Sports photos with Nikon D7000 a1, a2 release-mode settings

[brucehughw]

Hi, everyone.

I've been reading up on sports and action photography and have gleaned that setting the D7000 so that the AE/AL button handles the focus is key. AF-C and perhaps only a single tracking focus point (as opposed to 9, 21, 35) are also key.

I've read mixed comments regarding the setting (the "release mode") that requires the subject to be in focus before the D7000 will take the photo. A book I purchased says use it, "why would you want to take a photo of something not in focus?" Online comments say otherwise, "any delay between focussing and taking the photo will kill your focus." - I plan to try both at the next soccer / football / futbol game, but was wondering if anyone has also tried both and maybe I can learn from their experience.

Also, do 4 frames per second seem reasonable?

Thanks!

Bruce

[PhotomanJohn]

I am a real fan of rear button focusing with the focus set on AF-C and I think you will like it. As far the release mode IMO it has to be set to take the photo an ignore the focus. If you don't have it set that way then it will not release the shutter if the camera thinks your focus spot is no longer in focus. Push the release button all you want and nothing happens. I want the camera to take the exposure when I push the button and not get in the way. I may have recomposed the shot or done something creative and don't want it to prevent me from taking the shot. Sometimes a slightly out of focus shot of some event is much better than no shot at all. I would turn off all of those supposedly helpful features including the delay in refocusing when the subject is lost in the AF-C mode (focus tracking off) and enjoy taking photos the way you want and not some software engineer's idea of how it should be done. (Can you tell I spent 35 years shooting with fully manual cameras?)

Have fun at the game!

John

[brucehughw]

John,

Thanks very much. Great ideas and I look forward to trying them. I also took photos with a manual camera for a long time (still have my SRT-202, poor thing is probably feeling much neglected ).

Bruce