topic Re: If not Sports mode??? in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

If not Sports mode???

Tintype_18 — Wed, 04 May 2022 13:11:51 GMT

Didn't want to add to another thread. It was stated that pros don't use the Sports mode which turns the camera into a P&S. What is recommended for taking action shots at a sports event? I have grandkids in baseball and track & field which has lots of movement. Continuous shooting mode? Thanks.

Re: If not Sports mode???

Danny — Wed, 04 May 2022 13:18:59 GMT

Hi, Tintype_18!

So that the Community can help you better, we need to know exactly which Canon camera model you're using. It would also help to know which sports you had in mind and whether they're being played indoors or outdoors. That, and any other details you'd like to give will help the Community better understand your issue!

If this is a time-sensitive matter, click HERE search our knowledge base or find additional support options HERE.

Thanks and have a great day!

Re: If not Sports mode???

kvbarkley — Wed, 04 May 2022 13:33:48 GMT

Just because "Pros" don't use Sports Mode does not mean you shouldn't.

Try it, if it works, see what the settings are and you can use that as a launchpad for your own explorations. Trust yourself!

Re: If not Sports mode???

ebiggs1 — Wed, 04 May 2022 14:38:25 GMT

The cameras that professional sports photographers use don't even have a "Sports Mode". Sports mode is basically designed for the "soccer mom" person. They want better lenses, better pictures, but they don't want to learn or spend the time learning anything about cameras or photography. But I certainly agree with KVB, if it floats your boat go for it.

However, the two main reasons you buy a DSLR are interchangeable lenses and the ability to use whatever settings you desire. If you then decide to let the camera, Sports Mode make the choices for you, you may as well use a P&S because that is essentially what you turned your DSLR in to.

I also agree that current cameras are smarter than ever. Sometimes they are smarter than you are. And, most of the time they do exactly what you tell them to.

Re: If not Sports mode???

jrhoffman75 — Wed, 04 May 2022 22:57:09 GMT

@kvbarkley wrote:
Just because "Pros" don't use Sports Mode does not mean you shouldn't.
Try it, if it works, see what the settings are and you can use that as a launchpad for your own explorations. Trust yourself!

Sports Mode presets the camera to settings that favor capture of decent images of moving subjects. You can looks at your camera and see the settings it chose.

It's a gray day here in NH. Using P mode on my wife's T6s the camera selected 1/25 sec, f/3.5, ISO 100 with zoom lens at 18mm. One Shot AF, single AF point.

Switching to Sport mode the settings were 1/320 sec, f/3.5, ISO 800. Continuous Shooting, Automatic AF point selection - settings favoring a moving subject. Good starting point for the type of conditions a Rebel shooter would be snapping in.

The SCN modes are actually good learning tools for beginning shooters.

Re: If not Sports mode???

Tronhard — Thu, 05 May 2022 19:57:22 GMT

FWIW... I have never used sports mode, even though it exists on some of my gear. I predominantly use Av mode, to ensure I control the DoF, but keep an eye on the shutter speed, perhaps using auto ISO. If the speed element is significant, then I will use Tv mode, dial in the speed I want and then watch the aperture, again perhaps with auto ISO. It's always worked for me, but I certainly accept that these things are personal.

This takes some practise and experience to assess the DoF and SS desirable or acceptable for specific situations, but that comes with time.

This example is one of the trickier ones: I wanted to freeze the motion of the aircraft in the air, but keep movement of the propeller. I chose matrix metering as the aircraft were moving quickly across my line of sight, which worked well with the tracking system of my Canon 7DMkII, and the EF 100-400MkII lens. With plenty of light, I set the camera to Tv mode (since that was the most critical) @ 1/500sec, had the FL@ 400mm and f/10 (so I had a good DoF) and the ISO at 200.

On the other hand, at a baseball game (which is a more likely scenario for you), I chose to set my camera up differently. Again, the light was reasonable. I was using a Canon EOS 60D with the 70-300L lens.
I was using spot metering and focus (both back-button), and I decided aperture was more critical: so, in Av mode, I set that at f/7.1 (balancing a reasonable DoF with SS), ISO was still at 200 (it's my go-to setting, too many years shooting Ektachrome 200!). With those settings, I got a SS of 1/200sec which captured the movement of the extreme end of the bat, and caught the movement of the ball as it was struck by the bat, yet froze the people.

In the last scenario, I was using a Canon 650D (you would say a Rebel T4i) with the EF 24-105 f/4 lens. I had been using Av mode and kept it that way. Again, I was getting good light. I had the aperture at f/7.1 for some separation from the background, and ISO was 200, I had a SS of 1/250sec, which seemed reasonable - the trooper was not moving but I wanted the muzzle blast and that needed to be just long enough to allow for it to extend. I was using single-shot mode. I watched the loading and shooting drill once and then on the second round I took my shot.

Now, all of these photo's have one thing in common: they all had reasonable light. I don't shoot indoor sports, for example, so the experience of others would be very valuable in that context. What I do is decide beforehand what is critical to my expression of the image: do I need to freeze action, show movement (which suggest Tv), isolate the subject from the background or include it (Av)?

Re: If not Sports mode???

Tintype_18 — Thu, 05 May 2022 21:10:16 GMT

All are outdoors...baseball, track & field as one granddaughter runs several events. I have a T7. I'll dig up a couple of Sport Mode photos for your critique.

Re: If not Sports mode???

Tintype_18 — Fri, 06 May 2022 13:16:46 GMT

Many thanks to all for awesome photos and replies. The assistant sports editor of the local paper is always at the varsity baseball games. I peaked over his shoulder and saw he had Tv as his setting. Not sure what camera he uses. I have used Av in the past and Sport Mode. As I have said before, I like to experiment to see what the camera, T7, can do as it is much smarter than me. Now you guys have an open door to step through.😉

Re: If not Sports mode???

ebiggs1 — Fri, 06 May 2022 14:49:28 GMT

The reason Canon includes the fully auto modes is most folks that buy this level of camera do not want to spend the time to learn how. In my DSLR 101 classes all or most all the people came in using the fully auto modes. None or at least almost none left still using it. That's why the full on pro model cameras don't have a Sport Mode or any fully auto mode.

Canon has some pretty smart to brilliant people working for them. They designed a camera that is very smart but it is still just a guess and it may do changes that the shooter doesn't want. Pros want the settings they want. No surprises or changes they don't know about.

I have a Powershot G1X. I use it in P mode with auto ISO. That is what I want when I need my G1X and it works very well. Mostly!

Bottom line is, if you are happy with your results it really doesn't matter how you got there.

Re: If not Sports mode???

Tintype_18 — Fri, 06 May 2022 15:30:20 GMT

My thought is to learn as much about the camera so I can cash in on taking good photos when a certain situation comes up. I call my wife, Automatic Annie, as she uses A+ all the time on her SX530 HS. She isn't really interested in learning all the things built into the camera. But...she has some outstanding shots of critters in the backyard. Will dig up some and share. Her favorite is photos of hummingbirds taken from the kitchen window!

Re: If not Sports mode???

ebiggs1 — Fri, 06 May 2022 15:48:51 GMT

There is no right or wrong, good or bad, if it gets you what you want and you are happy with it.

Re: If not Sports mode???

wq9nsc — Sun, 08 May 2022 14:50:04 GMT

Auto ISO is a "game changer" for shooting sports, to me it is the most desirable part of the exposure triangle to allow to float freely to ensure a reasonable exposure and is the part of the triangle that can be easily manipulated in post. Typically with sports photography, you are using a fast (wide aperture) lens set wide open both because of typically low light AND to create the shallow DoF that makes the player pop from the background along with fast shutter speed to freeze motion. So ISO is the part of the equation where you have the most freedom.

Most of the time for sports, I shoot with ISO set to auto, the lens wide open, and shutter speed as fast as possible while keeping ISO within reason. With sports, there will be a minimum shutter speed needed to avoid excessive subject motion blur and this depends upon the sport but for most sports I choose 1/800 as the bare minimum and try to stay above 1/1000 when lighting permits.

Beyond exposure, you want servo AF and high speed drive selected although the majority of captures for me are single shots and I rely on high speed drive only when I want to capture multiple frames of a catch or score. I use 1DX II and 1DX III bodies which both have very capable AF tracking algorithms but even with this level of technology, if you know the sport you are generally better off using a single AF point or small set of points to ensure that focus is on what you want. This becomes less critical if using a slower lens with greater depth of field.

Many sports events are long and lighting will change over time for outdoor events and at different points in the playing area for both inside and outside events. This is why I like auto ISO with fixed aperture and shutter speed and I adjust shutter speed for outdoor events as the transition from daylight to evening occurs although in well illuminated venues this is less critical. For example, for Fall football in a good stadium I will start at 1/1250 or 1/1000 and drop to 1/800 after dark which is what I did with these photos from last Fall.

Rodger

1DX III/EF 400 f2.8 @ f2.8, 1/1000, ISO 40001DX III/EF 400 f2.8 @ f2.8, 1/800, ISO 64001DX III/EF 400 f2.8 @ f2,8, 1/1000, ISO 1600

Re: If not Sports mode???

ebiggs1 — Sun, 08 May 2022 17:12:05 GMT

"Most of the time for sports, I shoot with ISO set to auto,..."

Most of the sports pros I talk with, at least at the NCAA games, are now using Auto ISO. High ISO numbers have gotten so much better, it is a game changer. They still use Av or Tv almost all the time.

Re: If not Sports mode???

Waddizzle — Sun, 08 May 2022 18:28:44 GMT

@ebiggs1 wrote:
"Most of the time for sports, I shoot with ISO set to auto,..."

Most of the sports pros I talk with, at least at the NCAA games, are now using Auto ISO. High ISO numbers have gotten so much better, it is a game changer. They still use Av or Tv almost all the time.

I’m with Rodger. I use M mode with ISO Auto with the [SET] button to control Exposure Compensation. The Av and Tv modes contain hidden surprises like Safety Shift, and other “helpful” behaviors.

I prefer having total control of shutter and aperture, which to me is what manual shooting is all about. When I was shooting film, all I thought about was setting shutter and aperture, and dialing in EC when I felt I needed it.

Re: If not Sports mode???

Tronhard — Sun, 08 May 2022 18:53:53 GMT

Well, from the responses from my experienced and esteemed colleagues, one thing seems to be coming to light - which is no surprise, really! There are many solutions for approaching this issue and they work in different ways for each of us. Much depends on the situation: conditions, type of activity, etc., as well as our own preferences and comfort zones. I think one thing does come to the fore though - none of us use 'sports mode', we all prefer to have more control over our situation, rather than let the camera do that for us.
In the end, it will come down to really getting to know the camera and lens strengths and weaknesses, being so familiar with the controls that conscious thought is not necessary to operate it and exploring all these methods to find out what works best for each of us.

Re: If not Sports mode???

ebiggs1 — Mon, 09 May 2022 16:42:54 GMT

We used to call the Sports Mode the "Soccer Mom" mode. Mostly because they didn't want to learn how to use a DSLR camera. The entry level models where the Soccer Mom lives all have it. You need to keep in mind as "smart" as it may be it follows a set of rules, instructions, that Canon engineers decided on. It works and it doesn't work. The other side of the dial is on you. If it works great if it doesn't well try, try, again! Prso don't, won't, use Sport Mode so it isn't even a selection on the top of the line cameras.

I still find it a little amusing that people will say, "I use manual for all my shots", of whatever. But, "I use Auto ISO" ! Whoa, now is that truly manual mode? Nope ,nada, it is not.!

The bottom line still is did you get the shot? Nobody will come back later and say, "Only if you had not used Sport Mode." 9 out of 10 times nobody cares what settings you used to get the shot except maybe us "enthusiasts!" 😁

Re: If not Sports mode???

Tintype_18 — Thu, 12 May 2022 12:56:35 GMT

EB, good point. Far from an expert but it seems the end result is a quality photograph. Each person would take a particular setting and interpret it in a different way using a multitude of camera settings. Landscape photos come to mind.

Re: If not Sports mode???

stevet1 — Fri, 13 May 2022 13:34:55 GMT

Tintype_18,

I ran across this shutter speed cheat sheet in the online version of Digital Camera magazine. I think it was in one of their December, 2021 issues. I've found it pretty helpful:

Steve Thomas

Re: If not Sports mode???

Tintype_18 — Sat, 14 May 2022 14:05:01 GMT

Thanks for the chart. I'll copy and print it to add to some others I have for reference. I looked at the chart after printing. Slow moving objects sounds like some of my friends.

Re: If not Sports mode???

ebiggs1 — Sat, 14 May 2022 18:36:34 GMT

I would only use that chart as a starting point. Some of the SS are a bit questionable.