DRebel for soccer

[Wayne02]

My sons soccer season starts this weekend. I have a 300d with the 70-200f4l + 1.4 extender to use.

Just starting out with this combo so I'm looking for some suggestions for camera settings. Should I just use the sport mode, or are there other modes I should experiment with? Weather is supposed to be partly cloudy.

Thanks
Wayne

[DaveG]

My sons soccer season starts this weekend. I have a 300d with the 70-200f4l + 1.4 extender to use.

Just starting out with this combo so I'm looking for some suggestions for camera settings. Should I just use the sport mode, or are there other modes I should experiment with? Weather is supposed to be partly cloudy.

Thanks
Wayne

I normally shoot RAW but for something like this you might want to use the large jpeg setting, and possibly you do so now. The files are smaller and will write to the CF card more quickly. Your buffer will fill up in a hurry, so you want to empty it out as soon as possible.

Use the AI Servo or AI Focus to help you focus. I'd be tempted to use Tv, shutterpseed priority. The camera will then select an aperture to go with the the shutterspeed that you've selected. You are going to need a shutterspeed of at least 1/500 of a second. Start with ISO 400 and move up from there if you need too. A 1/1000 or 1/2000 isn't the end of the world either.

I like to shoot soccer from the end zone if I can. The reason for that is that the offensive players will be looking towards the goal and I have a better chance to get their faces in the shot. Obviously the sun is going to have a fair bit to say about this too. If I have the sun behind me and stand to one side of the net, then I should have almost shadow free shots of their faces.

Even with the lens and extender you mentioned, you will NOT be able to shoot all over the field. Be patient and they WILL come to you. But make sure that you try to fill the frame as much as possible.

I find that a monopod is very useful when shooting something like this. I don't know if you have the tripod collar for your lens but if you don't this is as good an excuse as any to buy one. I just want the weight off of my arms so I can be comfortable shooting, rather than in pain. I'll stay there longer and my stuff will be sharper if I use the monopod.

Be prepapred for about 20% of your shots being any good. Don't be disappointed. Your AF will not always AF, shall we say. The kid will not give you anything, and when they do another kid gets in the way. Of course all of the good action is on the other side of the field .... But it's the way it goes.

[schmoelzel]

Hello:

I have the exact same set-up as you and I just took some shots of my friends kids' soccer game last weekend. I used the sport-mode for some and manual mode for otheres. In manual it was hard to follow some of the action even though the camera did go into servo-mode as soon as action or movement was detected. I found that I was generally shooting at F4 and 200mm all the time. In sports-mode, the burst shooting provided some of the best shots. I didn;t have a mono-pod so had to hand-hold everything (which is easy with this lens!)

Good luck!