DodgerK

I've had a Nikon D7200 camera foe 3 years and take pictures all of the time. I started taking pictures for a local high school and have had to really turn up the ISO so that I could get good pictures. The problem is there is a lot of noise in them. I've been researching lens for a couple of months and have found that the Nikon 70-200MM f2.8 is a great lens for taking sports pictures and great in low light. I rented the lens to test it out. I went to take pictures of an adult softball league last night. It was 50/50 on getting them in focus and not very fast. The ISO was on 3200 with the exposure time being 200-250. I read somewhere where the lens needs to be synced with the camera. Any help?

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

The lens is typically better than many others in lower light, but it has it's limits as well. Plus, there are camera AF settings and servo settings that can enhance your focus speed as well!

sandiegosteve Loc: San Diego, CA

I've shot a D7200 with the 70-200/2.8 plenty. The 7200 is ok in low light, but there are too many factors that can give soft focus. Aperture, shutter speed, How you focus, AF Fine tune and things like fog or excessive heat can make images look soft.

For sports, I use single point focus, continuous AF with back button and make sure that I have the ISO to get good exposure. It is better to get it right with a higher ISO than to push in post. ISO doesn't mess with focus, just a random thing I'll throw out.
Single point AF is good, but you need to move it around. If AF locks on the wrong spot, you image will look out of focus. Multi-pioint is good to get something in focus, but with sports, it is often wrong.

2.8 is great for dark, but depth of field is shallow. If you miss AF by a little, it is all out of focus.

Shutter - you are probably good at those speeds, but lens shake can look like a focus problem.

Then the environment - softball. Lots of black skies, dark brow dirt, deep greens and maybe some white shirts? Not much contrast, so it will be hard on any camera. The pro AF systems, think D5 and D500, get good reviews for -4EV AF. That means they work well in the dark. Does the D7200 work? Yes, but I also feel that with that body I miss plenty for focus.

When you ask about "synced with camera", you are probably talking about AF Fine Tune. This is good to do and it is lens specific to bodies. Front-focus or back-focus can often be corrected with it. If you AF was good in the daytime, it might be a low light issue. It is just harder in low light. If your AF is front or back, then it will help. Look at some shots where you also have the ground; grass is great for this. Does it look more in focus in the front or back. If you see a trend toward front or back, you might need to AF Fine tune. Lots of youtube videos on AF Fine tune.

Do an AF Fine tune. You will feel better and your camera may focus better. Then practice. You will get better with sports AF over time.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

There are several 70-200 2.8 lenses. All are good but the latest Fl ($2700.00) is the best.

martinfisherphoto Loc: Lake Placid Florida

No reason to have your shutter speed set to 1/200 to 1/250th for action shots. No mention if your in aperture priority or what mode your shooting in. I would suggest getting the book Understanding Exposure 3rd edition by Bryan Peterson. This will help you understand the workings of a camera. If you learn the exposure triangle you'll be able to comfortable select your aperture, shutter and ISO in a low light situation and get the best possible shot.......

Strodav Loc: Houston, Tx

The previous replies contain excellent tips, but a couple of more things come to mind.. You can reduce the noise in post processing with apps like Neat Image. Sometimes you can speed up AF by manually focusing to where its close then let AF do its thing. Works for me with long zooms for BIF with my D7200.

picsman Loc: Scotland

When taking my sports pics I always focus near to where I am going to take the picture after each burst. This helps get more in focus pics.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

I focus on my subject and have extremely few issues.

Archiefamous Loc: Manhattan

Steve Perry has a new video course on noise reduction

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

It might be a good idea to also check out his SECRETS TO THE NIKON AUTOFOCUS SYSTEM for setting up a camera. https://backcountrygallery.com/secrets-nikon-autofocus-system/

ABJanes Loc: Jersey Boy now Virginia

Posting some of your efforts would be helpful with store original checked. I would suggest getting closer.....f/2.8 at 70MM focusing at 25' gives you acceptable focus 2' in front & 2' in back. However, at 200MM gives you acceptable focus at 3" front to back. I took some shots with my D7100 in a gym and my ISO was ranging from 5-6400. I used adobe camera raw to de-noise them and they look decent. I enlarged them to 200%++ so I could see the impact of my efforts when I worked on them. I used Elements 2018.

tomcat

Another thing that will help the sharpness is to make certain that you have the lens barrel switch set to VR on and "Normal". Do not use the "sport" mode. The "sports" mode is for a gimbal type movement where you are going up and down and back and forth simultaneously, like riding in a helicopter. Also, when I shoot sports, I keep my shutter at 1/500 to freeze whatever motion pops up. As others have said, with that lens, it is heavy and you need to practice tracking your subject quite a lot because at f/2.8, your depth of field is going to be very shallow. Also, after setting your focus mode to AF-C, select the 9 points or 21 points. Contrary to what some folks swear by, do not attempt to use AF area focus. That mode selects whatever is closest to the camera and that may not always be your subject. I'd rent it again and do some daylight shots to practice tracking. This will also give you the opportunity to see if the lens will lock focus on a stationary subject that's not moving. The D7200 is not a great low light camera--it will do it, but with noise. If you want to get Topaz AI Clear, it's the best noise reduction program I've used and I use it all the time for shots taken at ISO 12,500-20,000 in dim light with my D3s. So don't be discouraged, but keep refining your technique. You can do it, but it's not a one-shot deal on your first time out. You have to practice and refine. Good luck and post us some images.

fstoprookie Loc: Central Valley of California

I own a D5, D500, and shoot High School sports. I shoot Football at f2.8, 1/1000, ISO at around 8500. Yep, I still get noise and tracking a runner, or receiver takes LOTS of concentration to keep the focus point on the target. Lots of practice and LR & PS helps. Basketball and Volleyball inside most gyms are also challenging. Good luck and keep practicing. PS I shot these sports for many years with a D3 and that too was a challenge - Don't stop - Keep up the practice.

treadwl Loc: South Florida

I've shot HS and college sports for years. I usually use full frame cameras but I have shot the Nikon D7200 with the Nikon 70-200 f2.8 lens. if you are doing HS sports you will need a shutter speed of at least 750-800 if you are going to stop action. You will not stop the full action at 200-250. The aperture should be 2.8, that is the fastest you can get. If you are shooting in daylight a standard meter reading with determine your ISO. If you are shooting at night (good luck) but you will need to be near 2500 to 3200 ISO because gyms and field are poorly lit. DO NOT take a meter reading. Take a shot at the settings I mention, if it is too bright---bring the ISO down one stop and try again. If it is too dark, then push the ISO higher one stop. Check what the image looks like and continue adjusting the ISO until you get something close. Set the camera on continuous servo (Nikon's term) This will allow the camera to track your subject while it is moving. I strongly suggest back button focus so that you press the focus button on the back of the camera and hold it while you track the action. then trip the shutter. Look up Steve Perry and Backbutton Focus. He has a video that will show you how to set up your camera.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

I'm fairly close to your settings and often strive not to exceed SS of 640 and depending on the age, sometimes slower. The bigger difference is that with the varying dark/light wall coverings, auto iso has been working quite well for me with the D500 and D850 and occasional F4 with the 70-200.