Newb Having Trouble with Blurry Photos in Sports Setting Rebel XTi

[photojester]

My Canon Rebel XTi is not working like it has on Sports setting. I'm sure I've switched some setting but can't for the life of me figure out what I've done or how to fix it.
Using a Quantaray 18-200mm lens
On Sports settings are as follow (always been auto mode for me)

• ISO=Auto
• AI Servio
• AWB
• AF
• Continuous Shot

I've had good results for a beginner shooting soccer games etc in this mode. Now the lens won't focus and the shots are all blurry. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[photojester]

This is the link to my blurry photos. Flickr: photojester1's Photostream

 

[flapshots]

There's simply not enough light to get action shots especially not with the lens you're using.

 

[MLeeK]

The bottom line is that there is not enough light in there to capture a photo without an incredibly slow shutter on the XTi.
You need more light, that all there is to it.
Every camera has it's limits before you have to add light.
Your camera cannot get a wider aperture to let in more light. It's already at f/2.8 in the first one
I don't think the XTi had auto ISO and it does not show auto ISO in your images. It's set at 400. You max out at 1600 ISO which would have definitely helped speed your shutter up 2 full stops.
]The only option the camera has is to slow down the shutter so it is open longer to let more light in. It's open for 1/15 of a second in the first image.
In order to stop a subject moving at a walk you'd need to be at 1/125 and to stop a fairly quick moving child at 1/250. For sports you'd need to be at 1/500.
If your shutter is open for 1/500 of a second it doesn't allow your subject to move in that time. If it is open for 1/15 of a second your subject can move, your hands can shake... A LOT can happen-that's recorded as blur.

You could have raised your ISO to 1600 which is 2 full stops of light or four times as much light. That would have pushed your shutter up to 1/60. Still not fast enough to stop motion. So, the only think you can do is add light. Either by turning on lights or adding flash.

 

[Rjcommando]

I'm not sure if it would interest you, but you can use a slow shutter speed to create some interesting action shots. To freeze the action, you need lots of light and a fast shutterspeed. No way around that. A panning shot with a slower shutter speed will blur the background and any fast moving limbs which can capture a nice feeling of the action going on. Just keep the focal point tack sharp. It takes quite a bit of practice, but experimenting is part of the fun.