GH3 - Aussie Rules Football

In previous fast motion events like BIF and indoor ball hockey, I was using the GH3 in AFC mode and getting IMO decent results.  The camera along with the 100-300 lens does great for fast auto focus and AFC ability.  For this event, I kept shooting in burst mode, but changed to AFS to get the higher burst rate (6 fps) so I could capture more key moments.  The DOF was fairly large, so I was not too worried about OOF shots by locking focus on the first shot of the burst.  Still used my RDS for this.  I think the GH3 is a great sports camera.  In shooting RAW + JPG, the GH3 buffer allows to shoot at 6 fps for a full 3 seconds before the rate slows down.

Here are some shots from the day, more in my gallery.  Thanks for looking!

Nice.  Sure makes American Football look like a sport for wuzzes... helmets, pads, and only some 10 minutes of action in a "game" that lasts 3 hours.

Great action series hifi! Nice and sharp with good colors. I particularly like the last three. The looks of determination and angst on the players faces tells a great story.

Silver

Awesome series, MAN that 100 - 300 is sweet when used in the hands of a capable photographer. Noice work!

Great results, I particularly like the last 2...in close and personal. I think with any sports photography you need a mix of wider angle for context and enough in close shots (the closer the better) to get a good feel for the intensity of the battle.

Good work mate.

Excellent series of photos and great timing for me.  Just ordered a GH3 and looking forward to testing it out with my 100-300 and the other lenses I have.  Should work well for my daughters rugby games when she start university next week.

Jim T wrote:

Excellent series of photos and great timing for me. Just ordered a GH3 and looking forward to testing it out with my 100-300 and the other lenses I have. Should work well for my daughters rugby games when she start university next week.

You will love the GH3.  First time you put it in your hands, you'll see it just feels right.  By far, the best handling camera I have ever used.

With the 100-300, you will enjoy shooting her rugby games.  This setup is wonderful for sports photography.  My only suggestion, is do some research on RDS (red dot sight).  I find it hard to track motion like this using the EVF.

axlotl wrote:

Excellent photos especially those with trees in the background. Some of the others have a stop sign and other clutter in the background which draws the viewer's eye away from the subject. Thanks for sharing photos and your technique.

Yes - depending on which angle I was shooting, one side of the field was buildings and signs and does distract from the players but had no choice.

Appreciate the kind feedback!

I loved the feel of the GH1 in my hands and still do, but the GH3 just feels that much better.  I love it and all the glitches I hated on the GH1 seem to be fixed on the GH3.

hifi wrote:

Jim T wrote:

Excellent series of photos and great timing for me. Just ordered a GH3 and looking forward to testing it out with my 100-300 and the other lenses I have. Should work well for my daughters rugby games when she start university next week.

You will love the GH3. First time you put it in your hands, you'll see it just feels right. By far, the best handling camera I have ever used.

With the 100-300, you will enjoy shooting her rugby games. This setup is wonderful for sports photography. My only suggestion, is do some research on RDS (red dot sight). I find it hard to track motion like this using the EVF.

I'm not big on sport but even I can appreciate these. Excellent for both capturing key moments in the action and the player's expressions. Very impressed.

This Melbourne girl has lived in the UK for more than 30 years. But your fine pictures have made me  nostalgic for my Saturday afternoons at the footie. Thank you for the memories.