Sports mode with new 300D

Can someone maybe offer me some insight as to why everytime I shoot in Sports mode with my new 300D, the shots always come out all blurry? I thought sports mode was for the opposite effect? Am I doing something wrong, maybe?

For example, if I switch to sports mode and shoot my girlfriend just slowly waving her arm up and down from about 10 feet away...her arms are blurred. What am I doing wrong? :( Someone please help. The only way I've been able to do this so far, is switch to Program mode and turn up the ISO in order to catch the action.

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Originally Posted by r3dline

Can someone maybe offer me some insight as to why everytime I shoot in Sports mode with my new 300D, the shots always come out all blurry? I thought sports mode was for the opposite effect? Am I doing something wrong, maybe?

For example, if I switch to sports mode and shoot my girlfriend just slowly waving her arm up and down from about 10 feet away...her arms are blurred. What am I doing wrong? :( Someone please help. The only way I've been able to do this so far, is switch to Program mode and turn up the ISO in order to catch the action.

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Instead of using the sports mode, switch over to Tv mode. These picture modes can't really guess waht you are looking for or what you are shooting. Start with 1/500 sec and go up or down as required.

I posted this in the other forum, but I will answer here too. :) I think a lot has to do with camera shake - I have had some great success with the sports mode (at about 800) but sometimes I *do* get a blurry shot. I posted some of the swim pictures I took yesterday in the critique forum...

:)

i think its almost has to be camera shake,you should be able to freeze motion at 1/60.sports mode cranks up your shutter speed to normally its high setting,1/2000.in low light this could be a problem.i would use a tripod and see,especially if your using a long lense.if so this is a broblem.the fast shutter speed will help blur a little ,but if you move you lose all detail,detalt is what makes a print.but this is a good place to start.another thing is to shoot shutter priority.set your shutter at 1/250 or 1/125 and let camera pick aperture,this i promise you will work,a fill flash in shaded areas will stop motion always.flash stops your action,keep that in mind also.if you need,contact me and ill be happy to talk you through it.
freelance2004

Thanks Freelance. Your advice helped. And I also narrowed down why sports mode wasn't "cuttin' the mustard" for me. In the low-lit apartment here...the slightest movement is blurred in sports mode. But I stepped outside on the balcony and made my girlfriend run around in the parking lot waving her arms franticly (this was extremely comical to watch, trust me) and snapped away in sports mode. It caught ALL the action without a single blur. So I can conclude that the low light puts a damper on sports mode. hehe

You pretty much answered your own question in your first post... [The only way I've been able to do this so far, is switch to Program mode and turn up the ISO in order to catch the action.]

The only way to freeze motion indoors (without flash) in low light conditions is to use the fastest glass you can lay your hands on and crank up the ISO on the camera. I would recommend metering manually at maximum aperture - or if you don't feel comfortable with that, go to Av mode and open up the lens until you get a sensible shutter speed - hopefully 1/500s or faster.

You may find in very low light that you will not be able be set a speed as fast as that and therefore you will not be able to freeze motion - even at the highest iSO setting.

There are other options with flash but that's a whole thread in itself.

MY NEXT MOVE WOULD BE TO GET AWAY FROM AUTO MODES.SET IT AT SHUTTER PRIORITY ,SHUTTER SPEED 1/125 OR 1/250 AND LET CAMERA PICK ITS APERTURE OR F STOP.THIS WILL STOP ACTION,AND WORK IN ALL LIGHT SITUATIONS,BRIGHT LIGHT YOU CAN CRANK UP TO 1/250 OR 1/500,THERE IS NO NEED TO GO ANY FASTER THAN THAT,UNLESS YOU CATCHING A WAVE AT THE BEACH HIT ROCKS AND CATCH THE SPRAY.THIS 1/125 WILL WORK WITH FLASH.
FREELANCE1031@AOL.COM

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