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.

[wq9nsc]

For sports (which is almost always subjects in motion), I have always used servo. Canon's AF servo has long worked very well for sports.

I used an EF 85 f1.8 in years past for basketball and indoor soccer when the lighting was really poor.  It focuses very quickly and it is a good sports lens within its focal length range so for those shots near the goal when you are at the end court line it works very well.  For several years, the EF 85 f1.8 and EF 200 f2 were my go to basketball lenses for a couple of gyms before they upgraded the lighting.  The EF 85 f1.8 and the EF 400 f5.6 were, to me, the greatest value lens in the EF line.  They weren't the best of Canon's line but they provided an incredible performance per dollar ratio.

Rodger

[ebiggs1]

"...but it use subject detect Servo focus."

You might try turning that off. I am not against AF servo modes but I am for beginners. The AF servo modes are more advanced so I think it is best to get some good shots first and move to the advanced features as you become more familiar with the camera. Baby steps first, not the long jump.

You see the problem here is new folks don't know what the issue is when you have multiple factors involved. Is it you, is it the gear, is it the settings, is it ??????.