Any sports 100-400 users with long focus suggestions

I'm new to the 100-400 but a very experienced sports shooter. I'm presently shooting Little League baseball tournaments, had been using a super fast AF, super sharp Sigma 70-200 2.8 handheld on field between plate and 1st. I need handheld to get the action and was hoping the extra 200mm IS would extend my reach into the outfield positions for some great catch shots. Cropping my 70-200 shots might work but no time in a volume operation.

Problem is at 350-400 the focus hunts and I'm lucky to get an AF lock fast enough to get anything. Usually can get the throw in because by then I have a lock. I could prefocus at 200 feet, but most of the action is infield where I have no problem. I've tried different focus point combinations but nothing is working.

Most of the 100-400 posts are birders. Are my sports expectations unreasonable or are there technique suggestions. Thanks !!!!

The 100-400 is a fairly quick focusing lens, but compared to sports beasts like the 70-200s or the 300/400 primes its not really in the same league...

But regardless, what body are you using for one? One of the big differences between this and your sigma would be whether or not the 100-400 is activating the cross-type sensors on the body....

mostly 40D with 30D backup

make sure you got the minimum focus distance set to 6.8 metres think it is 6.8, but the furthest one.
I find the AF pretty fast on my 100-400L, especially in good light, certainly as good as the Sigma

thanks KenjiS for your help last night with the switches. I'm shooting almost totally portrait and mostly around 1000 and 8-11 to optimize sharpness

I need the 1.8 focus for infield shots where I'm usually closer than 20ft

pfjbaldwin wrote in post #8228748
I need the 1.8 focus for infield shots where I'm usually closer than 20ft

Well, that is quite a way extra to focus if you go right out on the outfield, maybe that is part of the problem

I'm sure it is. I'm going from 20 ft to 200 ft in seconds. Maybe my expectations are too high. Want to explore technique from users before I give up and go back to my Sig 70-200.

Yes, perhaps your expectations are too high. You need to work on your technique and other skills like MF.

pfjbaldwin wrote in post #8228794
I'm sure it is. I'm going from 20 ft to 200 ft in seconds. Maybe my expectations are too high. Want to explore technique from users before I give up and go back to my Sig 70-200.

Yeh, if it loses focus on my 30D and has to hunt through the entire range, it does honestly take a while...which is why for when im doing anything action, i usually have it limited to 6.5m, then again im dealing with a greater working distance than you usually from the sounds of it

Thanks for your feedback KenjiS. You're very honest.

Gasrocks, looking at your gearlist, do you shoot any fast action sports? Any technique suggestions besides manual focus?

Some people find a mono pod can help with a 100-400L. Are you using only the center AF point? If not try that it could help.

Yes, I do almost 95% of my pix with MF. Practice, practice, practice.

pfjbaldwin wrote in post #8229513
Thanks for your feedback KenjiS. You're very honest.

Gasrocks, looking at your gearlist, do you shoot any fast action sports? Any technique suggestions besides manual focus?

I'm not sure if you are doing this or not, but when it loses focus and you are at 350-400 many times (due to being zoomed in so far), you have little contrast for the lens to lock focus onto. you can quickly zoom into 100 get focus and then back out to 400 and it will pick up focus again much quicker than waiting for it to find focus at 400mm.

You would miss probably 90% of shots trying to shoot a baseball game in MF. No idea why anyone would do that. With baseball there are so many different distances to shoot with action being spread out from 20 feet to 300 feet away you'd have a very low keeper rate trying to MF. Even as a photog that was very skilled in MF.

gasrocks wrote in post #8230063
Yes, I do almost 95% of my pix with MF. Practice, practice, practice.

I guess my fingers aren't as fast as they used to be, especially as far away from my body as this 1-4 is at 400mm.