center point works best. Yea, occasionally, I get a wonderfully focused shot of the wall, or I have to crop it to get the exact composition I want, but so far, that is what has worked best for me.
Am interested in seeing what others say. |
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12/30/2009 11:22:32 AM · #5 |
i use a single point, but will move it around, depending on the lens i'm using, or the composition i'm after.
the most critical element of shooting sports is anticipation, and that takes knowing the sport and the players. if you know what to look for, you won't have to take 1000s of photos to get just a couple good ones. |
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12/30/2009 12:05:45 PM · #6 |
I have used center for most of my b-ball shots. It works and and is fast. I have also used single point and have had no problems there either. Most of what you shoot in sports is going to be based on anticipating the action. When shooting b-ball I always position myself right under a basket. I may move to the right or left a little but I stay pretty much under the basket. This is where most of your action is going to take place anyway.
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12/30/2009 01:27:46 PM · #7 |
| What about using AI Focus or AI Servo modes? Those are designed for the focus to track a moving subject. |
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12/30/2009 03:19:04 PM · #8 |
AI Servo would work if you're tracking one of the players and shooting a burst. AI Focus might work for the opening tip off as it will switch to AI Servo once there's movement.
Something you can always use is a technique called pre-focusing. This comes down to knowing the game and the players. You focus on a point where you anticipate the action is going to be and wait for the action to show up there before pressing the shutter button completely down.
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12/30/2009 03:29:10 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by cpanaioti:
Something you can always use is a technique called pre-focusing. This comes down to knowing the game and the players. You focus on a point where you anticipate the action is going to be and wait for the action to show up there before pressing the shutter button completely down. |
This may work especially for baseball ... with a runner on second base and a hit to right field I pre-focused on home plate (from the second deck about halfway down the left field foul line) and waited for the play to develop. It also helps if you can keep both eyes open so you can monitor what's going on with one eye while maintaining the framing with the other ...
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12/30/2009 08:03:08 PM · #10 |
In shooting just about any sport, the main thing as Skip said is knowing the sport. Understand what will likely happen in a given situation and anticipate where the action will be. In Basketball nearly all of my shots are taken with the camera in Portrait orientation with the camera. I have 19 available focus points to chose from on my 1DMKIII, I normally take it one or two up from center depending on which lens and the configuration of the gym. I normally shoot from the baseline just off to the side of the lane. Once in a while if using the 70-200 lens I'll swap it to landscape and swap the Focal point to the same spot above center and shoot down court. I tend to shoot very tight, sometimes too tight, but I don't like to shoot loose if I can avoid it.
That said the real answer is.........it depends on your shooting style and how well you know your camera. Many times I may swap the FP 2-3 times in one offensive or defensive possession. But I also change my SS and aperture many times during the same play depending on what I'm doing. Action will get larger Aperture settings and faster SS, crowd or coach shots off to the side smaller Aperture settings and slower shutter speeds. I rarely if ever use the center point.
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12/30/2009 08:09:27 PM · #11 |
Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:
What about using AI Focus or AI Servo modes? Those are designed for the focus to track a moving subject. |
That also is a good question. I was using AI Focus and if the player moved outside the focus point, I would end up with the wall in focus. If doing it again I might not use AI Focus. Focusing on a point in advance makes sense, that would have worked often during these games.
Any expert thoughts on that? |
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12/30/2009 08:12:59 PM · #12 |
Originally posted by rlewis:
Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:
What about using AI Focus or AI Servo modes? Those are designed for the focus to track a moving subject. |
That also is a good question. I was using AI Focus and if the player moved outside the focus point, I would end up with the wall in focus. If doing it again I might not use AI Focus. Focusing on a point in advance makes sense, that would have worked often during these games.
Any expert thoughts on that? |
I'm not sure why they even put Al Focus on a camera. Alservo is used for action.
Matt |
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12/30/2009 11:48:08 PM · #13 |
I know this is covered under "knowing the sport and the players", but for those of us who sometimes need a bit more specific example...
Another thing that helps in shooting action (I'm no expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I've learned a little shooting my daughter's dance group - special effect lighting (usually low light) and constant motion) is to try to anticipate the natural "holds" that occur - for example, a jump ball - anticipate the top of the jump, where the players have stopped going up and are just beginning to come down - same thing for shots. For dance, I look for the "pose" - a momentary pause in a particular position - usually at the end of a number, or at a transition point.
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