First time shooting sports

Was downtown Ashbridges Bay, Toronto beach volleyball today and decided to try my hand with some sports photos.

Used the 50D and the 70-200mm F4 IS lens. I swear the 5D II with the expanded focus assist points in AI Servo was better?

1

I don't see anything wrong with your shots. For showing up and snapping some frames, nice job. Focus is good, you got some action, WB appears perfect on my monitor. Looks like a mostly cloudy day, so exposures might be slightly under, but that comes down to personal preference. I like 'em.

dave

Too many backs of heads and backsides though the other details aren't bad.. if you had the action shots you have, face on they'd be a really good start!

...also watch out for the background...it can be very distracting...
try to position yourself to avoid as best as you can

Thank you for the comments and suggestions, next time out I will remember.

It was a overcast and cloudy when I shot the photos. As I left the sun was coming out with with all blue sky.

Actually next month the local NSP Tour starts and they come back to Toronto in August their largest stop, so I will be better prepared and will move up closer to the net where games being played.

Found the 50D got a few out of focus when the players moved away from the center point focus.

I will go pickup a 7D on Monday as I see it also has focus assist and expanded center point area.

i wonder if you were using single point focus? i know a lot of guys that use the 50d for sports and find it a very good camera.

that bottom shot is great.

Yes I mainly only use the single point focus on the both camera and manually select when needed.

On the 50D once the center point was on the subject it focused properly. Its just when they are moving and the center focus point was not exactly on them there was a mis focus on to the back ground. I know it's not the camera fault but the user.

I see the 7D does have additional focus assist around the center focus points and you can select the points around the center for focus. The 7D looks what I need so that when I don't follow the subjects properly the additional center points around the center will help me out.

I really like the 6.3fps and I can only imagine what the 8fps from the 7D will be like when I get it.

I took some pics of my niece playing tennis this past April and with the additional focus assist points using AI Servo on the 5D II focus was much better as I had a wider focus area.

ok, happens with me on the 40d also. as you say it's user error.

i got shown where to switch the focus lock on in the function settings but yet to try it out. allows you to focus then lock and keep shooting bursts at that focal distance. i was lead to believe it will help resolve the problem of user error to some degree.

Shots look good for a "first time" and the last shot is great!!

burstmode wrote in post #10394665
ok, happens with me on the 40d also. as you say it's user error.

i got shown where to switch the focus lock on in the function settings...

40D has an "AF On" button on the back with no need to change anything in the Custom Fns unless you are referring to "disabling" the half-press focus on the shutter button.

the linik below is what i was getting at. I could definitley be off the mark though.

canon explain it well. http://www.usa.canon.c​om …ArticleAct&arti​cleID=2286