If not Sports mode???

[Tintype_18]

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.

[ebiggs1]

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

[wq9nsc]

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

[ebiggs1]

"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.

[Waddizzle]

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@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.

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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.

[Tronhard]

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.

[ebiggs1]

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!"  😁

[Tintype_18]

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.

[stevet1]

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

[Tintype_18]

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.

[ebiggs1]

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