Soccer / sports tips

Hi all:

Pulling my hair out a bit, and hoping to get some help. I have a really low keeper rate when photographing my daughter's soccer... and am struggling to figure out why.

I'm sure user error, as I've had good luck with the same lens and body taking other types of shots (wakeboarding etc).

Below is a link to a full res file (I cropped the head off for the privacy of the little one). I chose this terrible image, as it seems to represent what I see frequently.

I see sort of ok (ish) sharpness on her right sock Nothing else seems to be in focus though... what am I doing wrong? Motion blur? Missed focus? Camera shake?

I would have thought I'd see at least some grass in decent focus, if I missed the focus (and was focused on her back leg). And why isn't any of the rest of her in focus, the angle the camera is angled at her?

Settings:
1/1000, F4, ISO 640, Canon 70-200 F4L @ 200mm, 7D

Image: https://dl.dropboxuser​content.com/u/210461/I​MG_9451.jpg


Sorry for the rambling

The photo seems to be really blurred. The head of the little boy is cut off.

I looks to me like camera shake. Maybe you are getting too excited when the action is there and you are pounding down on the shutter button. I had this same issue with soccer...try putting the tip of your finger off the button and sort of use a rolling motion instead. I think you might have just been lucky with the foot which may have been moving the same direction you were.

T3iUser wrote in post #16622809
The photo seems to be really blurred. The head of the little boy is cut off.

I chopped the head intentionally in post to keep it anonymous

agl99 wrote in post #16622844
I looks to me like camera shake. Maybe you are getting too excited when the action is there and you are pounding down on the shutter button. I had this same issue with soccer...try putting the tip of your finger off the button and sort of use a rolling motion instead. I think you might have just been lucky with the foot which may have been moving the same direction you were.

Good tip - thanks.

That makes a lot of sense... as I don't think I have a steady hand, and it just seems so odd that nothing is in focus. But I wasn't sure if 1/1000 would freeze even the shakiest of hands?

I'll try that and see if it helps.

Thanks again!

Rounder_09,

Have you ever tried a monopod? I have one that I have used when shooting a 100-400 at soccer games. It is a bit of a pain, but I do think that it helps keep the camera steady.

In looking at the linked image there is very little that is sharp. Shooting at 1/1000 of a second should stop most action and at least minor 'photographer' movement. I have an app on my iPad that shows depth of field and made some 'assumptions' with settings on your image. IF you were at a focal length of 200 (my guess), aperture f/4 (which you said in your post), and a distance to subject of 50 feet (my guess); then there should be 5.2 feet that is sharp focus (distance from 51 to 56.2 feet). If you leave everything the same and change the distance to subject to 15 feet the sharp focus drops to .4 feet or 4.8 inches (distance from 14.8 to 15.2 feet) and it gets even shallower as the distance to subject gets lower. That possibly could be the problem.

If you have a tripod I would suggest recreating the image (wouldn't need to use the soccer field) with the same settings and approximate distance and see what the result looks like. If it has the same problem of nothing being in focus you can rule human error out and start having your camera/lens check. If it has a sharp (in focus) area you can then start looking at ways to fix the human error.

Just some random thoughts.

Hawks Feather wrote in post #16623704
=Hawk's Feather;16623704]
If you have a tripod I would suggest recreating the image (wouldn't need to use the soccer field) with the same settings and approximate distance and see what the result looks like. If it has the same problem of nothing being in focus you can rule human error out and start having your camera/lens check. If it has a sharp (in focus) area you can then start looking at ways to fix the human error.

Good idea. -=What to do if you suspect a focus problem=-
Try 1/2000 sec., too.

If you aren't already using it, I suggest AI Servo for focusing. And since it doesn't look as if the light is changing & you have some blown areas, try manual exposure, too. Why? Look at this: Post #47
Then try this: Need an exposure crutch?

Sports Shooting Tutorials and Advice

Hawks Feather wrote in post #16623704
=Hawk's Feather;16623704]Round​er_09,

Have you ever tried a monopod? I have one that I have used when shooting a 100-400 at soccer games. It is a bit of a pain, but I do think that it helps keep the camera steady.

In looking at the linked image there is very little that is sharp. Shooting at 1/1000 of a second should stop most action and at least minor 'photographer' movement. I have an app on my iPad that shows depth of field and made some 'assumptions' with settings on your image. IF you were at a focal length of 200 (my guess), aperture f/4 (which you said in your post), and a distance to subject of 50 feet (my guess); then there should be 5.2 feet that is sharp focus (distance from 51 to 56.2 feet). If you leave everything the same and change the distance to subject to 15 feet the sharp focus drops to .4 feet or 4.8 inches (distance from 14.8 to 15.2 feet) and it gets even shallower as the distance to subject gets lower. That possibly could be the problem.

If you have a tripod I would suggest recreating the image (wouldn't need to use the soccer field) with the same settings and approximate distance and see what the result looks like. If it has the same problem of nothing being in focus you can rule human error out and start having your camera/lens check. If it has a sharp (in focus) area you can then start looking at ways to fix the human error.

Just some random thoughts.

Thanks for the tips - I will try the mono pod. I'm thinking that is my user error here... as I have other shots at 200mm/F4 (same as this one) that are far sharper. I'm thinking I must have a really unsteady / excited hand when I press that shutter.

PhotosGuy wrote in post #16623908
Good idea. -=What to do if you suspect a focus problem=-
Try 1/2000 sec., too.

If you aren't already using it, I suggest AI Servo for focusing. And since it doesn't look as if the light is changing & you have some blown areas, try manual exposure, too. Why? Look at this: Post #47
Then try this: Need an exposure crutch?

Sports Shooting Tutorials and Advice

Great reads - thank you!

I would never recommend using a tripod to shoot a soccer game.......sorry, it just moves too fast. Perhaps the monopod but your shutter speed should take care of camera shake. Do you have IS on the lens?

I've used my 7D to shoot a lot of soccer in the past with fairly good results (but I'll never get to the big leagues). Focus on the * button (back button focus), AI Servo, and an appropriate metering setting for the conditions (I've used auto ISO in some cases where the field was in bright sun and shade). Single point AF that you select. And aim for the head.

Titus213 wrote in post #16625869
I would never recommend using a tripod to shoot a soccer game.......sorry, it just moves too fast. Perhaps the monopod but your shutter speed should take care of camera shake. Do you have IS on the lens?

I've used my 7D to shoot a lot of soccer in the past with fairly good results (but I'll never get to the big leagues). Focus on the * button (back button focus), AI Servo, and an appropriate metering setting for the conditions (I've used auto ISO in some cases where the field was in bright sun and shade). Single point AF that you select. And aim for the head.

No IS on my lens. Yup I'm on back button focus, and AI servo. Is just odd to me as nothing is really sharp. I'm hoping I'm just managing to shake the camera, even at 1/1000. I suspect so, as I do have sharp pics with the same settings in other sports though (wakeboarding, etc).

rounder_09 wrote in post #16625904
No IS on my lens. Yup I'm on back button focus, and AI servo. Is just odd to me as nothing is really sharp. I'm hoping I'm just managing to shake the camera, even at 1/1000. I suspect so, as I do have sharp pics with the same settings in other sports though (wakeboarding, etc).

General rule says anything over 1/200 should eliminate camera shake. It's all top notch equipment but there could still be an issue with it.