Focus tracking fast dogs

February was my entry into micro 4/3s with a used GX7, and now just upgraded to a new GX9. I'll be doing some dog photography next week and wonder if my GX9 will be up to the task of tracking a running dog towards me, and if so, what settings do you recommend? I'll probably dust off some of my Sony gear (A77II) and give that a shot as well, but found it was a little slow and my keeper rate was low when used last time. So any advice or experience with the GX9 would greatly be appreciated.

Thanks; Ron

a100ps wrote:

February was my entry into micro 4/3s with a used GX7, and now just upgraded to a new GX9. I'll be doing some dog photography next week and wonder if my GX9 will be up to the task of tracking a running dog towards me, and if so, what settings do you recommend? I'll probably dust off some of my Sony gear (A77II) and give that a shot as well, but found it was a little slow and my keeper rate was low when used last time. So any advice or experience with the GX9 would greatly be appreciated.

Thanks; Ron

I'm watching this thread with great interest. I know that this an area that I absolutely suck at, and that the problem is me/not knowing correct settings, and not my equipment. Others definitely have more success than I do.

This is one of my best (cropped quite a bit). The AF is trying, grabbing just a fraction too far forward and the shot captures the spirit I wanted, but it's not the glorious in-focus shot that I hoped for. My MF skills would give a  much, much worse photo though.

I don't have experience of too many m43 cameras, but having had a GH5 and G85 recently, neither can reasonably be compared to a dslr when it come to continous focus tracking.

That's not say to it's impossible to get the occasional shot in good focus (such as a dog running directly at you), I found it an exercise in frustration when compared to using a dslr, which just nails a majority of shots with very little effort.

If I want to get pictures of our spaniel doing anything other than sleeping then I will always use my 10 year old D700 which will always get a majority in focus with no fuss. Mirrorless have a way to go to get near the focus tracking performance of a dslr (even an old one). I'm sure it will get there eventually, just not there yet.