The Sports Photo Guy

106 responses so far ↓

• 1 The Sports Photo Guy // Apr 22, 2009 at 7:46 am

  Joel T writes:

  Saw a comment on DPREVIEW from you re: Sigma 120-300mm zoom. Went to your website and am very impressed with your work. NICE PICS!! Can you give me an idea which ones may have been shot with the Sigma 120-300mm? I’m considering buying one as it’s more in my budget for high school sports shooting. And if you would add any thoughts, comments or suggestions regarding the lens on how it performs. I’ll be using it with a D300 and a D700. Your help will be appreciated.

  I don’t think there are many 120-300 images in my current baseball gallery; but it’s long due for an update. With baseball, probably 90% of my shots are with either the 80-200/f2.8 AF-S or the Sigma 120-300. It’s a nice lens that many pros use, though it is not in the same class as Nikon’s 300/f2.8 AF-S lenses. For the money, and with the unique flexibility of being an f2.8 zoom in that focal length range, it’s a great sports lens.

• 2 The Sports Photo Guy // Apr 22, 2009 at 7:51 am

  Ray Mwrites:

  I just stumbled across your website and wanted to say how impressed I was with the photos you have posted. I’m recently bitten by the amateur photo bug, in particular, sports photography Most favorite –Lacrosse). Are the lacrosse photos posted the only ones you have? Anything of the pro leagues? If so I would be interested in seeing any. My son is an avid fan. Also, I had a lens question. I’m looking to invest in a telephoto lens but am on a budget. I would love to get the Nikon 70-200 VR 2.8 but the price tag for someone as novice as me is frightening. I was wondering your opinion of the Sigma, Tamron, or any other. Do any of these brands compare and are they worth the money? What do you normally shoot with and what would someone like myself just starting out invest in to see quality results? I would like to photograph outdoor and indoor sports both at night and during the day. As a professional, what would you recommend? I’m currently shooting with Nikon D90. Are there any websites or books worth researching in order to get started?

  I see I need to update my lacrosse galleries as well! No, I’ve not shot professional lacrosse, only at the collegiate level.

  As for lenses – many years ago, I used Sigma’s 70-200/f2.8 HSM lens, which is closest to one of the current 3rd-party offerings. At the time I was also using the old push-pull Nikon 80-200/f2.8 AF lens. The Sigma was smaller, lighter, slightly less sharp, and about on par with the Nikon in terms of AF speed. It tracked moving subjects a little better. Even with the HSM motor, however, the Sigma couldn’t touch Nikon’s equivalent AF-S motor — the 80-200/f2.8 AF-S is much faster. For the price, again, the Sigma is a viable alternative and a number of pros use this lens with great results.

• 3 Jeff Clements // May 3, 2009 at 6:59 pm

  Came across your site and just wanted to tell you that I really dig your work. I am from a small town in Southside VA and shoot for the Courier-Record newspaper in Blackstone VA. Love your sports shooting. I am trying to ease myself into the same type of thing. Hope I get a chance to meet you sometime. I make it to the Lexington area every once in a while. Cheers and happy shooting!

• 4 The Sports Photo Guy // May 3, 2009 at 7:05 pm

  I spent a month in Blackstone one weekend…OK, cheap shot. It was really Fort Pickett, back in the 80s in ROTC. I drive past occasionally on 460, my favorite piece of highway anywhere.

• 5 Kim // Sep 13, 2009 at 8:22 pm

  Hi, i own a D90 and 17-80mm IF AF lens and would like to take good pictures in a night club. i ve tried doing it before but they come out without ambient lights. i want to put some life in my photos to really look good. any ideas sir? thank you.

• 6 James // Oct 22, 2009 at 1:59 pm

  Hey there,

  I was wondering if you could do me a favour and test some of the highest-speed CF cards you’ve got outside of camera usage. I’m looking to build a solid state RAID array, and using CF cards looks to be the way to go (Only looking for something to make my computer boot times super-speedy). Your site here seems to be the only resource I can find that has reviews for the newer, supposedly higher-speed cards. While I understand that the Sandisk cards seem to be particularly optimized for photo usage, I have a suspicion that for “normal” data use these newer “high speed” cards might actually deliver on their performance claims. Since I obviously need to consider this carefully and can’t just blow a bunch of cash on CF cards from each manufacturer it’d be pretty cool if you could give things a try and help me out a bit.

  Thanks in advance,

  James

• 7 The Sports Photo Guy // Oct 22, 2009 at 6:54 pm

  James,

  I’d recommend Hans Reggel’s CARDSPEED site: http://www.hjreggel.net/cardspeed/index.html. He seems to have the best handle on the technology out there. Notice, however, his warning at the top of the page.

  I just ordered an Intel X25-M SSD for my new laptop; while I won’t be putting it in a RAID, my guess is it will outperform any CF card regardless of what reader you put it in. I plan to report on that in a couple of weeks.

• 8 Morgan Rhodes // Nov 17, 2009 at 11:29 am

  I like many others just stumbled across your website.. I am a photographer in Alabama and I just ventured to using manuel and at first I didnt have a problem. Here recently I have had a problem with blurry or pixlated pictures.. Is there a setting on the D300 when your in manuel you can have a auto iso?..
  Than

• 9 The Sports Photo Guy // Nov 20, 2009 at 9:06 pm

  Sure is – check out the article, Secret D300 High-Speed Auto ISO Trick.

• 10 Wren McMains // Dec 5, 2009 at 3:05 am

  Will you get any any more Omniflash Uno! USB 2.0 CF Readers? I tested a friend’s and it was amazingly fast.

• 11 The Sports Photo Guy // Dec 5, 2009 at 5:37 am

  Unfortunately, while every other manufacturer has been cutting prices on their card readers, CompuApps has raised theirs, and it’s no longer feasible for me to carry the readers.

  That being said, there are better and cheaper alternatives out there. See my USB card reader roundup for some ideas.

• 12 Grant // Dec 14, 2009 at 11:47 am

  I’ve been doing a lot of reading on your site and love it. The information is great and I’ve found myself double checking my settings against your recommendations.

  I have a unique situation that I can not figure out that I wanted to bounce off of you. A location that I often shoot is an indoor riding area near my home. I shoot polo and other riding events when they happen. For some reason, this location plays havic with my camera’s metering. (Actually, all of my cameras.)
  There appears to be no consistency. One shot will be dead on and the next two might be overly colored. With the texture of the dirt floor, there probably is a 1000 different colors of brown that the camera seems to pick up.

  I think I’ve tried everything though I might be missing something.

  I’ve changed the different metering modes.
  I’ve changed the Picture Controls.
  I’ve turned off Active D.
  I’ve turned off High ISO.

  Shooting other events, I’ve seen the result of my camera firing faster than indoor lights cycling. I do not think this is the issue as it happens almost every other of every third shot.

  Any suggestions would be appreciated.

• 13 The Sports Photo Guy // Dec 23, 2009 at 6:44 pm

  Not sure what you mean by ‘overly colored’ – perhaps you could send me a “normal” frame and an “overly colored” frame (chuck@sportsphotoguy.com) and let me have a look.

  Most likely I would imagine white balance is the real issue. Are you relying Auto WB? If so, you might try setting a Custom WB.

• 14 JAIME // Dec 28, 2009 at 12:47 am

  how did you get your camera on top of the hoop in basketball? and is it possible to do in a school gym?

• 15 The Sports Photo Guy // Dec 28, 2009 at 7:20 am

  Short answer: see the article below on SportsShooter.com:

  http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/1062

  But the bottom line: don’t skimp on equipment for this – use magic arms, clamps, and safety cables and make sure you have permission before you attempt this. Also be prepared for contingencies like what happens if the backboard has to be lowered mid-game to repair a shot clock or something like that. You don’t want to be the cause of a further play stoppage!

  This warrants an article, as I use a variety of mounting locations on or over the post and backboard. Stay tuned!

• 16 The Sports Photo Guy // Jan 17, 2010 at 11:10 pm

  Orest W writes:

  I have a Sandisk Extreme IV UDMA 8GB card and this past summer while shooting Macro shots of Tiger Lillie’s in my backyard I noticed an error message on my D300’s LCD while reviewing shots that read ” File does not contain Data”. I had just reviewed the focus on a shot and after my shooting session ended I went back to review the same shots and I got the same message several times which scared the heck out of me. Do you have any ideas about what happened. The LCD displayed a file number but when I selected it for playback I got the error message. Have you run into this yourself. I’m not sure now if it’s the D300 or the card. I formatted the card hoping that would solve the issue. The sad thing is that I lost a bunch of Macro shots I took.

  While card failures are rare, they do happen, even when card and camera are operating normally. I’ve found that with the various Nikon bodies I have owned, shooting with nearly-drained batteries can lead to all sorts of problems, including corrupted files on a CompactFlash card.

  A one-time error is usually not cause for concern (aside from the images lost). A second, similar error, however, is cause for concern and should be investigated. See if the error occurs with other cards or it is isolated to a particular card.

  Many top-flight cards (SanDisk, Lexar, even Calumet) come with file recovery software; unfortunately, these do a much better job of recovering accidentally deleted files than files that have become corrupted, regardless of cause.

• 17 Timothy // Jan 20, 2010 at 11:35 am

  Chuck,
  Love the 50mm f/1.4 you sold me a few months back, Thanks.
  Today’s question is regarding the AF-S 80-200 f/2.8 with the TC-14/17/20. Do you have comments or suggestions about the use of the TC’s for action photography?
  Thanks
  Tim

• 18 The Sports Photo Guy // Jan 24, 2010 at 9:37 pm

  The AF-S 80-200/f2.8 is somewhat famously mediocre with the TC-20E (not very sharp at all). The TC-14E, however, was excellent. This lens was also incompatible with my otherwise excellent Kenko Teleplus 300 1.4x (it would mount but just hunt back and forth and never lock focus) so I’d stick with Nikon for this particular lens. I haven’t used the TC-17E but have only heard good things about it.

• 19 Deadhand // Jan 25, 2010 at 1:22 pm

  I have a D90 using a nikon 80 200 – 2.8 af. I am shooting high school wrestling. Thinking of getting a 85mm 1.8 to get some sharper pics. Might have to crop alittle. Settings 1600 iso + or -, App 2.8, 320 to 400 sp, app mode sometime on manual using mono pod. Ah one more thing, on 3d tracking focus.

• 20 The Sports Photo Guy // Jan 26, 2010 at 6:58 am

  An 85/f1.8 would not be bad; a 50/f1.4 would be even better. That’s what I now shoot with for wrestling, along with the 70-200 VR. I’d also recommend using flash set to -1 stop @ 1/320 or 1/400 via FP sync. Even better if you have an SB-600/800/900 that you can mount remotely – see my article on wrestling.

• 21 Bobcatridge // Mar 5, 2010 at 2:19 pm

  I have a new Nikon D300s. I have been using it to photograph high school basketball games. Your site has been very helpful as I refine my techniques and learn my new camera. I have noticed you have lots of information on CF cards but I haven’t found/seen similar type information on the SD cards. Have you tested any SD cards? Do you have any recommendations on SD cards? Thanks.

• 22 The Sports Photo Guy // Mar 6, 2010 at 11:45 am

  The intent behind the CF card tests I’ve done has been to differentiate between the various UDMA-capable cards in order to find those that perform best in the D300 and other UDMA-enabled cameras. While some of these cameras, like the D300s, now support SD cards, the SD specification currently in widespread use does not include a provision for UDMA and thus SD cards all operate at a much slower speed than high-end CF cards.

  That being said, I can recommend most any Class 6 or Class 10 SD card from the major manufacturers – SanDisk, Lexar, Transcend, Kingston, PNY, PQi, a-Data, Ocz, have all been used in my D300s and D90 with no problems and are fully capable of recording HD video without problems. For me,
  Transcend cards have prvovided the best bang for the buck in terms of performance and reliability.

• 23 The Sports Photo Guy // Mar 31, 2010 at 8:50 pm

  George from Australia writes:

  Hi, I just recently purchased a second hand Nikon 105mm f/2.8 D AF Micro togo with my D90 and I’ve read alot of great reviews about its quality and how fantastic it is, which is great to know.

  question: I noticed the aperture range is 32 to 2.8 which is fine but what I don’t get is my camera only shoots if it’s set on 32 and if I set it on any other number like 22, 16, 11 etc and it shows in the view finder as EFF and refuses to shoot unless I put it back up to F/32.

  Is it the camera setting, the lense or just me is the problem?

  Help!

• 24 The Sports Photo Guy // Mar 31, 2010 at 8:53 pm

  George,

  No doubt up until now you’ve been using “G-type” lenses, that have no aperture ring.

  Nikon’s older autofocus lenses still have an aperture ring – but that is only to maintain compatibility with older, manual-focus bodies.

  All Nikon AF bodies (film and digital) employ electro-mechanical aperture control. For these cameras – including your D90 – set the aperture ring to the largest f-number (smallest aperture) and the camera will control, and set, the aperture electronically.

  Chuck

• 25 Vicky // Apr 19, 2010 at 4:41 pm

  Hi,

  I am thinking of getting a used Nikon D2X which is owned by a professional nature photographer. She said that she bought it 4 years ago and have split her time using this D2X with another and stop using them since October last year. She does routinely get it serviced with Nikon. When I asked her the actuation, she does not know and talked to the Nikon people and they told her that she had to bring it to their lab and also that it might have been reset when it is serviced.

  With many newer model out there, Is it worth paying $900 for a Nikon D2X that I do not know the actuation?

• 26 Teresa // Apr 26, 2010 at 2:21 pm

  Hi, Sports Photo Guy–

  You have an amazingly helpful site! I own a D300 that I purchased well-used about a year and a half ago; I never thought to ask about shutter actuations at the time of purchase. I just checked and I now have 85,000 actuations. It has been performing wonderfully until recently.

  I have been taking track and field photos and shooting occasional bursts of photos very quickly. I have a Meike mk-d300 battery grip that I use (purchased from Adorama) filled with rechargeable batteries. My compactflash card is the Sandisk Ultra II. On a few occasions while taking quick bursts of photos, the camera will suddenly take basically a long exposure blurry shot, and I will have to take another photo to get it to start taking photos again. (I couldn’t see through the viewfinder until I took the photo). I checked the fuzzy photo and it’s shutter speed was 1/60 (I have the lowest shutter speed set for 1/500). In your opinion, could this be caused by:

  a. A compactflash card that is too slow? (I have as of today purchased two Delkin CombatFlash 4gb cards from B&H as recommended on your site)

  b. A problem with the shutter button on the grip? Or the batteries in the grip?

  c. The shutter or mirror in the D300?

  d. Something else?!

  Thank you so much!
  Teresa

• 27 The Sports Photo Guy // Apr 26, 2010 at 7:19 pm

  I can say that “a” is definitely not the case – if the card is slow and backs up the buffer, you won’t be able to shoot at all. “B” is also unlikely, except when the batteries are almost drained, you can sometimes get erratic results. “C” is probably most likely – this can be a warning sign of a failing shutter. Another possibility is a loose or dirty connection between the camera body and the lens. There is usually some “play” when a lens is mounted, but if you can see erratic or unusual metering numbers in the viewfinder when rotating the lens barrel slightly while it is mounted, that could be what is going on.

  If it gets much worse, and you can’t connect it to a loose lens, I’d recommend sending it in to Nikon.

• 28 The Sports Photo Guy // Apr 26, 2010 at 7:22 pm

  You can get a used D300 for about the same price, and that is a camera I have always felt is better than the D2X in almost every way.

• 29 Jamie // Jun 11, 2010 at 12:22 pm

  Any suggestions on D300s settings for shooting golf?

• 30 Trivedi // Jun 11, 2010 at 1:55 pm

  Your article “Are you ready for some futbol? D300 does soccer” has helped me a lot with my soccer (and lacrosse) coverage. Can you do a similar article on Indoor Volleyball? I find that indoor volleyball is extremely difficult to shoot, more than any other sport I have covered. Please put special emphasis on Positioning and if you could advice on custom settings for Nikon D90 (with Nikon 85mm 1.8 lens) that would be a bonus. Many thanks for an excellent resource.

• 31 The Sports Photo Guy // Jun 12, 2010 at 5:15 pm

  Jamie – Sorry; I’m still contemplating how to tackle the idea of a posting mechanism for user images. As for golf, that’s one sport I’ve never shot – although I know the one cardinal rule: never shoot on the backswing!

  Trivedi – I’ll see if I can put together a volleyball article sometime soon.

• 32 MF // Jun 15, 2010 at 3:31 pm

  I want to know if you have photographed tennis. I have a match that is coming up.

  I am guessing msome of the settings would be the same as the either basball?

• 33 The Sports Photo Guy // Jun 15, 2010 at 8:08 pm

  Yes, although it has been a while. Before the D300, that’s for sure. I would think 21-point or even 51-point AF might work for tennis, depending on background, since the players are relatively isolated and often make quick, sudden moves, especially at the net.

• 34 Trivedi // Jun 19, 2010 at 10:31 pm

  Thank you for considering authoring an article on Volleyball, I hope you are able to do so before August ’10 that’s when the season starts for us.

  I look forward to reading it here.

• 35 Chuck Nickle // Jul 7, 2010 at 10:44 am

  Using D300 and love this camera, especially in studio work. Do some sports in low lit high school enviroments. Would the investment of a D700 be worthwhile. Shooting now at 3200 iso and it doesn’t always give me a high enough speed.

• 36 The Sports Photo Guy // Jul 7, 2010 at 4:32 pm

  I’m fortunate in that most of my arena shooting is in a very well-lit facility (I can shoot as low as ISO 400) so I’ve not felt the need to go to the D700 or D3 for better high-ISO capability. But there’s no question you’ll get cleaner results at high ISO from the full-frame sensors.

• 37 Jerome Trio // Aug 12, 2010 at 3:48 pm

  I use a D300 with the 70-200 VR lens to take basketball photographs. I set it at 1/400, 3.2, ISO 1600, and the WB at incandecent.

  Although I still get a lot of out of focus shots, I feel that I get a good amount of sharp pictures. The eyes and eyelids are in focus. Sometimes even the ball is in focus. Here is a sample: http://jactrio.multiply.com/photos/album/336/August_10_UAAP_Juniors_DLSZ_vs_UE#photo=6

  My problem is that I can’t seem to get enough detail with the players’ hair. I always get fuzzy results. http://jactrio.multiply.com/photos/album/336/August_10_UAAP_Juniors_DLSZ_vs_UE#photo=19

  I also find that the paint on the floor reflects too much on the players.

  Is it because of my technique or my camera settings? Is it because I set the Picture Control to Vivid, and the Image Quality to Fine?

  Thanks.

• 38 The Sports Photo Guy // Aug 17, 2010 at 5:50 pm

  I’m not sure I see the issue with the hair in the photo you posted. ??

• 39 Joel T. // Aug 25, 2010 at 2:12 am

  I would like to purchase another Phottix Kosmo battery for my D300. Can’t find them anywhere. Can you help? Know of anybody that still sells them?. Checked EBAY…..nope!! Any help appreciated.

  Joel T.

• 40 The Sports Photo Guy // Aug 25, 2010 at 2:44 am

  Try Phottix direct: http://www.phottixstore.com/batteries/phottix-titan-li-on-rechargeable-battery-en-el4a.html

• 41 Chuck N // Aug 29, 2010 at 11:37 pm

  I am shooting high school football with Nikon D700. Do you suggest using auto white balance? I also occasionally use a flash under camera in order to get light under helmets. Do you like the idea of using flash in this situation? Thanks.
  Chuck

• 42 The Sports Photo Guy // Aug 30, 2010 at 5:46 am

  What I normally do under artifical stadium lights (indoor or outdoor) is take a custom white balance with an ExpoDisc at a shutter speed of around 1/30 or so. That’s because the tri-phase lighting used for illumination has a constantly shifting white balance (methinks I see the need for another article) and the long shutter speed allows for something of an average. You’ll still get variations in color but not quite as bad as you would under auto white balance, where it will really be hit-or-miss.

  Flash is an excellent idea if you can sync high enough (1/250 or faster).

• 43 Chuck N // Sep 5, 2010 at 11:08 pm

  Do you suggest using 3D tracking at night time high school football games?

• 44 The Sports Photo Guy // Sep 6, 2010 at 7:07 am

  3D tracking is very powerful and impressive technology – but by and large, not very useful for team sports. Since the process relies heavily on color, it’s pretty easy for the camera to be fooled by multiple players wearing the same uniforms. The one exception to this rule, I’ve found, is baseball, where players are usually fairly isolated from one another. But even then I don’t use it all the time.

• 45 daytime football // Oct 12, 2010 at 2:17 am

  Hi: On the nikon d700 with 2.8 70-200 vr lens,what are the best camera settings to shoot kids football in daylight?

  thank you

• 46 The Sports Photo Guy // Oct 13, 2010 at 1:55 am

  I use similar settings for most outdoor field sports like football, soccer, and lacrosse. With that particular camera/lens combination I would probably use 9-point AF. But I’d follow the D300 settings for soccer as closely as you can with the D700.

• 47 ry // Dec 12, 2010 at 9:29 pm

  HI,

  I currently have a d80 and I shoot skiing….with a 18-200 56 lens, it doesn’t cut it. I was looking into a 70-200 vr II

  do you think i should save the money and get a better body (if so what?) and a cheaper lens.

  I cant get a good answer on what a good set up would be.

  Thanks,

  –ry

• 48 The Sports Photo Guy // Dec 13, 2010 at 1:32 am

  In the film days, there was an old adage that said put your money into glass first, body second. That made sense when manual focus ruled and every camera shot the same film. Even as autofocus cameras took center stage, the differences from one body to the next were often subtle and new cameras only came out every several years.

  Now things have changed. Each new generation of DSLR brings with it higher resolving power, better high ISO performance, and real improvements in metering, AF speed & accuracy, and burst capability.

  Looking at your situation – you’re shooting a largely daylight sport, with extremely fast-moving action. There’s no question that your tools could stand some upgrading. But I’d go for the lens first – I think it’s a more serious bottleneck than the camera is.

  The
  Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G AF-S VR II Zoom-Nikkor ED-IF and lenses in its class are the bread and butter of sports photographers. It definitely will help you get the job done. But at more than $2,000, it’s a huge plunge financially. Some less-expensive but nonetheless viable options include the
  Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM ($1,349 as of this writing) or the non-stabilized (non-VR) version, the
  Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 DG Macro HSM II ($800). Even the
  Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5 – 5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR ($520) would be a substantial improvement as a sports lens.

  Depending on which option you choose, you could also upgrade your camera body to a
  Nikon D300S ($1,449) or a
  Nikon D7000 ($1,200). Buying a camera and lens at the same time can also fetch you some good Nikon rebates right now as well.

• 49 Debbie // Dec 13, 2010 at 11:02 pm

  I rec’d the D300 as a gift, and love it.
  My photos in basketball seem to be too yellowish. I use an 70-200ml lens & use an extra flash. and shoot on Aperture. suggestions? please! I am so new to this i am overwhelmed.

• 50 The Sports Photo Guy // Dec 14, 2010 at 5:09 am

  Mixed lighting is always tricky. What are you using for white balance? You might try setting a custom white balance. See p. 136 in the D300 user manual: http://www.nikonusa.com/pdf/manuals/dslr/D300_en.pdf. I’ve found the
  ExpoImaging ExpoDisc to be indispensable for such situations. It might also help to put a gel over your flash so that it matches the ambient lighting – depending on what model of flash you use, something like this:
  Nikon SJ-1 Color Filter Set, Eight Filter Light Balancing Set for the SB-800, SB-600 & SB-80DX Flashes.

• 51 Patsy // Jan 2, 2011 at 5:39 pm

  Just stumbled upon your website, and I am so sorry it took so long! Love your photos.
  I shot my kids sports. Mostly indoor; volleyball, basketball and swimming. Lousy light situations!
  I have a 70-200 f2.8 VRI lens, and a 50 f1.4. I have been shooting with a D5000, but I am not satisfied with the speed or the focus.
  I have been offered $500.00 for my D5000, so I am ready to purchase a new body.
  Which would you recommend? D7000?, D300S or a used D300; and wait for the new version for Christmas next year?
  Thanks!

• 52 The Sports Photo Guy // Jan 2, 2011 at 8:09 pm

  I would say it comes down to where you think better technology can “help” you the most. The D7000 is better in low light, the D300s has the better AF system. I don’t have any personal experience with the D5000; but from what I know of it I think you’ll see a marked improvement with the D300s most everywhere EXCEPT in high ISO performance. So if that really is the clincher, I’d go with the D7000. I wouldn’t go the used D300 route.

• 53 debbie // Jan 6, 2011 at 12:28 am

  I have a D300 and love it. But the more i read, and learn, the more overwhelmed I am. I take photos of family and events. But going from photos at home, to ice hockey and to the gym for basketball. Not using an added flash, I have been using Manual exposure and high ISO my photos are bright but not focused well, and blurry. In basketball. Not really wanting to buy more, shouldn’t I be able to take better photos?
  Please help! thx

• 54 The Sports Photo Guy // Jan 6, 2011 at 7:42 am

  If you’re using manual mode, what shutter speed are you using? That’s the first place I’d look. When I’m shooting basketball I try for a shutter speed of 1/320 to 1/500 in order to freeze the action. Depending on how fast (i.e., what the lowest “f-number” is) your lens is, that may not be possible. Knowing what lens(es) you are shooting with would help my diagnosis as well!

• 55 debbie // Jan 15, 2011 at 1:57 pm

  i shoot with either 70-200 or 18-200. i tried the big lens last time, and photos very dark as i tried with out a flash. then went back to 18-200 lens. regular flash, but photos not sharp. driving me crazy as i am so new.

• 56 The Sports Photo Guy // Jan 15, 2011 at 2:22 pm

  Stick with the 70-200, no flash, “A” mode, set aperture to 2.8, and ISO to 1600 or 3200. That should get things sharper. Again, you’re aiming for a shutter speed of 1/320 to 1/500.

• 57 Nick // Jan 23, 2011 at 1:55 pm

  I shoot mostly sports and I want to upgrade but dont know which too choose the d7000 or the d300s?

• 58 The Sports Photo Guy // Jan 23, 2011 at 2:17 pm

  Easy answer: the D300s is a good sports camera and a good all-around camera. The D7000 is a great all-around camera and a so-so sports camera. If sports is primarily what you shoot, go for D300s.

• 59 RobC // Apr 4, 2011 at 11:01 am

  For shooting outdoor sports and also air shows does an uncoated vs coated vs multicoated filter matter?

• 60 The Sports Photo Guy // Apr 5, 2011 at 12:24 am

  I don’t use filters very often on modern, high quality lenses; they’re not really needed. but when I do, I use high quality multi-coated filters.

• 61 Andy Burrow // Apr 19, 2011 at 9:51 pm

  Chuck,
  I enjoy your information on compact flash cards allot. Very helpful. Keep it UP. Allot of good information on your website.

  Myself, retired US Air Force photographer, 20+ years. Picked the cameras back up in 2006. Never really stopped just slowed to a crawl. Just family stuff between retirement in 1992 and 2006. Got back in the game again in 2006. Doing allot of sports and rodeo’s. My arena stuff this last year I have lite it up with White Lightnings. X1600. Good dependable lights. Running Nikon (dark side) D3, D2x, D300.
  Currently I am using 70-200, 2.8 VR, 200 F2 VR, all Nikon and 50-500 Sigma, Nikon, 14-24,2.8, 24-70 2.8. Bit of a wide angle junky. Love the 14-24 2.8. The 200 f2 VR one of the BEST glass Nikon builds. Never leave home without it. The day job is shooting cars for dealerships and posting to web. Weekend is when I get to play with the sports and rodeo. Have spent several seasons on dirt track. Fun work. Baseball, football, soccer always something to go shoot. But I will keep the day job, it pays the bills. The faster it moves the more I enjoy it. Mach 3, inverted with the hair on fire in Abilene, Texas. Get a chance view my website http://www.pictureabilene.com (Andy’s favorites) is a allot of what I enjoy the most.
  BE SAFE
  Andy

• 62 azhari yusop // May 23, 2011 at 5:33 am

  Just stumbled into your site. Nice as being very practicle.
  i’m a user of D300s and Sigma OS 70-200 F2.8. Under a normal night stadium light, i found it hard to actually capture a sharp photo. Mostly were blurry.

  I’ve set as AF-C but it couldn’t capture the guy in focus as sharp as i would like?

  any idea…

• 63 The Sports Photo Guy // May 23, 2011 at 6:09 am

  Most likely, you are not getting a fast enough shutter speed. You should do one of a couple of things.

  1 – Shoot in aperture-priority mode (“A”) and use the front command dial to set the aperture on the lens to f2.8. Then set your ISO high enough (I’d start at 1600) to ensure the resulting shutter speed is at least 1/500 or faster.

  2 – Use the Secret D300 High-Speed Auto ISO Trick and select your shutter speed and aperture manually.

  You’re correct in using AF-C mode, but the most common cause of blurry action photos is too slow of a shutter speed rather than inability to achieve focus.

• 64 Saundra Vaudreuil // Jun 13, 2011 at 10:30 pm

  Hi,
  Love your site!! I just recently bought a D300. I upgraded from my D50. And I love it. I need help with what lens to get and what settings my camera should be set at. I’ve asked so many people and keep getting so many different answers. I shoot college softball and soccer. I love the zoom of my 300mm but hate the DOF. I’m using a really old lens. I need to know what lens I should be buying. Also, should I set my camera on shutter priority or aperture priority? Please give me several lens choices as I have yet to convince my husband that I need a new lens and may not be able to spend what I want. : )

  Thank you!

• 65 The Sports Photo Guy // Jun 14, 2011 at 7:48 am

  For settings, I would use the Secret D300 High Speed Auto-ISO Trick – then you can adjust your shutter speed and aperture to get the exact effect you want, based on the conditions. For outdoor field sports, I will typically choose 1/1600 @ f4 during daylight and 1/800 @ f2.8 at night if I can manage it.

  For lenses, you definitely want something that reaches out to 300mm. A “consumer” 70-300/f4-5.6 lens is a good beginner lens, although I’m guessing that’s what you use now and as you point out, the depth of field leaves something to be desired. Unfortunately it is a big jump up to something better, as you’re going to be looking at $1,000 or so regardless.

  One good combination is an 80-200/f2.8 paired with a good 1.4x teleconverter. This is almost like getting two lenses in one. For a similar price, you could get something like Sigma’s 100-300/f4 zoom. Up above $2,000 is the Sigma 120-300/f2.8, my bread and butter lens and one which I highly recommend. Shell out a few hundred to a few thousand more for a 300/f2.8.

  Hope this helps!

• 66 David // Sep 1, 2011 at 12:09 pm

  Hey Sports Photo Guy – I have recently got into using a dslr – just got a nikon d5100 with the kit lenses – 18-55 and 55-300. I also picked up a Tamron 28-75 f2.8. My thought was to use the fast zoom for my daughters indoor volleyball. I can push the ISO pretty high on the camera. My thought was that I might also want a 85mm 1.4 – the Sigma with hsm being the more reasonable but still expensive option. Is this my next best option or should I got with a slightly longer lens like the 105 prime? Or try to get an expensive 70-200 2.8 non nikon lens. I may also do some portrait work. I am doing this for fun but want good photos on a hobby budget. Thanks!

• 67 The Sports Photo Guy // Sep 2, 2011 at 6:37 am

  An 85/f1.4 (or even the venerable 85/f1.8) is a great lens for volleyball and something of an icon for portraiture. But a 70-200/f2.8 is no slouch at either task and overall gives you a lot more flexibility. Tough choice but the 70-200 is a bread-and-butter lens and you’ll nearly always have a good use for it.

• 68 Bob Stewart // Sep 2, 2011 at 5:05 pm

  Hey, Chuck –>

  After years of nature (scenic) photography I’ve taken it on myself to photograph my son’s varsity football team in Clarke County (outside of Winchester, VA). I’m not getting good results with my D300. I have to shoot at very high ISO , 3200, because the games are at night. My biggest problem is that uniforms, numbers, etc. come out pretty sharp, but faces, hands, etc. are very soft…almost out of focus. I’ve always shot in RAW and decided to shoot the first game as jpegs with Active D-lighting on normal and high ISO NR on Normal or High. I was going to try tonight’s game with both of those off. Is that what’s getting me the soft focus on skin? My focus is on auto continuous with Dynamic Area-AF on. The last game I had 21-point focus set, but am thinking of going with 9-point tonight after reading some of your suggestions here. Should I go back to RAW shooting? Any other suggestions to get the pix nice and sharp? Thanks!

• 69 The Sports Photo Guy // Sep 3, 2011 at 7:16 am

  I’m guessing what you’re seeing is more the product of High ISO noise and JPG artifacts than it is a matter of focus. Areas of high contrast and clear definition (like numbers on jerseys) reproduce best at high ISO, while faces – especially faces shadowed behind facemasks and helmets – are much less consistent and will have areas of shadow and more subtle shading. One suggestion: turn off high ISO NR in the camera, and apply a tool like Neat Image which can both reduce noise and sharpen your image. I’ve found in nine times out of ten Neat Image can significantly improve the clarity of these high ISO images without making them look cartoonish the way in-camera NR can.

• 70 Monte Morton // Sep 27, 2011 at 10:15 am

  Great site and thank you for sharing it. My problem is I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong for shooting my son’s soccer game under the lights. I have a Nikon D90 with a Sigma 150-500 zoom lens. My shots are coming out blurred and I have tried everything. What would your setting be for this type of photography?

  Monte

• 71 The Sports Photo Guy // Sep 27, 2011 at 6:00 pm

  You’re not getting a high enough shutter speed, which is causing the blurred images. You may have a tough time getting a fast enough shutter speed with that particular lens; while it and other variations of the “Bigma” are pretty impressive and good enough for daylight shooting, the poor lighting of most sports venues make shooting with it tough at night. First, set your D90 to ISO Auto Control (p. 166 of manual) and your mode dial to ‘S’ (shutter priority) with a shutter speed of 1/250 or faster. If memory serves, the D90 is also capable of the Secret D300 High-Speed Auto ISO Trick for even more precise control over the shutter speed and aperture combination. But I think you’ll be lucky to reach a shutter speed of 1/250 with that lens unless you’re at a very well-lit field.

• 72 Rich // Oct 13, 2011 at 11:33 am

  Chuck,

  Thanks for taking the time with us neophytes!

  I shoot football and hockey with my D700, primarily with 70-200 and 400 vr.

  While these two venues share some similarities, they also represent different challenges.

  Exposure is an area that I struggle with, it seems that my histogram is far from what I would call perfect. I am doing custom white balance on ice and “manual” white balance using live view for football.

  Do you have any tips that might put my exposure and histogram closer to ideal.

  Thanks again for the website, and look forward to your thoughts.

  Rich

• 73 Pete // Oct 19, 2011 at 1:52 pm

  I have a Sigma 150-500mm F5-F6.3 lens. I found out that this lens is not good for shooting nighttime football. What should I Do?

• 74 The Sports Photo Guy // Oct 19, 2011 at 11:09 pm

  Beg, borrow, or steal a constant f2.8 lens…or a body like the D3 that can shoot at really high ISO settings without completely ruining your images.

• 75 The Sports Photo Guy // Oct 19, 2011 at 11:18 pm

  Experiment. Trial-and-error is a valid method. The metering system in today’s Nikons is pretty amazing, and can usually nail the exposure…but tricky lighting can still be, well, tricky. I’ve found that using spot metering can be a big help, especially with the Secret D300 High-Speed Auto ISO Trick. It adjusts the ISO in 1/6-stop increments, giving you even more nuanced exposure than usually possible. Use of the spot meter ensures what you’ve got your AF sensor aimed at is properly exposed; great when you’re shooting a heavily shadowed subject or if there are bright lights in the background of your shot.

• 76 LIAM // Oct 23, 2011 at 7:36 am

  recently bought a 70.200 f2.8 sigma hsm , using it with a nikon d2x, photos look ok on lcd screen of camera but on inspection on pc they are out of focus, blurred etc. why? the lens is immaculate, boxed etc and camera is fine?

• 77 The Sports Photo Guy // Oct 23, 2011 at 7:44 am

  What shutter speeds are you getting with the out-of-focus images? What shutter speeds do you get with images that are in-focus and sharp? What AF settings are you using? Those answers can help with the diagnosis.

• 78 LIAM // Oct 23, 2011 at 3:27 pm

  WAS USING ISO 200 UP TO 640 LAST NIGHT FOR SOME FOOTBALL SHOTS, THEY ALL LOOK GREAT ON THE CAMERA VIEWFINDER/LCD SCREEN, AS SOON AS THEY GO ONTO A PC AND OPENED UP THEY ARE OUT OF FOCUS, BLURRY AND PIXELATED /GRAINY THE LENS IS WHAT I DESCRIBED TO YOU BUT IT HAS NOT GOR THE AF/M SELECTOR LIKE ON OTHER MODELS, IM NEW TO THE GAME AND AM WORRIED IF ITS MY D2X SENSOR?

• 79 Richard // Oct 23, 2011 at 5:17 pm

  Do you use any in-camera settings such as satuation? And do you keep Active D-lightning always on?

• 80 The Sports Photo Guy // Oct 24, 2011 at 5:31 am

  It’s not likely to be a sensor problem. If you’re shooting night football at ISO 200-640, it’s doubtful your shutter speed is fast enough. Again, what *shutter speed* were those images captured at? I would set my ISO to 1600, shoot in aperture-priority mode, with aperture set to f2.8. That will give you best results.

• 81 The Sports Photo Guy // Oct 24, 2011 at 5:35 am

  I usually boost Saturation slightly via the Picture Controls setting (see, for example, http://sportsphotoguy.com/camera-settings-basketball-d300/). And yes, I usually shoot with ADL, although since it can put a crimp in the length of high-speed bursts I will turn it off if lighting is very even (such as a light overcast day).

• 82 Tom Kielick // Nov 1, 2011 at 12:56 pm

  I discovered your website recently and I really enjoy reading your reviews and comments on sports photography techniques in general and Nikon gear specifically.

  My son Brett is a competitive bicycle racer and I have been honing my skills taking pictures of him and his team mates. I use a Nikon D200 and Nikon 70-300 VR lens but am considering an upgrade to solve some of my technical issues but I am not sure which way to go.

  I have honed my own photography skill such that I get a larger percentage of keepers: sharp, well lit and well composed with non-distracting backgrounds. I feel that I am ready to move up a step and wondered if you might pass on any suggestions regarding equipment.

  Option 1: Upgrade from D200 to used Nikon D300 with aux battery pack MB-D10 to give 8 FPS over existing 5 FPS ($1500). I feel that I am missing out on the action that takes place between each capture in a burst sequence. Do you think that the jump from 5 to 8 FPS will be significant? The D300 might also get me a little better quality at higher ISO – see below. Except for these points I am quite satisfied with my current D200 and don’t feel a big urge to “upgrade” just for the sake of having newer gear.

  Option 2: Upgrade to (new/used) 70-200 F2.8 VR zoom ($1800-2400 depending upon VR1 or VR2). My current 70-300 VR is great in good light but I find the ISO creeping upwards to 800 and above when heavy clouds roll in etc. This will give me faster aperture for lower light and allow me to keep ISO down and my shutter speeds up. I have always wanted this lens but noted that I will also lose the 300mm focal length (if I don’t use a TC – additional $350 used) that seems to come in handy at times.

  There’s my dilemma. I can only do one at a time. Emotionally I would love to own the new glass but practically thinking the faster body might be the better tool. Where do you think I will get the best bang for the buck?

• 83 The Sports Photo Guy // Nov 2, 2011 at 7:05 pm

  I’d recommend the VR1. The biggest improvement in the VR2, IMO, is better full-frame coverage (necessitated by the D3) and whatever else is there is not worth the much higher price. While the 70-300 is the best lens ever in its class, being able to shoot at f2.8 is simply a necessity for serious sports shooters.

  Don’t discount the value of an upgrade to a D300, though. Personally, I think the D300 is the most significant non-flagship camera Nikon has introduced since the D70. And 8 fps has very little to do with it. Best metering I’ve ever seen in any camera; amazingly useful Auto ISO. High ISO performance doesn’t even compare. Much, much more than just a faster, 12 MP D200.

  As for fps…speed always helps, but 8 fps won’t really make that much difference – you’ll still only get one bite at the apple, so to speak, when it comes to peak action. Is nice to have. But I’d start with the lens. That will last you through several camera bodies.

• 84 Tom Kielick // Nov 4, 2011 at 9:19 am

  Thanks for the advice. regarding the D300 – I try to buy most of my gear used. Any reason to go for the D300s vs the D300 when I get to that point? I have no interest in Live View or video and not sure I would spring for the D300s replacement whenever that comes out.

• 85 The Sports Photo Guy // Nov 6, 2011 at 6:06 am

  I’ve always thought of the D300s as the D300 perfected. Since used D300s prices will drop significantly whenever the replacement hits the market, and you’re guaranteed a body that’s newer than any D300 you might run across, I’d say all else being equal you’re probably better off getting a D300s. There are a number of little tweaks here and there that are significant enough even without the video and greatly improved Live View mode.

• 86 raifie // Nov 20, 2011 at 11:47 am

  Great site. Very informative. I shoot a D7000 with 70-200 2.8 Nikon lens. I have a few questions for shooting hockey. I’ve been shooting fine jpegs on continuous at 800-1000 iso. Some post production in aperture. I have also set the white balance to flourescent. Here are my questions
  1. Do you have AF-c set to release or focus? Same for priority selection release or focus?
  2.Many times in a sequence I’ll get the first shot in focus and the rest out. Any tricks?
  3.Burst shooting? How do you set it up as to avoid #2.
  Thanks so much
  R

• 87 The Sports Photo Guy // Nov 21, 2011 at 7:00 am

  Couple of suggestions. Switch from fluorescent WB to a pre-set WB. I set AF-C to focus priority on the D7000. #2 & #3 – could be many things causing this. Try narrowing focus mode to 21-point or 9-point dynamic and practice, practice, practice tracking moving subjects.

• 88 Bill // Jan 6, 2012 at 8:30 am

  I hope you could help me , I have a D-700 with a 70/200 2.8 shooting hockey right now this is my problem. Manual mode iso from 1600 to 3200 , custom white balance, 2.8 ap ss from 600 to 800.
  The faces look very fuzzy and pixaly all due I think to the high ISO , I never have a problem with my outdoor sports and I know the d-700 like the d-3 is great with high iso I also tried aperture p mode and had the same results. Any suggestions on what I could try to get better results Thank you

• 89 The Sports Photo Guy // Jan 7, 2012 at 5:21 am

  Do you have some of these photos available online somewhere? Since we all have different definitions of “pixaly” it really helps to look at a photo to see what might really be going on.

• 90 Bill // Jan 7, 2012 at 8:57 am

  I would love to send you a few photos if you email me I will attach some photos. This is a great site I have tried to ask some other photographers at different venues and they are not willing to help. So that being said a BIG THANK YOU.

• 91 The Sports Photo Guy // Jan 7, 2012 at 9:45 am

  Sorry, I don’t accept photos by email – but free online photo sites abound (Flickr, Picasa Web Albums, etc.)…and this allows other readers to follow the discussion also (which is the point of me answering questions here rather than by email).

  You have to realize that many other photographers out “in the field” are working pros rather than hobbyists and are there to do a job…judging from your email I suppose you might feel the same if you were doing a complicated installation and somebody tried to ask you a lot of questions about the advantage of heat pumps over new geothermal systems…not with a mind to hire you to do it but so he could do it himself.

• 92 Bill // Jan 7, 2012 at 10:14 am

  Good point, I will upload some to picasa thanks again

• 93 Bill // Jan 8, 2012 at 11:46 am

  https://picasaweb.google.com/109255112625886886724/GirlsBoysJvHockey?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMShoefQu_zQogE&feat=directlink

  Here is the link to 4 photo , the faces are red and I think a little fuzzy. I was using AP mode 1600 ISO Custom WB with a disk .
  Thank you

• 94 joy // Jan 13, 2012 at 11:12 pm

  i dont have the best lens =es i know for indoor basketball- the kids are aged 10-12. i have a 55-200 and 70-300 both 4-5.6, I also have a Tamron 17-50 2.8 lens. What settings should I use for basketball. i also have a SB-600. Thank you so much for your help- much appreciated.

• 95 The Sports Photo Guy // Jan 14, 2012 at 12:06 am

  You didn’t mention which camera…but definitely go with the 17-50. Depending on which camera, you may be able to use the Secret D300 High-Speed Auto ISO Trick and shoot in manual mode at 1/250 or 1/320 @ f2.8. If your camera does not support Auto ISO, I’d recommend shooting in “A” (aperture priority mode) @f2.8. Adjust your ISO so that you have a shutter speed of at least 1/250 or faster.

  Using on-camera flash (built-in or SB-600 on the hot shoe) shouldn’t be used as the players can find it distracting.

• 96 Wendy // Jan 20, 2012 at 12:43 pm

  Hi – I’m wondering what settings and lens I should use to shoot indoor basetball – 7 yr olds so they are not quick like high school or college boys!! – no windows HUGE building that houses 15 courts all open – all my pictures are dark and a tad un focused.
  I have a Nikon d90 – the kit lens that is 18-105mm f/3.5 I also have a 50mm 1.4G and a 50-300mm f4.5-5.6 and I have and sb-600 speedlight…. so can you tell me what lens – flash or no flash and what settings you would recommend! Thanks!!!

• 97 George // Jan 20, 2012 at 2:26 pm

  I purchased a Nikon 300m 2.8 VR2 and a 2x converter type 3 yesterday for my D300s which cost me an arm and a leg. I have yet to use it in anger on lacrosse however have fallen in love with it with the test shots in the garden. Do you have any recommendations on the apperture to use ?
  Best Regards

• 98 The Sports Photo Guy // Jan 21, 2012 at 9:53 am

  The 50/f1.4 is definitely the lens to use. The Secret D300 High-Speed Auto ISO Trick will work with the D90, so my advice would be to use it and set a manual exposure of 1/400 and f2 for starters and a max ISO of 3200. Depending on the exact lighting situation, you can adjust those values (the 50/f1.4G produces great shots wide open at f1.4).

  Courtside flash is probably a no-no as players tend to be distracted. And with those little guys, you definitely want to get low!

• 99 The Sports Photo Guy // Jan 21, 2012 at 9:56 am

  That baby was made to be shot wide open – f2.8 (which will really be f5.6 with the TC) all the way. If lighting is dim, ditch the teleconverter – indeed, unless I’m concentrating on the goalkeeper from the opposite end of the field, I seldom use more than a TC-14E (1.4x) in conjunction with a 300.

• 100 Jamie Corpus // Feb 4, 2012 at 4:51 pm

  I shoot primarily HS Basketball and now some college. Im about to change/upgrade. Been using Sony and while I am still a Sony fan..the availability of Sony accessories etc is not great( ie; renting lenses) and focus has been a nagging issue, and with Basketball it has to be FAST
  In the quest of researching to buy new gear..I find it overwhelming at best..lol!
  So if you had 3k to buy new camera and hopefully at least one decent lens. (Id like to have 70-200, 24-70, 50 and 85) What would you buy? Id like to start doing more portraits..but Basketball photography (and Custom Sports posters) is my passion. PLEASE help me with recommendations! Just when your leaning one way..info pops up and I lean the other way.. lol! Its a never ending cycle..lol!
  Hope you can give me some direction!
  Gratefully
  Jamie

• 101 The Sports Photo Guy // Feb 4, 2012 at 5:19 pm

  Tough call at this moment. Personally, I am holding out for the D300s replacement from Nikon – likely to be the rumored, 16MP D400 sometime this spring. Unfortunately, that might be a bit late for basketball. Another possibility would be to pick up a used D300 or D300s – these are tough bodies that are great for basketball. Also in the used department, a Nikon 70-200/f2.8G VR (1st edition) is a great all-around sports lens, though a bit on the long side for basketball with a crop-factor camera (I use it mostly for mid-court shots but it’s nonetheless an essential tool). A reasonable alternative is the Sigma 70-200/f2.8. I also highly recommend Sigma’s 50/f1.4G. The Nikon 24-70/f2.8G is an awesome lens, but pricey. I use the (discontinued) Sigma 18-50/f2.8 HSM, an incredibly sharp zoom. Hope this helps!

• 102 Mike Staudenmayer // Feb 28, 2012 at 5:50 pm

  Hi there, I’ve got a D7000 with a Nikon 18-200 3.5-5.6 VR and a Sigma 100-300 f4. I shoot alpine ski racing and was considering the Nikon 80-200 2.8 AF D for sharper larger aperature – shallower dof. I figured I could go w a tc to get back that extra reach (200-300) and still be ahead of the game w the sharpness. I find the 18-200 dof and sharpness are somewhat limiting in the longer focal lengths. I’m curious as to your thoughts.

  Thanks a ton, Mike

• 103 The Sports Photo Guy // Feb 28, 2012 at 7:55 pm

  I can’t imagine using the 18-200 for any sort of sports action, although I used one for years as my primary “walkabout” and travel photography lens. The 80-200/f2.8D is, I am certain, likely to be a step up from the Sigma, though I don’t know about how it would compare with a teleconverter added (though you in correct in thinking you won’t lose much optical quality if you stick to 1.4x). One thing to be aware of: Nikon does not make an “AF” teleconverter, only AF-S. So the TC-14E (any version) will be manual focus only with the 80-200/f2.8D. The
  Kenko Teleplus Pro 300 DGX AF 1.4x Teleconverter does work with both AF-S and traditional AF lenses, and is optically very nice.

• 104 Chris W // May 9, 2012 at 12:03 am

  Hello Sports Photo Guy!

  I also stumbled across your site tonight in search of some help in setting my focus points for the best and most consistent results with my new D7000. I have been playing with all the modes and points, and just can’t seem to get the right combination for consistency. I have been getting frustrated with many pictures being out of focus. I mostly shoot basketball and soccer at this time, but want to do more. Any thoughts? Thanks so much for your time!

• 105 The Sports Photo Guy // May 9, 2012 at 12:47 am

  Hi Chris,

  The settings can be pretty complicated, though they’re designed to offer maximum control.

  For just about all sports, I’ve settled on 9-point Dynamic AF, AF-C. This requires pretty accurate tracking on your part; when I first started using the 51/39-point AF system, I mostly used 21-point until I got used to it.

  51/39-point 3D tracking technology is cool, but has pretty limited application in sports – it just can’t keep up. But with some refinement, Nikon’s autofocus will become pretty brainless, I think.

  Last bit of advice: check out Nikon’s Digitutor on the AF system; it does a good job of explaining the different modes:

  http://www.nikondigitutor.com/eng/d7000/index.html

• 106 Chris W // May 9, 2012 at 5:05 pm

  Thanks for your thoughts and the link on the D7000! I appreciate your time! If you have time, and are interested, I’d love for you to take a look at some of my current pictures from my website, and let me know what you think (good and bad) privately to my e-mail address. I need all the help and feedback I can get to be a better photographer! Thank you so much!!!

  Chris Wissell

Leave a Comment