Been shooting D90 for a little over three years now. Just bought a D700, and used it to shoot a basketball game tonight coupled with a 70-200 sigma ver II. The only way I could get the camera to focus at a half descent speed with to use center weighted and 3D. Can anyone help me. I was counting on being able to shoot at very hight ISO and around at least 320ish, F3.2 for the games. I am not able to. Went in and changed all the focus vs release on the menu. Still not to much luck.
Is it the lens? thanks
Don't use 3D 51pt tracking for very fast moving subjects like that, IMHO it can't keep up very well. Stick with something like 9pt dynamic area and turn off your AF tracking delay.
Bump your exposure up while you're at it. Try those settings and see how it works, if you're still not getting what you desire, then the Sigma is limiting you.
3D auto tracking isn't so great for at least my D300 (which I assume the D90 is as good as... or almost as good as in focus speed). The only time I like it is shooting birds in the blue sky. It tracks well there but with anything else moving or busy (like grass) it gets lost.
You're better off just moving your camera to focus
Probably the lens and some camera settings as previously mentioned. This was shot at f4, ISO2000, 1/250th and spot metering
f2.8 would have given you 1/500th, see the motion blur on her legs....then there's the whole WB thing. I prefer native
ISO's ie: 1600/3200. The D700 loves this stuff, so keep at it.
How is this picture an example of bad AF? The girl with the ball is in focus, right? She's blurred because of too low shutter speed, but that has nothing with AF accuracy to do.
Try 1/500th, ISO3200, f/2.8 as a starting point (320 is too slow to freeze most action) And 9point or something less. Also, your WB is way out of whack.
I dont know what that has to do with your WB issue. Your WB is set too high (which is why it's too blue) probaby it's at sunshine or something when it should be either custom WB or at the very least fluoroscent...
Correct. Just looked at settings. WB was set Auto but I had moved it to the left in the grid a bit too much. Thanks for the tips Avi. appreciate all assistance.
On my D90, my Sigma 70-200 HSM II AF's ok, but IQ is mush at f2.8. f4 is great to excellent. Haven't gotten around to sending it to Sigma.
Test the lens live view focused at f2.8, f4, and f5.6. If it looks ok at f4, but doesn't at f2.8, a trip to Sigma for optical adjustment is in order. If it looks ok at f2.8, then tweak AF to the best of your ability after study of the manual and info on the 'Net. If it still doesn't get it done, you can try the AF adjustment on your D700 and/or sending the lens (possibly with the body) to Sigma for calibration.
Len Shepherd wrote:
Adding to this shutter speeds of 1/320 or slower are unlikely to stop subject movement blur with action like this.
1/1000 of faster is better.
1/1000 is far more than needed
i consider 1/500 to be the working shutter speed floor, and then work from there using your lens wide open and iso to get correct exposure
like i said stick your shutter at 1/500 put the lens at 2.8 and go wherever the iso needs to go, i often use settings up to 6400 and have made sooc sales of shots around 5000ish
Too soft for me too. I have tried setting 6400 and 1000 shutter speed and loose all the detail in the face. I thought from all the reading I would be able to do that with the D700. The gym has really bad lighting so some of its as a result of that. Wonder if its the sigma 70-200. It is a DG lens, sooo, using it on FF camera anyone out there shooting a sigma 70-200 on their D700 (or other lens) indoor sports and getting good results, if so, please post and provide data? Preferably shoots inside very bad lit high school gym so I can compare and learn from. THanks.
Try those settings and see how it works, if you're still not getting what you desire, then the Sigma is limiting you.
anyone out there shooting a sigma 70-200 on their D700 (or other lens) indoor sports and getting good results, if so, please post and provide data? Preferably shoots inside very bad lit high school gym so I can compare and learn from. THanks.