Focus in Sports Photography

[Laxdad80]

I am having a real problem with blurry sports photos (lacrosse). I have been shooting on Aperature priority (2.8) with auto ISO. Lens 70-200mm (2.8). The lighting has been fair to good.

I think that it is a focusing issue. I have been shooting on autofocus continuous. I was on Single Point Focus. Should I try 3D tracking or dynamic area or

auto area???

 

[SCraig]

What camera are you using? What shutter speed? What ISO? Are you panning with your subject?

If you try and use that 3D tracking the only thing you can assure yourself of is that it won't focus on what you want it to but rather on what the camera wants to focus on. People shot sports for many decades before the advent of autofocus or 3D tracking. They (we!) did it in one of two ways: 1) By picking a point on the field where they felt the action would happen and pre-focusing on that point, or 2) By giving themselves enough depth of field where a pinpoint focus is not necessary.

 

[table1349]

Post some photos.

 

[KmH]

That still have the EXIF data.

 

[Laxdad80]

Nikon D7000
Auto ISO
Aper Priority 2.8
I selected shutter speed not to go below 1/1000 sec
Yes I was trying to pan and focus on my daughter

My friend was next to me- he used shutter priority (1/400) and his pics are great

 

[MitchStrp]

bump up your Aperture to 5.6 or even f8 and lower you shutter speed to 500 or if you have too 250th of a second. anything over 1/250th is going to stop the motion in your case. No reason to have such a high shutter speed. Try that.

 

[MitchStrp]

oh, shoot manual also.

 

[Laxdad80]

How will this help???? Is focuing an issue with wide open aperature?

 

[MrMessy]

As aperture increases (i.e., f/5.6 -> f/1.8), the depth of field decreases. That means you have to be more accurate with your focusing when using wider apertures. If you move to f/5.6 or maybe f/8, the lens will be more forgiving of focusing mistakes because there will be a larger depth of field.

 

[weepete]

with your apeture wide open your DOF is quite thin. Just how thin depends on the distance between you and your subject. a pic or two may help to see what the issue is

 

[Derrel]

I shot a fair amount of sports with the D1h and the D2x, cameras with only moderately-sophisticated, yet pretty capable AF modules "for their era". Using a user-selected, group AF approach was the best producer for me with the 70-200 VR I, and the various other lenses I used. "sometimes" center point-only AF was not very good, and besides, a LOT of the time, I want the focus to be a little ways off to the side of the center of the frame, or in the top 1/3 of the frame and NOT in the middle.

One thing I can tell you is it pays to really understand, as in totally understand, exactly HOW the camera is actually designed to work. For example, the Nikon term "lock-on"; chances are good you have it set wrong. Chance are good that 90% of users set lock-on incorrectly. Many people think it means the AF system will lock-on FASTER if they set the delay to the shortest option....but NO, what the lock-on interval does is sets the delay for seeking new focus points when the target is lost or when something intervening comes into the field of view.

Many people will go through the custom function menu and not have a fricking clue on how the camera actually works, or could work, so they stick it in center-point and throw away the camera's amazing AF ability and instead of using multiple data points to compute focus and rate of target speed, they throw all that out and use it like it's an old Canon, where ONLY the center AF point is reliable...big mistake much of the time. Not "always", but for a less-experienced user, it can actually help a LOT to allow the camera's AF module to actually acquire,lock, predict,and track focus.

Apparently, the way you are doing it now is not working. If you are in single-shot AF, you'll have nothing but headaches.

 

[JacaRanda]

oh, shoot manual also.

Would not shutter priority serve the OP better for shooting lacrosse?

 

[gsgary]

oh, shoot manual also.

Would not shutter priority serve the OP better for shooting lacrosse?

No

 

[JacaRanda]

oh, shoot manual also.

Would not shutter priority serve the OP better for shooting lacrosse?

No

Okay, I think I had/having a duh moment. Because shutter priority would defeat the purpose of the OP bumping the Fstop up to get better (more forgiving) depth of field...outside of messing with ISO? I think what got me was sports, stopping action, missing a shot by shooting manual etc. Double duh. Dial in both shutter speed/aperture and with decent light mission accomplished? I hope I am on the right track and have not throne the OP off track.

 

[vintagesnaps]

You were trying to pan and focus - that could be at least some of the problem. I've done sports (hockey and some Bball) but don't do a lot of panning, but you need to follow thru with moving the camera after you release the shutter. If you want to learn to pan you could try practicing on the dog, passing cars, whatever.

Try going early, find a good vantage point, take some practice shots maybe during warmups - notice your backgrounds so if due to the lighting you need to open up the lens some you'll have decent looking backgrounds in your photos. In lower lighting I can manage with 1/250 shutter speed but ideally I'd like it at a faster speed, it depends on the existing light.

Figure out of course when your daughter will be entering the game and be already focused on the net or possibly on lines on the field so you're ready when she enters your viewfinder. For hockey I often focus on the net and then when the action comes to me and is in the crease I can adjust my focus slightly as needed. Of course lacrosse is a larger field of play so you'd need to think about what position she plays and how much of the field you need in your field of vision thru the viewfinder.

You have more time than you think really to get a photograph, because in seconds you can get off a number of shots (if you think about it, the shutter is releasing in a fraction of a second). I'd rather have a few decent shots in a few seconds than umpteen unusable ones (not that I've ever had that happen! yeah right). I shoot and focus manually but it's a matter of finding what works for you.

You could maybe even try being across the field and get some shots of her entering the game, or when the team is coming back onto the field. I've found warmups or getting ready for the game to start can provide some photo ops for close ups of players. Good luck with it.

Sharon