I realize that a pro would probably not use a G9 for pro gigs. However, for people taking pictures of family members or friends playing soccer, baseball, basketball, football, has a G9 (or Olympus OMD EM1 mark II or III) been a useful tool?
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Anybody using MFT cameras for sports? (G9, OMD EM1 mark II or III)
- Thread starter robbo2
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cosmicnode
Veteran Member
I have recently moved over to m4/3 for motorsport for the lighter lenses that have a narrow field of view I am using a E-M1x and 40-150 f2.8 plus 100-400 Leica Panasonic, the camera plus 100-400 is 300 grams lighter than my 200-500 Nikon. I have through covid restrictions had very little practice using the Olympus but results are good.
--
Mike.
"I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit, it's the only way to be sure."
I have been using OMD EM1 mk II along with my Canon gear for sports action assignments for about a year. When I submit my images and ask my editors if they can tell which were shot with which camera they always say there is no apparent difference.
EZGritz
Veteran Member
Harvey Sherman Motorsports Imaging (smugmug.com)
I sell enough photos to pay travel expenses and return with money in my pocket. If I lived in Northern California I could be booked 10 days a month, 8 months of the year and some days the other 4 months. I could make a decent living at it.
I find the OMDs do a great job. Most tracks can be shot with the 40-150PRO or the P/L 50-200. The range of the PL is a little better. I sometimes use a TC with the OLY lens. Most situations require a range of 40-300 and most of them fall in the middle. With M43 I don't have to carry a FF 500mm lens or a zoom that reaches out that far. That's a huge advantage for M43. I see no reason an amateur needs FF for this. IMO professionals can make a living with M43 at the track if they want to.
The G9 works great from photos I've seen from them. For car racing PDAF is overrated. The subjects are large, predictable and you don't need tracking. You can use SAF but I usually use CAF. It's great for shooting a grid of cars driving through an apex and makes for great action shots, especially close-ups when they are racing nose to tail.
Most professionals use FF. I see some advantages of it when light is low but in that situation, you usually don't get great photos anyway. The images can be cleaner but I think that's settings and PP. Shallow DOF can be good sometimes but I like to shoot f/5.6 most of the time at the track. That's f/11? on FF meaning you need ND filters on bright days. I don't need them. A polarizer works well. Sometimes I'm forced to shoot f/11 if I don't take an ND filter. Most races are run in bright light where more sensor and lens light-gathering does not matter. M43 can be better.
I love M43 for size and weight when I'm walking a hilly track for miles from 9 AM to 5 PM for 3-4 days in a row on hot summer days in the desert.
Only another photographer ever asks me what camera I used and how many megapixels. The average person doesn't care and rarely prints over 8X10. It's a social world where most people are happy with 1280X960 because they only view their photos on cellphones, tablets and laptops. They only want a clear photo and action in the photo. Another advantage of M43. The lighter system is easier to pan constantly for hours.
I often consider going FF but I honestly don't see the advantage offsetting the cost and penalty for bulk and weight. If I needed FF for another type of photography I would go that way to avoid shooting two systems. I'm not an artist, a wedding, architecture, realtors, portrait or studio photographer. I take landscapes when I travel. M43 is good enough for my desires for that and I find high res mode works great of noting is moving. I care more about motor racing and birding so I'll be using M43, maybe forever.
I sell enough photos to pay travel expenses and return with money in my pocket. If I lived in Northern California I could be booked 10 days a month, 8 months of the year and some days the other 4 months. I could make a decent living at it.
I find the OMDs do a great job. Most tracks can be shot with the 40-150PRO or the P/L 50-200. The range of the PL is a little better. I sometimes use a TC with the OLY lens. Most situations require a range of 40-300 and most of them fall in the middle. With M43 I don't have to carry a FF 500mm lens or a zoom that reaches out that far. That's a huge advantage for M43. I see no reason an amateur needs FF for this. IMO professionals can make a living with M43 at the track if they want to.
The G9 works great from photos I've seen from them. For car racing PDAF is overrated. The subjects are large, predictable and you don't need tracking. You can use SAF but I usually use CAF. It's great for shooting a grid of cars driving through an apex and makes for great action shots, especially close-ups when they are racing nose to tail.
Most professionals use FF. I see some advantages of it when light is low but in that situation, you usually don't get great photos anyway. The images can be cleaner but I think that's settings and PP. Shallow DOF can be good sometimes but I like to shoot f/5.6 most of the time at the track. That's f/11? on FF meaning you need ND filters on bright days. I don't need them. A polarizer works well. Sometimes I'm forced to shoot f/11 if I don't take an ND filter. Most races are run in bright light where more sensor and lens light-gathering does not matter. M43 can be better.
I love M43 for size and weight when I'm walking a hilly track for miles from 9 AM to 5 PM for 3-4 days in a row on hot summer days in the desert.
Only another photographer ever asks me what camera I used and how many megapixels. The average person doesn't care and rarely prints over 8X10. It's a social world where most people are happy with 1280X960 because they only view their photos on cellphones, tablets and laptops. They only want a clear photo and action in the photo. Another advantage of M43. The lighter system is easier to pan constantly for hours.
I often consider going FF but I honestly don't see the advantage offsetting the cost and penalty for bulk and weight. If I needed FF for another type of photography I would go that way to avoid shooting two systems. I'm not an artist, a wedding, architecture, realtors, portrait or studio photographer. I take landscapes when I travel. M43 is good enough for my desires for that and I find high res mode works great of noting is moving. I care more about motor racing and birding so I'll be using M43, maybe forever.
Hi Robbo2
Im a sports photographer who has shot Nikon for a long time, I'm slowly moving over to Olympus micro four thirds and am pleasantly surprised. A few recent results below for you to see what's possible
I echo previous posts and enjoy carrying a 40-150, 300mm and converters in a small thinktank rucksack and remaining comfortable for a days shooting. The 300mm (600mm in FF terms) has stabilisation and I have rarely bring a monopod, even adding a converter.
The Nikon gear hasn't gone yet though mightily surprised by what M43 can achieve.
Good luck Phil
Im a sports photographer who has shot Nikon for a long time, I'm slowly moving over to Olympus micro four thirds and am pleasantly surprised. A few recent results below for you to see what's possible
I echo previous posts and enjoy carrying a 40-150, 300mm and converters in a small thinktank rucksack and remaining comfortable for a days shooting. The 300mm (600mm in FF terms) has stabilisation and I have rarely bring a monopod, even adding a converter.
The Nikon gear hasn't gone yet though mightily surprised by what M43 can achieve.
Good luck Phil
Skeeterbytes
Forum Pro
Settings I won't recommend m4/3 for are dim gyms and HS nighttime stadiums. ISO 6400 sometimes just isn't enough unless your lenses are f:2.0 or faster.
For everything else they're excellent. I'm very happy with the E-M1 series and Pro lenses, from the 12-40/12-100 through the 300 Pro. Sometimes adapt 4/3 SHG 2.0s. If I had an extra $7500 I'd add the 150-400 Pro to my kit, and maybe I could shoot just one camera once in awhile.
Very satisfied overall with the kit, for a variety of sports. Highly recommended.
Cheers,
Rick
--
Equivalence and diffraction-free since 2009.
You can be too; ask about our 12-step program.
For everything else they're excellent. I'm very happy with the E-M1 series and Pro lenses, from the 12-40/12-100 through the 300 Pro. Sometimes adapt 4/3 SHG 2.0s. If I had an extra $7500 I'd add the 150-400 Pro to my kit, and maybe I could shoot just one camera once in awhile.
Very satisfied overall with the kit, for a variety of sports. Highly recommended.
Cheers,
Rick
--
Equivalence and diffraction-free since 2009.
You can be too; ask about our 12-step program.
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Skeeterbytes
Forum Pro
Super work, Phil. Dang, cricket looks fun!
Cheers,
Rick
Cheers,
Rick
How well does the adapted 4/3 SHG 2.0 work? Does it focus fast enough to shoot sports action?
Skeeterbytes
Forum Pro
They're still useful but noticably not as quick-focusing as system lenses. I tend to use S-AF and refocus between bursts, rather than trust C-AF. But they can keep me going when the light is too dim for f:2.8 and f:4. I have the 150/2.0 and 35-100/2.0; both are sharp wide open and they render beautifully, with excellent OOF transition. (They're also hefty things.)
Cheers,
Rick
softmarmotte
Veteran Member
Never been into sports photography until this last month. Hockey and bike racing are big in Belge so... In bright conditions the Oly 100-400 has great range and quick AF. CAF on the EM 1 ii seems to be pretty good.Sure I have much to learn and there are people such as harvey here to help ;-). The plastic fantastic 40-150 is so light and easy too
--
anyone is welcome to do anything they want with my images except sell them for profit
--
anyone is welcome to do anything they want with my images except sell them for profit
Skeeterbytes
Forum Pro
These are all great--you're off to a fine start!Never been into sports photography until this last month. Hockey and bike racing are big in Belge so... In bright conditions the Oly 100-400 has great range and quick AF. CAF on the EM 1 ii seems to be pretty good.Sure I have much to learn and there are people such as harvey here to help ;-). The plastic fantastic 40-150 is so light and easy too
Suspect most folks don't appreciate how FAST bikes go past in racing, and shooting wide angle close like this they seem even faster. It's a fun perspective, if a little intimidating to shoot so nearby. Also, one of the few sports where you can get great access to the athletes.
Cheers,
Rick
--
Equivalence and diffraction-free since 2009.
You can be too; ask about our 12-step program.
Last edited:
softmarmotte
Veteran Member
thanks, rickThese are all great--you're off to a fine start!Never been into sports photography until this last month. Hockey and bike racing are big in Belge so... In bright conditions the Oly 100-400 has great range and quick AF. CAF on the EM 1 ii seems to be pretty good.Sure I have much to learn and there are people such as harvey here to help ;-). The plastic fantastic 40-150 is so light and easy too
Suspect most folks don't appreciate how FAST bikes go past in racing, and shooting wide angle close like this they seem even faster. It's a fun perspective, if a little intimidating to shoot so nearby. Also, one of the few sports where you can get great access to the athletes.
Cheers,
Rick
i picked a bend for this one as i thought they might be going slower...well it's relative. they still went round quicker than a car
--
anyone is welcome to do anything they want with my images except sell them for profit
Skeeterbytes
Forum Pro
It's impressive, and intimidating when they're as close as when you're shooting here @7mm. I have a couple of focused-ish shots of Mark Cavendish and Peter Sagan in the breakaway train before a downtown sprint finish. Just wow, those guys. (I was not as close as you are here.)
I hope the pro cycling tour eventually returns to California--great spectator sport.
Cheers,
Rick
EZGritz
Veteran Member
I know nothing, Colonel Klink. Andrew is the expert at this. There is someone who shows up here once in a while. He's from Philadelphia I think, shoots a charity bike ride every year. If I remember correctly he switched from Nikon to an EM1X, shoots 5,000 photos of the bike race. He knows something about this.
Here's a guy who is GREAT at this. A good target to shoot for. Art+ cars. I love his work wish I knew how he does it.
Historic Rally Festival 2021 (sportscardigest.com)
Here's a guy who is GREAT at this. A good target to shoot for. Art+ cars. I love his work wish I knew how he does it.
Historic Rally Festival 2021 (sportscardigest.com)
EZGritz
Veteran Member
There are better sports photographers on this site than I. I'm a journeyman.
If you get out to a track here's what the racers like. They like to see a sequence in the turn so they can see how they set up for it, where they placed the car on the track, how much they rotated it before the apex so they can put on the power early and accelerate out of the turn. That = fast.
I captured the Mustang taking a perfect line through the turn in practice. Not so easy in a race unless nobody is close to you.
Off-road excursions, spins are always fun if nobody gets hurt. A few shots with the car filling the frame. A shutter speed that blurs the background and leaves the tires and wheels spinning while you pan match the speed of the car so the car and everything on it is in focus. That's where M43 excels IMO because I can shoot long telephoto all day without a monopod. The 40-150PRO and a TC when needed is perfect. I'll pick up the 300 f/4 sometimes. It's better. If you use too fast a shutter speed it looks like a parked car. Not so much fun.
If the car is pointed to or away from you, nothing on the subject car is moving so you can use a high shutter speed. There is nothing to blur. If there is a car behind the subject car passing through a turn going in a different direction it's blurry and that makes a cool photo. Noise reduction software will allow raising shadows inside the car more. I need to buy it.
You can do the same with bikes. Use the mechanical shutter too avoid rolling shutter but sometimes that makes interesting images.
The Mustang owner/driver won the vintage race when the Daytona Cobra he was following made a mistake in the turn I'm showing you here and spun. The Daytona was the pole sitter, the Mustang started in second position. The Daytona was trailored across the country for this race, practiced for a day, won the pole position, and spun at infamous the second turn of the first lap. That's racing. It's a story to be captured.
IQ is good. Capturing the action is more important. I usually shoot 5FPS. Sometimes I wish I shot 10FPS.
If you get out to a track here's what the racers like. They like to see a sequence in the turn so they can see how they set up for it, where they placed the car on the track, how much they rotated it before the apex so they can put on the power early and accelerate out of the turn. That = fast.
I captured the Mustang taking a perfect line through the turn in practice. Not so easy in a race unless nobody is close to you.
Off-road excursions, spins are always fun if nobody gets hurt. A few shots with the car filling the frame. A shutter speed that blurs the background and leaves the tires and wheels spinning while you pan match the speed of the car so the car and everything on it is in focus. That's where M43 excels IMO because I can shoot long telephoto all day without a monopod. The 40-150PRO and a TC when needed is perfect. I'll pick up the 300 f/4 sometimes. It's better. If you use too fast a shutter speed it looks like a parked car. Not so much fun.
If the car is pointed to or away from you, nothing on the subject car is moving so you can use a high shutter speed. There is nothing to blur. If there is a car behind the subject car passing through a turn going in a different direction it's blurry and that makes a cool photo. Noise reduction software will allow raising shadows inside the car more. I need to buy it.
You can do the same with bikes. Use the mechanical shutter too avoid rolling shutter but sometimes that makes interesting images.
The Mustang owner/driver won the vintage race when the Daytona Cobra he was following made a mistake in the turn I'm showing you here and spun. The Daytona was the pole sitter, the Mustang started in second position. The Daytona was trailored across the country for this race, practiced for a day, won the pole position, and spun at infamous the second turn of the first lap. That's racing. It's a story to be captured.
IQ is good. Capturing the action is more important. I usually shoot 5FPS. Sometimes I wish I shot 10FPS.
EZGritz
Veteran Member
My car is offended!
;-);-)
;-);-)
cosmicnode
Veteran Member
These are shot with the 100-400mm, at 400mm the equivalent of 800mm on FF for field of view, the Cobra shot is heavily cropped. Shooting through rain always makes interesting racing, I moved from D500 plus 200-500 the Nikon is far better focussing, probably the best available at a reasonable cost but I needed lighter kit for walking around for 8hours at a event.
--
Mike.
"I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit, it's the only way to be sure."
--
Mike.
"I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit, it's the only way to be sure."
Attachments
EZGritz
Veteran Member
Bentley and Aston. Gotta love that. A track in Europe?
I shot a vintage race last weekend. Will share some after processing. Ran into another M1X photographer there. He loves it. He had the 400 f/4 on and telephoto zoom on a Nikon D7200. He says he can't completely switch to M43 yet because he shoots indoors sports and weddings and sometimes has to run the ISO up to 12500. He has the 45 f/1.2. He likes it. He wants to sell the 7200. I suspect with a brighter sensor he would sell the rest of his Nikon gear and switch over to M43 completely. He still takes some Nikon gear to the track because he can't sell all of it yet.
I used the 75 f/1.8 where I could last weekend to give my shoulder a rest from two days of shooting the 40-150PRO. I brought the 300 f/4 but didn't use it. I used the EM5.3 and the 12-45 in the paddock. I'm tempted to leave the 300 f/4 in the car unless I know for sure I need it and just use the TC's with the 40-150PRO.
EM1.2
EM5.3
40-150 f/2.8
1.4X
2.0X
12-45
75 f/1.8
14-150 turns out to be very good for hood ornaments. I don't know why it works so well for that, only that it does. I think the 40-150 would do the same. Might buy one since it's so inexpensive.
the primes are good for paddock shots.
There are some places where the 45 f/1.8 would have worked well, where the 75 was too lone and the 25 was too short. I'm going to buy a 45 f/1.8 for this.
I brought my rain gear but it didn't arrive until evening.
I shot a vintage race last weekend. Will share some after processing. Ran into another M1X photographer there. He loves it. He had the 400 f/4 on and telephoto zoom on a Nikon D7200. He says he can't completely switch to M43 yet because he shoots indoors sports and weddings and sometimes has to run the ISO up to 12500. He has the 45 f/1.2. He likes it. He wants to sell the 7200. I suspect with a brighter sensor he would sell the rest of his Nikon gear and switch over to M43 completely. He still takes some Nikon gear to the track because he can't sell all of it yet.
I used the 75 f/1.8 where I could last weekend to give my shoulder a rest from two days of shooting the 40-150PRO. I brought the 300 f/4 but didn't use it. I used the EM5.3 and the 12-45 in the paddock. I'm tempted to leave the 300 f/4 in the car unless I know for sure I need it and just use the TC's with the 40-150PRO.
EM1.2
EM5.3
40-150 f/2.8
1.4X
2.0X
12-45
75 f/1.8
14-150 turns out to be very good for hood ornaments. I don't know why it works so well for that, only that it does. I think the 40-150 would do the same. Might buy one since it's so inexpensive.
the primes are good for paddock shots.
There are some places where the 45 f/1.8 would have worked well, where the 75 was too lone and the 25 was too short. I'm going to buy a 45 f/1.8 for this.
I brought my rain gear but it didn't arrive until evening.
cosmicnode
Veteran Member
Goodwood Festival of Speed,
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