sandiegosteve Loc: San Diego, CA

We should almost create a new thread about focus modes.

At an outdoor soccer game last weekend, I tried 3D and 51point. I didn't like watching the box jump all over the screen in 3D, so I didn't test for long. With 51-point C, I had a lot more pictures in focus, but not always what I wanted in focus. I think with 9-point and S, I get what I want in focus, but miss a few more. I need to keep testing (which is fun 'cause I'm taking pictures).

Dexter56 Loc: Ohio

I think the focus modes is the one thing that really is a trial and error. I like your idea of a separate thread. See what works for others. I think a lot of it does depend on what you are shooting. I still think I had better luck in dynamic with 9 focus points than with 25.

tomcat

For soccer, I use d-72 points—with the center focus point in the group shifted a tad above dead center in the viewfinder about where the player heads would be , and AF-C. However, I do Not use erratic motion—I keep that set in the center default. I also set the focus point to show in the viewfinder during a chimp review. I find that the only reason I’m ever out of focus is due to operator error, where I wasn’t fast enough to lock onto the player. When I’m on target, I have 100% focus accuracy. This really works well for volleyball and basketball also

tomcat

Oops. I meant that I set the focus point to show on the rear LCD screen and not the viewfinder—sorry for any confusion. I chimp a lot of my shots soon after shooting to keep myself on target with exposures etc. By the way, I also set the camera to Auto-ISO, which was an act of heresy to this old fashioned annual shooting goat a year ago. I am really delighted with the keepers using this set of focusing settings I mentioned in my post above.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

For sports action, I strongly recommend Group Focus and Continuous focus. Single point focus, unless you can accurately follow an erratically moving player, is most likely going to result in way too many missed images. Single Focus, generally referred to by Nikon as AF-S, is, IMHO, not useful for anything that moves. For the most complete information I've ever seen, or read, on the Nikon focusing system, and ALL of its settings, buy Steve Perry's ebook on the subject. It's 480 pages of fun-to-read, and easy-to-read, information. Enough to send you reeling, but meant to bring you to that ahhhhh moment. (No, I'm not a relative!) Best of luck.

tomcat

The problem I had with Group focus is that the camera will sometimes choose the closest subject, which is not always good for me when there's a gang of kids around the ball or one that may be several feet in front of my intended subject. I shot with Group focus for an experiment and just did not like the out-of-focus intended subjects. So I went back to D-72 points, keeping the center focus point just a tad above the center, so it aligned with the player's heads. Doing this practice with the center point slightly higher also made me keep the subject nearer the top of the frame and not in the center of the composition.

Note that in this attached image, the focus was on player #15 intentionally (he was a senior) and not the surrounding players. With group focus, I would find that player #3 would sometimes be the camera's focus point, since he was closer to the camera than player 15 was. So I find for myself, greater focusing accuracy with D-72 and AF-(C) would give me the best success. Also, during daylight, I shot at f/5.6, for cya.

(Download)

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

Shoot as you like. Another thing I always do is shoot absolutely wide open. Takes more experience, but once you get it, you've got it. I would not buy a Nikon 400/2.8E FL and use it a 5.6. Shooting sports action is something I've been doing, in one form or another, since I was 13, so now 50 years and counting, hopefully. Best of luck.

tomcat

I do shoot often at f/2.8 or even more wide open at f/1.4 in a gym or at night or late afternoons when I need to keep the ISO lower. But in the sunshine, it's almost always at f/5.6 for two reasons: the depth of field to cma when the focus point is missed and secondly, most lens are not at their sharpest either wide-open or shut down to their maximum. I have found that f/2.8 in the sunshine can make my images a little too contrasty, so I like to stop down to save some highlights. Thanks for sharing....