Fast Focusing

[Jonny]

Hi Guys,

Just lately i have been practicing shooting sports which are mainly fast action and spread over quite large areas such as football fields.

Now how do you guys focus?

I have been using a new EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM and when its on auto focus it seems to take ages to focus by which time the action has past!! Grrr.
Am i best to learn to to focus fast manually or leave my lens focused to a specific area and hope the action occurs there?

Help is greatly accepted.

Thanks

Jon

[IndyJeff]

Your best bet would be to anticipate the action and prefocus there. If your focused 15m away and the action happens 18m away, not much searching needed. If you just watching and trying to focus on something as it happens, no matter where it is your not going to have much luck. I am not all that familiar with that lens so, I don't know how quickly it will focus.

[CyberDyneSystems]

You did not mention the Camera involved... and as Indyjeff may have implied.. the lens in question may not be the fastest combination with your Camera for autofocus out there.

So there are two routes to take.

1. Try to overcome the "auto" limitations by working manually... or at least partially manual as Indy suggests.

2. Try to alliviate your "auto" limitations by improving the equipment.

Neither is perfect.. a combo of both is proably best.

[Jonny]

You did not mention the Camera involved... and as Indyjeff may have implied.. the lens in question may not be the fastest combination with your Camera for autofocus out there.

So there are two routes to take.

1. Try to overcome the "auto" limitations by working manually... or at least partially manual as Indy suggests.

2. Try to alliviate your "auto" limitations by improving the equipment.

Neither is perfect.. a combo of both is proably best.

Hi,

Sorry , i am use the Digital rebel.

Thanks for the advice

Jon

[timmyquest]

You did not mention the Camera involved... and as Indyjeff may have implied.. the lens in question may not be the fastest combination with your Camera for autofocus out there.

So there are two routes to take.

1. Try to overcome the "auto" limitations by working manually... or at least partially manual as Indy suggests.

2. Try to alliviate your "auto" limitations by improving the equipment.

Neither is perfect.. a combo of both is proably best.

Hi,

Sorry , i am use the Digital rebel.

Thanks for the advice

Jon

I almost feel ashamed in saying this (as people use to get fantastic shots on 100% manual cameras). But i own a 300D and use it for football...my 1D will be here tomorrow. Get what i'm saying?

But, i can offer some advice.

I typically would chose a subject. Given that it is 3rd and 7 and the QB's fav WR is lined up in the slot i may focus on him before the play. As the ball is snapped i continually keep focus of him by tapping the shutter halfway so the camera continually adjusts (A poor mans AI/Servo).

It helps that i know the football coaching staff, i played for the system...so i seem to have an advantage over people who havnt (i'm basing this on my experience with another photographer on the field). What i'm saying is that you need to learn your subject. That alone will help you obtain more keepers.

[stopbath]

Does your lens have a focus limiter on it? Some lenses with long focus tracks will allow the user to lock off part of the focus range, forcing the lens to only work within a certain range. Thus you could lock your focus to work only within say Infinity to 10 meters (or whatever range you feel most of the shots would take place.) This way, Auto Focus won't bother cranking all the way down to minimum focus when your subject is way out there...

If you can't limit the focus, you can focus manually, or prefocus, and wait for the action to come into focus....

[sGu]

pre-focus is useless in football, you can never tell where the action is gonna be, you just have to track your subject and refocus constantly in AI Servo mode.

it also depends on the lens you use, with 300D, it's gonna be a hard call, you'd better off using manual focus.

i'd suggest you give it a go with both auto and manual, and see which one suits you better

good luck

[aam1234]

Have you tried the "Sports Mode". I think it helps.