How is the SL1 for Shooting Outdoor Sports?

TTMartin wrote:

I disagree that the 100D/SL1's AF would be only marginally better. Both cameras rely on their DIGIC processor to help process the AF tracking. The 450D/XSi uses a DIGIC III processor and the 100D/SL1 uses the DIGIC 5. The DIGIC 5 is about 10 times faster than the DIGIC III. This faster processor will result in significantly better AF tracking.

digic is primarily an image processor ... allowing for faster raw processing, image quality, etc.

http://www.learn.usa.canon.com/resources/articles/2012/digic_processors.shtml

so while a newer digic processor may mean better quality images and more fps, it is not directly related to autofocus except for face detection in compacts and, indirectly, the flagship 1dx ... from the article above ...

A DIGIC Processor works in tandem with a CMOS sensor—the CMOS sensor captures the light and converts the brightness at each pixel into an electronic signal; the DIGIC processor processes each separate signal and (for JPEG images) converts them into a finished, recognizable image.

while there are published values for performance of digic from one iteration to the next ... 6 times faster ... 17 times faster ... those values pertain to image quality and recording speed, not autofocus ... take a look at the advertised possibilities of the dual-digic 5+ in the 1dx ...

• Shoot full 14-bit color on every image
• Practically eliminate moiré when shooting movies
• Deliver HDMI OUT
• Support UDMA Mode 7 technology (faster CF card read/write performance)
• Perform in-camera RAW processing
• Real-time compensation for Chromatic Aberration in both still and motion images, with correction data for more than 30 lenses stored in the camera by default
• Increase the sensor’s sensitivity by approximately two stops over previous models, meaning higher ISOs with the lowest noise of any EOS digital camera. The standard maximum ISO changes from ISO 12,800 on the previous EOS-1D Mark IV and ISO 1600 on the 1Ds Mark III up to ISO 51,200 on the EOS-1D X — without any ISO expansion applied.
• Shoot with speeds of up to 12 fps (RAW + JPEG) and even 14 fps (Super High Speed Mode)
• Create in-camera multiple exposure images either from consecutive shots or from an existing RAW file and one or more additional exposures

not one of those relates to autofocus speed ... and if AF tracking were supposed 10 times faster than previous models, wouldn't that be a remarkable point to advertise? digic does not relate to viewfinder autofocus because the mirror is down and blocking the image sensor ...

technologies related to af tracking and faster algorithms have different names ... for the 1dx it's called eos itr ... in older cameras it was called isaps ... on the sl1 page it states:

"A proven AI Servo AF system achieves and maintains consistent focus with an exceptional degree of reliability."

in other words, the sl1 viewfinder af system has been used before in previous models ... while the sl1 may not compare to the 70d, i don't believe it is 10 times faster than the 450d ... or even 2 times faster ...