5D3 Track and Field

These are excellent.

They are not "soft".

I do a lot of this kind of photography and it's not that easy, though much easier than BIF.

The blue-shirted girl up close would be better if shot wide open. I would shoot this lens wide open most of the time.

As for RAW. I never shoot RAW in athletics. It's too limiting. If it's a sunny day dial-in -.7 stop and blast away.

Your keeper rate is what everyone who does this kind of thing does, gets. I use a 1Div and I reckon you get about 10% OOF, or more if you're flitting from runner to runner. You get about 30% completely spot on and the rest good enough though not perfect.

If you concentrate on one runner coming towards you you will get most spot on until he pr she comes too close.

Continuous AF with multipoint is just useless in the 1Div. I've talked to numerous sports pros I meet at meetings and none of them use it.
I can't speak for the 5D3, but it has to be better.

Well done.

Gearóid Ó Laoi Garry Lee said:

They are not "soft".

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At f8.0 and exposure times between 1/1000 and 1/8000 the images should be sharper.

Plus the focus needs to be on the eyes or at least on the face. I usually focus on the upper body of a runner instead on the eyes, because they often share the same focal plane. A face is less effective for a succesful phase detection than the chest/breast of a runner:

Gearóid Ó Laoi Garry Lee said:

As for RAW. I never shoot RAW in athletics. It's too limiting. If it's a sunny day dial-in -.7 stop and blast away.

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Why is it limitating? If you don't work for the press and need the photos immediately online, RAW is the way to go. I shoot RAW, make some changes on a single photo and then copy and paste the settings. Takes two minutes. A JPG is already develloped, so a limitation can only be found here.

Gearóid Ó Laoi Garry Lee said:

Continuous AF with multipoint is just useless in the 1Div. I've talked to numerous sports pros I meet at meetings and none of them use it.

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This is true.

Gearóid Ó Laoi Garry Lee said:

I can't speak for the 5D3, but it has to be better.

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I can test the 5D3 on an athletic event next tuedsay, but even my 5D2 usually gets it done. But the 5-series is slow. Even if every photo is sharp, you don't necessarily get an interesting photo/moment.

Now class... Class... CLASS!!!

LOL !!

69chevy said:

I guess time on a website is a measure of knowledge??

I will tell my next class that they shouldn't bother listening to me. I haven't been on DPreview long enough....

This is where I come to read about gear, not advertise my business.

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Starkiller said:

Starkiller said:

They are not "soft".

Click to expand...

At f8.0 and exposure times between 1/1000 and 1/8000 the images should be sharper.

Plus the focus needs to be on the eyes or at least on the face. I usually focus on the upper body of a runner instead on the eyes, because they often share the same focal plane. A face is less effective for a succesful phase detection than the chest/breast of a runner:

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I find that the number or the face are more or less equal in success rate. You're not going to get them all spot on.

Starkiller said:

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Lovely shot

Starkiller said:

Starkiller said:

As for RAW. I never shoot RAW in athletics. It's too limiting. If it's a sunny day dial-in -.7 stop and blast away.

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Why is it limitating?

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Because I can't blast 20 or 30 shots at 10fps as I sometimes want to..
Sport is unpredictable and I like having that up my sleeve

If you don't work for the press and need the photos immediately online, RAW is the way to go. I shoot RAW, make some changes on a single photo and then copy and paste the settings.

But you still have the burst limit. I shoot RAW for weddings, or for "serious" photogphy only.





This was from a burst

--
Níor bhris focal maith fiacail riamh (Irish Gaelic)
A good word never broke a tooth.

Starkiller said:

I can test the 5D3 on an athletic event next tuedsay

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Afterwards, please post your experience with this. Your comments are greatly appreciated.

Depends on the weather. If it is going to rain, I will either not go at all or take my 1D.