Help with Focus during sporting events using EOS R8

[Johnplesh]

I've got an R8 which I use for high school basketball.  I love this camera for the low light using an 85mm 1.8f lens.  I use the viewfinder for all of my pictures and have it on the highest setting for staying locked on people when tracking.  My problem is that with basketball there are so many people running between my camera and who i'm trying to track that the focus always changes to that person and I get blurry pictures.  I find myself tapping the quick focus on the the button constantly to try and refocus on who I want pictured but still get mostly blurry pictures.  I know shooting at 1.8 is shallow and 2.8 would give me a little better depth but the ISO goes way up in these poorly lit gyms; and I really don't think that is my issue.  Can anyone suggest anything I could do help get less pictures focused on the wrong player?  I've considered trying to turn off servo and use it more like a DSLR that  I used to use, but am again concerned about losing the benefits of the servo when players are running the court.  I'm not a photographer, I just want better pictures and more to choose from when I'm editing my file.  Thanks in advance.

[Johnplesh]

Typo in previous post....it's an R8

[deebatman316]

Is the lens in question the Canon EF 85mm F/1.8 USM lens. This is an older lens that is NOT FULLY COMPATIBLE with the highly advanced AF system found in the EOS R series lineup of cameras. The AF motor may not be fast enough to keep up. Then most EF lenses are NOT capable of 12 fps. The Canon EF 85mm F/1.8 USM lens is one of those lenses. So H+ Drive shooting IS NOT POSSIBLE with that lens. The camera will automatically slow down for lenses that aren’t fast enough for 12 fps. 

[Johnplesh]

Yes, that is the lens.  I do not shoot at H+, just high.

[deebatman316]

Are you trying to use eye detect AF. It appears that you have come across a limitation with your lens. Servo AF should work fine but you’ll be limited by how fast the lens focuses. This is due to the AF motor being slower. Even though the lens uses the higher end Ring Type USM AF Motor. Over the years Canon has improved Ring Type USM to be faster. Does the lens jump around when trying to focus. A lot of these older lenses don’t transition smoothly between objects. Instead they tend to snap back and forth for focus. Newer lenses smoothly transition. Have you tried renting an RF lens to see if the AF system performs better. Like using the RF 70-200mm F/2.8L IS USM Z lens. 

[deebatman316]

Are you using the Canon brand EF-RF Mount adapter. Or a 3rd Party Mount adapter. Stick with the Canon brand Mount adapter. 3rd Party Mount adapters are nothing but trouble. So stick with the Canon brand Mount adapter.

[Johnplesh]

I have the canon adapter

[wq9nsc]

For sports, you are generally going to be far better off to select a set of focus points in the center of the screen and don't use subject detection.  The AF system doesn't know the sport, it will do the best it can within its programmed parameters, but it isn't high end AI so you know more about what you are trying to capture.  Also, in sports you will be rapidly switching between players as action changes and basketball, like soccer, is one of those sports where in a matter of seconds you may half half a dozen different key players involved so you don't want to stay locked on one subject.

I have used Canon 1 series DSLR models for years and I have experimented with the different AF "cases" for various sports and I have found that Case 1 (the general sports case) works best if you know the sport.  You can fine tune these cases a bit, for example bias it to stay locked on the subject of interest which will help with keeping it from grabbing focus on an interfering player moving through the view, BUT this will also cause you to miss some of the rapid action changes when you truly want the camera to instantly grab focus on a new subject.  This is why using these subject detect modes with programmed lag to hang onto a subject really doesn't work that well for fast moving sports.  Even in football, you might be biased towards holding focus on a runner when blockers or tacklers briefly get in the way but that same AF bias can easily cause you to miss the most important shots if the ball is fumbled or handed off during the play.

IF the interfering subjects aren't players or officials, then you need to adjust your position to avoid having your view blocked by people who aren't part of the game.

Rodger

[ebiggs1]

"Can anyone suggest anything I could do help get less pictures focused on the wrong player?"

OK let's try. First you probably have one of the worse lenses for sports photography although it can be done. So part of your problem is the lens. Any fixed FL or prime lens is going to be more difficult to use for sports unless you are in the 400mm to 600mm FL range. Did you not get the kit zoom lens with your R8. Did you buy just the camera? The standard zoom lens will be a far better choice and don't be afraid to kick the ISO up, way up. The R8 with the RF24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM Lens is the standard kit. Although not my first choice but better than the 85mil prime, IMHO. Since you 'obviously' have the Canon brand (you do don't you?) EF to RF adapter look for a used ef 70-200mm f2.8L zoom lens.

Now my beginner best choice of settings is to use Av mode, never any of the auto modes like 'Sports mode'. Set the aperture to a more open setting like f2.8 perhaps f4.  Use One shot and not any AF assisted modes. Use just the center focus point turn the others off. Set the ISO high 6400 and even higher if need be. You can use Auto ISO with preset limits for instance say 1600 to 128,000. 

After you get some good shots under your belt come back and we can give you some more advanced settings to get even better action shots. Not wanting to buy the suggested zoom lens you can use your 85mil but use those settings.

Now for the most critical and mandatory thing you need d/l DPP4 from the Canon website it is free. It is a capable post editor and is where great shots are made without it you will never get the best. Lastly and perhaps most important always shoot raw never jpg. forget jpg exists.

Come back and share some photos with us. BTW, you may want to do a full camera reset before you do any of the suggested settings as well as consult the manual if you don't know how. Good shooting!

[Johnplesh]

This is great advice, thank you.  

I didn't get a kit, just the body.  I have the Canon brand of EF adapter.  I shoot manual at 1.8f, 1/1000th, and auto ISO which is usually above 2000. I use the only center focus, but it use subject detect Servo focus.  I edit using Lightroom.

I've attached a photo from the recent game.  I'm pleased with the photo's that I get with my lens, it more just the auto focus jumping off target without me wanting it to.  So it seems that maybe I need to just shoot on one shot and not servo and see how it goes...?