Need Pope advice....

[boneaddict]

Trying to shoot the girls soccer games.  Other than needing a 300 versus this 400, any advice in what you shoot outdoor games, sunshine.  Looking on focusing issues had trouble staying on the player, any hints there.......had trouble with my lens's but other than buying that 300 F4.   Figured out verticle shooting.  I'f shooting off a monopod and positioned my :chuckle:elf damn near in the parking lot.   I shot in auto..........Big learning curve to deal with.  I'll probably use the FZ18 for Daisy's game as its tighter quarters. 

[popeshawnpaul]

Ok, here are the rules:

1.  Use a monopod or hand hold so you can quickly change composition.  A tripod is useless.
2.  Shoot vertical 90% of the time and use a focus point in the top center, around the face of the player.
3.  Use Al Servo focus and IS.
4.  Use aperture priority mode, with the camera set at f2.8 if it's low light.  Try and get some more depth of field at f4 or f5.6 if there is enough light.  If the light is constant and not changing, you can lock your exposure in manual mode.  You need at least 1/250th shutter speed but 1/500th or 1/1000th is even better.  1/500th will stop the action.
5.  For soccor, shoot behind the end zone.  You can get the action coming up the field toward you.  With the 400mm lens, you will probably be too close after they cross the 50 yard line toward you.  That's when you pick up your 70-200 if you have one...
6.  With a full frame camera, 400mm is perfect to get the action on the other end of the field.  With a crop 1.6x sensor, you essentially have a 650mm lens.  That's just too much for sports unless you can shoot the action on the other end of the field. 
7.  Shoot in high quality jpg mode instead of raw.  You can get more burst with it and shoot like 60 shots before the Canon 40D slows down.  With raw it can only shoot 16 burst pictures before stopping. 

Good luck.  Here is a little something from my past to give you inspiration...  The great Ryan Leaf against Michigan in the Rose Bowl.  Michigan won and went on to capture the national championship.  Ryan Leaf, well, we all know how his career ended up.

[boneaddict]

THANK YOU!   Great pointers.    I was in auto, which was shooting mostly 1/500    I'll give it a try. 

[boneaddict]

With a full frame camera, 400mm is perfect to get the action on the other end of the field.  With a crop 1.6x sensor, you essentially have a 650mm lens.  That's just too much for sports unless you can shoot the action on the other end of the field. 

Yeah, no *censored*!   Can't wait to find some muledeer half a mile away to shoot this fall.  Not used to having TOO MUCH lens. 

[popeshawnpaul]

If you add a 1.4x converter to that thing you have an effective 898mm F4 lens with amazing quality...  Now all you need is Sagedawg to carry it for you.

[boneaddict]

I had some folks offer, but haven't seen many except on our fishing trip that could.     Its pretty bad when a soccerball is full frame ACROSS the field. 

...and the first lens I have used with an extender that had a fast or fairly fast autofocus.

[popeshawnpaul]

Yeah, I haven't used the newer IS version of that lens.  You'll have to let me tag along some time and snap a few shots through it...   

[boneaddict]

anytime, just let me put the first scratch in it.  So far my wife has managed to do that on my last two trucks.....

[Hornseeker]

If I were you, I wouldn't let her ANYWHERE NEAR that lens!!

[boneaddict]

was sort of hard to hide that one.

[boneaddict]

I shot Daisys game last night.  I was AV mode and set it at 2.8.  I had decent pics at 1/250 but unfortunatley lost the light and ended up dropping less than that therefore picked up blurr.

[popeshawnpaul]

Yeah, you got to keep bumping up your ISO and if you are close to 1/250 it's usually better to go manual and lock the exposure, then keep bumping up the ISO as necessary when it gets darker and darker.  Full sunlight deer or sports, set it at Av and go.  Less than 1/250th just doesn't stop the action.

[huntnphool]

Hey, that game isn't over yet, there should still be 3 seconds left on the clock with the Cougs inside the Michigan red zone. Didn't the Colts draft Manning first and the Chargers take Leif second

[popeshawnpaul]

Hey, I got great shots of Charles Woodson, the heisman trophy winner.  He actually went on to do something in the NFL...

[huntnphool]

No kidding that is a great shot.

[cohoho]

I like the cheer leader ones better!!

[DesertBighorn]

What Shawn said.  I would add, since it sounds like this is Canon gear, to program AF to the * button.  You can then use your thumb to start AF tracking in AI Servo mode and use the shutter to fire away.  Then you won't have a problem firing, then relocking AF with the halfway shutter action, then firing.  You'll miss some shots that way. 

You'll be able to hold down the * and track with AF through the whole sequence. 

Some soccer examples here:
http://www.desertbighorn.smugmug.com/2008%20Rain%20Soccer
http://www.desertbighorn.smugmug.com/2008%20LW%20C%20Team%20Girls%20Soccer

-Doug