newbie novice needs advice

[ddmcshelley]

Need advice on my settings for my Canon xTi. Shooting outside in sun, girls softball....I can not get the ball or pitchers hand clear (w/o blur). I am using my 70-300 1:4-5.6 lens. I usually stay in manual mode and mess with the shutter speed, but I can not get a non-blurry ball.

[DHMN69]

You need to learn to use the AF-ON button to track and keep your focus rather than half-pressing the shutter. That makes it easier if you learn and get used to that. You also need to have at least 1/1000 shutter speed or preferably 1/2000 or better, and since it's probably daylight you should have better success. Even then you might not have a ton of success with the 70-300 USM but I found it usable last season.

Just shot a college doubleheader at 1/3200 with the Sigma 70-200 .. shot through the fence for all shots (starting a new thread for them, but here's a shot of a pitcher)

[ddmcshelley]

I have a 70-200mm 2.8, would that work better?

[DHMN69]

You won't get any outfield shots unless you move down the fence to shoot.. but the improved focus speed should help also.. long as you are in AI Servo especially. I didn't have *that* bad experience shooting with the 70-300 though, as I mentioned holding the AF-ON for tracking really helped me keep focus when pitchers move on the mound.

135mm om the 70-300 at F5 and ISO 250 last spring.

[ddmcshelley]

Thank you for your advice. just set my camera up and ready for another game today. I really appreciate your help!

[DHMN69]

Hopefully my next time out is better than the ones in the thread (and the first one above) I started ;) Figured out that I was still adding slight saturation to shots as I do for the indoor sports all winter.. woops!

[Photo-John]

Figured out that I was still adding slight saturation to shots as I do for the indoor sports all winter.. woops!

If you shoot RAW that won't be a problem - you can easily remove the saturation in post

[DHMN69]

The saturation isn't in camera ;) it was pre-programmed into my head/fingers after months of indoor sports If I was selling a ton of photos I might shoot Raw but until then it's jpeg