FZ200: Shooting fast action... what I've learned

Hi folks:

I finally achieved a small measure of success yesterday (after many tries) capturing in sharp focus fast moving subjects. I took several hundreds of shots of players in a fast-paced rugby match, fast moving cars near my house, and fast and erratically moving dogs at a local dog park.

As one of the new kids on the Panasonisc P&S block I do not consider myself qualified to advise or instruct in this department, however some of you have asked me to share the settings and techniques I used to get the in-focus dog photos I posted yesterday, so here they are:

1) Light Source: Wait for a bright day with lots of sun. (Light overcast can still be sufficient.)

2) Shutter Speed: This is the most crucial setting, minimum 1/1000th of a second.

3) Camera Mode: Shutter Speed Priority... (Can go with others, but make sure they produce 1/1000th shutter speed.)

4) File Format: Shoot in JPEG not RAW (This might change when RAW processors optimized for FZ200 become available).
5) Auto Focus: 1-Area Focus mode
6) Auto Focus mode: AFS or AFC, I didn't see any difference.
7) Frame Rate: 5.5 fps burst mode
8) Metering Mode: Multiple Area ( . )

9) Exposure Compensation: -1/3 EV (Guards against details being overexposed in the higlights.)

10) Image Stabilization: ON (LTZ reports that IS is likely not needed at 1/1000th shutter speed and that turning it OFF might gain a bit more sharpness. I forgit to do this).

Key combination:

Best results come with a combination of 1/1000th shutter speed, ISO 100, and F3.5 or F4.0 aperture. If you have full sun you can set to Aperture Priority and ISO 100 and allow the camera to calculate the shutter speed which is often even higher that 1/1000th stopping action even better. But if the sunlight is marginal or partly cloudly, use Shutter Speed priority to gaurantee stopped action at 1/1000th, set aperture to F3.2 or F3.5, set ISO to Auto and Max ISO to 400, and let the camera choose the ISO for each shot.

Technique:

I hand held the camera and watched each potential scene through the EVF using my left hand to hold the camera and block out the light. I wear strong prescription glasses yet because of the great EVF I could see everything perfectly. I followed the action and constantly refocused by lightly tapping the focus/shutter button until I was ready to shoot, at which time I gently pressed the button and held it down while tracking the moving subject trying to keep it centered in the frame.

Note: I have no UV filter on my camera so I don't know if that would have made any difference.

Here's the link to some dog shots using these settings:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1033&thread=42650462

Well, that's it, happy shooting! (And thanks to everything in this forum who contributed with their comments to get us this far along this path of discovery.)

Rudy

One suggestion

If you can do it, use your right eye for the finder, hold the camera in your right hand, and keep your left eye open to see what's going on.

Use your left hand under the camera to support it.

That will let you use your left eye to see the world while your right eye runs the camera. Particularly when you use much zoom, it's easy to miss what's going on.

Sherm

Thanks Sherm, I'll give that a try.

Rudy

I'm just glad you figured it out. I was starting to think Panny's quality control was falling apart.

also, you might want to try forced flash. It's probably not bright enough to change your exposure, but will brighten shadow areas like the dog's belly.

Sherm

Your dog photos are spot on,great work! Buy a UV filter to protect the lens.

Rudy,

Like Robby I was getting serious doubts about this camera to. Glad you figured it out for all of us, although there were quite a few others who did returned the camera before you. OTOH I recently saw very good bird-pictures taken in difficult circumstances by Vickie, another new kid on the block (pseudonym: missvictoria). This makes me hopeful ... But the FZ100-trauma still makes me argwaned, so I'll wait a little longer for an in-depht review.

What's wrong with the Raw-files, talking about focusing and sharpness?

You mentioned a few times 'tracking' in your picture-comments. Did you use 'Tracking AF' in some of them (besides the AFS or AFC) ?
--
Damien

Rudy,

You could try to work on a raw-file, after you've changed the exif-data from the FZ200 into FZ150. ACR-6 will recognize this file. You can do this in windows-explorer, by right-clicking on the rawfile, going to properties and then details ....

I suppose there won't be much difference between the rawfiles from FZ150 and FZ200?

--
Damien

sherman_levine said:

also, you might want to try forced flash. It's probably not bright enough to change your exposure, but will brighten shadow areas like the dog's belly.

Sherm

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Hi Sherm:

That's on my "to do" list along with indoor and outdoor facial shots, plus checking out the video capabilities.

My immediate need was to confirm before my 15-day trial period ran out that I personally could get sharp focus on fast moving objects (sports events mainly) with this camera. Now that that hurdle has been overcome I can relax, get back to having fun with this camera, and try out all the other experiments I want to do.

Thanks,
Rudy

Guzzi-Man said:

Rudy,

What's wrong with the Raw-files, talking about focusing and sharpness?

You mentioned a few times 'tracking' in your picture-comments. Did you use 'Tracking AF' in some of them (besides the AFS or AFC) ?
--
Damien

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Hi Damien:

1) I don't know what's with the RAW files, but you can see the results, less sharp than JPEG. I converted RW2 to DNG files with Adobe DNG Coverter 7.2 and then PPed in Adobe Camera Raw 6.2 and tweaked in Photoshop CS5. I will wait for a Raw processer optimized for the FZ200 befor going back to shooting and PPing in RAW.

2) I didn't try AF Tracking because I was desparately trying to simply get anything that was moving in focus. Now that I see that my particular camera can in fact do that, I will play around with the various settings to see if things can be improved even more.

Thanks for commenting,
Rudy

Very good shot.

Pl. allow me to add, do not limit at 1/1000, some stop action shots need 1/4000 as well,

eg. when shooting from a vehicle @ 120km/hr, the minimum speed req. is 1/2000, and to get good exposure one needs to up the ISo to 200/400 even.

further for continuously moving objects , use AF2 ( auto focus at shooting instant) , this will give tack sharp images.

topshot61 said:

Very good shot.

Pl. allow me to add, do not limit at 1/1000, some stop action shots need 1/4000 as well,

eg. when shooting from a vehicle @ 120km/hr, the minimum speed req. is 1/2000, and to get good exposure one needs to up the ISo to 200/400 even.

further for continuously moving objects , use AF2 ( auto focus at shooting instant) , this will give tack sharp images.

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Hi TopShot61:

Thanks for the additional info, very helpful. Can you explain please what you mean by "use AF2"? Is there such a setting in the FZ200?

Thanks again,
Rudy

PL. see the manual for the focus modes AF1, AF2.

In FZ 50 it is called Af1, Af2 and is accessible thru the screen menu and external button on top.

Af1 is continuous tracking Af mode, takes too much battery power and spoils the Af motor as well, so do not walk around with the camre on and set to this mode, as the motor will keep whirring all the time, refocusing on the objects!!!

AF2 is also called instant focus the camera does not track the objects at all til it finally takes the pic. it gives +1 ISo advantage in terms of Image satbi. in FZ 50 at least, over the conti Af mode. ( this is what i learned in 2006 from several forums then and from experience)

Thanks TopShot61. I understand.

Rudy

Good Camera said:

Buy a UV filter to protect the lens.

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DON'T buy a filter.

Rudy Pohl said:

As one of the new kids on the Panasonisc P&S block I do not consider myself qualified to advise or instruct in this department..................

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Well scratch that Rudy. You can't beat enthusiasm and the capacity to present data effectively. Good job!

People will link your findings with your results; full stop.

1/1000 - crikey! In another thread of yours I stated 1/200. This was a previous result from BIF threads a couple of years back. Times are changing. Flash sync speeds of old were 1/60, making the birding 1/200 2 1/2 stops quicker. You're work calls for over 2 stops more. 1/1000 is aircraft propeller stopping stuff. I imagine that you need this to ensure the most precise pixel level capture. i wonder what demands the modern sensors and processing are making on shutter speed; based on your work.

You will have a lot of people trying all this out Rudy. There is much to do. Good for you.

--


The FZ50: DSLR handling of a bright Leica 35-420mm lens that's this good: http://www.flickr.com/groups/panasonicfz50/pool/show (some real gems in there). With the FZ200 performance so good, I live in hope that Mr Ichiro Kitao has triggered the update to the FZ50. Our desire for IQ was taking us in the wrong direction. http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1033&message=42366095

Rudy Pohl said:

My immediate need was to confirm before my 15-day trial period............

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Oh this horse is broken in. Keep it. Good ride Rudy.

--


The FZ50: DSLR handling of a bright Leica 35-420mm lens that's this good: http://www.flickr.com/groups/panasonicfz50/pool/show (some real gems in there). With the FZ200 performance so good, I live in hope that Mr Ichiro Kitao has triggered the update to the FZ50. Our desire for IQ was taking us in the wrong direction. http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1033&message=42366095

Rudy conquers!! Congratulations! Glad you stayed with it. It will still improve. Enjoy the pany forum! Thanks for posting.
Gary
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Gary Leland

John Miles said:

1/1000 - crikey! In another thread of yours I stated 1/200.... 2 1/2 stops quicker....

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Hi John:

Don't forget, the 1/1000th exposure time is to stop action of very fast and erraticly moving adult rugby players and fast and erratic moving dogs, lots of slower actions could be stopped with lesser speed.

Also, thanks for the encouraging words... my enthusiasm comes partly out of an experience not that long ago when I ended up buying the wrong kind of camera for me personally, and by the time I sold the kit off I lost a small fortune on the turnover. I did not want a repeat performance with FZ200. Sorry I drsgged you all through my angst.

Cheers,
Rudy

Gary Leland said:

Rudy conquers!! Congratulations! Glad you stayed with it. It will still improve. Enjoy the pany forum! Thanks for posting.
Gary
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Gary Leland

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Thanks Gary, this is a really great forum!

Cheers,
Rudy