Photography FOCUS Modes EXPLAINED: Nail Your FOCUS For SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY.

Understanding #focus modes in #photography is one of the trickiest but also most important things to learn. Here is a #tutorial explaining the different focus and AF-Area modes and when to use each one for your sports photography. Enjoy!
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[@billieweiss7681]

Does this line up with your focus strategy? Or am I completely off?!

[@DistinctPerspective]

Great video!

[@billjohnson3323]

Yes almost exactly what I do. Two additions that you probably didn't have time for. 1) prefocus on spots like second base if I think there may be a steal on 2) back button focus.

[@billieweiss7681]

@@DistinctPerspective Thanks brotha! Welcome to the Tube!

[@billieweiss7681]

@@billjohnson3323 Yes, two great additions and strategies, both of which I do! I should have mentioned in the video I use back button focus. Thanks Bill!

[@bberg021]

@@billieweiss7681 one thing I've been trying to find and figure out with Nikon and back button focus....do you ever shoot while holding the focus (back) button down? Or do you take your thumb off of it, then shoot? (I know you would take it off to compose shot, but in fast moving action) - AWESOME CHANNEL MAN - just came across it the other day and so far it hits on so much of my interests and questions. Thank you.

[@jasonforester7292]

Dude I can't tell you how helpful this video is. I'm not a beginner photographer, though I'm certainly not a professional, at least when it comes to sports, either, but this is still super helpful for those of who don't even shoot sports(yet). Photography can get super confusing the more and more we dive into it, so it's nice when people put out super helpful and simplified info like this even though it may not be the most fun thing to make a video about. Thanks for the help, appreciate it!

[@billieweiss7681]

Thanks Jason, so glad it's helpful! Yeah, this stuff can get super confusing - even for advanced photographers. It's difficult to keep it all straight and get all the terminology right. Glad to hear the breakdown was helpful, and I appreciate the nice feedback. Enjoy shooting!

[@jeffkernen1554]

When shooting sports, I use AF-C, usually 9-point or 21-point, back-button autofocus, with lock-on set to off. This is my typical set up for baseball, basketball, football, etc. This is on a pair of D4s cameras. I usually put my focus point right on the player's numbers as this is generally the most contrasty area for the autofocus to pick up and track.

[@K82vids]

I really need to thank you again. You have elevated my photography to the stratosphere with your easy to digest tutorials. I've always shot, even as a beginner with my dslr, in manual and single focus mode. I've come up with a lot of really specific interesting shots while photographing panels at conventions and some killer action shots. I'm definitely going to start fooling around with focus modes to give my portfolio more range. I can't say enough good things about your videos. You're great and so accessible. Thank you!

[@billieweiss7681]

Thanks so much for the nice feedback! I really appreciate it! Glad to hear it's helpful and you are enjoying exploring more of the focus modes. Happy shooting!

[@robertokeefe9815]

Great explanation and teaching point, thank you!

[@billieweiss7681]

Thanks Robert, appreciate it!

[@IN2RIDE]

That's what I was looking for! You answered all my questions. Thanks :D

[@Jerseymikephoto]

Great Video. Very easy to understand and very helpful. Thanks Billie.

[@billieweiss7681]

Thank you!

[@shawnarae85]

Very helpful video!! Thank you so much!

[@ZeeTaib]

Great video by the way so helpful!

[@frankgonzalez4214]

Great job Billie!

[@billieweiss7681]

Thanks Frankie!

[@santiagoa.l3360]

Thanks! Great video

[@garrettfitzgerald955]

This helps a lot! Cheers !

[@billieweiss7681]

So glad to hear it! Thank you!

[@pimnauta3840]

Thanks for sharing.

[@billieweiss7681]

Thanks, Pim!

[@bquinn722]

Great video Billie. I appreciate you taking the time to teach things that are basic to you but helpful for someone who photography is a hobby to. Not necessarily related to the exact topic of this video but I’m curious what shutter speed you use to shoot baseball? To narrow my question, what shutter speed do you typically use to shoot a batter or pitcher? Does it vary if a day game or night game?

[@billieweiss7681]

Thanks for the nice feedback, Brian. I appreciate it! Great question. Typically to freeze action for baseball, I am at no less than 1/1000 shutter speed. For pitchers mid-windup, I actually find you need to be more around 1/1600 to avoid blur. Batters are usually good at 1/1000 and above. Shutter speed doesn't vary day to night as long as I'm trying to freeze action. My general rule - keep the ISO as low as possible. So sometimes during the day my shutter speed is at 1/6000 or so to keep my ISO down around 250. At night, my shutter speed is at 1/1000 or 1/1250 to keep my ISO around 1600 or 2000.

[@vatosgym]

Thank you!

[@ThepearlofAfrica]

Informative. Thank you

[@NikCan66]

Excellent tutorial video

[@billieweiss7681]

Glad you liked it

[@chuckmccollim]

"Get out here!" Well I tried tonight, but when I got there, the doors were locked and the basketball game had been canceled :( BTW, I have learned more about my camera etc in shooting many college sports games this year. I believe learning to shoot sports well--will drastically improve any photographers "game." Think about it, if you can consistently photograph someone well as they run by you in competitive sports--think of how well you could photograph them if they only walked by?

[@billieweiss7681]

Ugh, so sorry to hear that, Chuck! Unfortunately the dreaded "cancellation" has become a part of our workflow and expectations during this pandemic. Just had a game cancelled on me last week just hours before. Bummer - keep at it though! And great point about learning to shoot sports well - once you nail sports, shooting other situations seem "easier". Thanks!

[@alwaysinout]

Great ... thanks

[@Smoothnf]

Hey Billie, great video what about matrix would you recommend that over group? I know spot is your favorite. I shoot high school football. Thanks

[@DantheSavageProject]

Thanks!

[@billieweiss7681]

No problem!

[@vinnybove1766]

Great video

[@billieweiss7681]

Thanks Vinny, I appreciate it!

[@KathrynFriedrich]

Great video and super helpful for me as I am just starting out. Outside of going to games, (which are often limiting spectators), are there other ways to "practice"? Bird pictures? Moving cars? any other ideas?

[@billieweiss7681]

Glad it was helpful! Yes, those things you mentioned are very helpful. Also calling on your friends/people you know to act as your subjects to practice shooting with. Those things, combined with lots of research on good photos and studying good sports photography will get you there! Enjoy!

[@Gazzab6]

Great and informative video Billie. When using AF-C, I tend to use Single Point when I can but will opt for Group Area mode as a wildlife photographer. A couple of questions, when you are using AF-C during your action shots with Single Point focus, do you use the joy pad on the back of the camera to position your focus point on your subject or do you keep the focus point in the middle of the frame and crop for your composition later? Next question, when using AF-C for your action shots, which focus priority selection do you use, Release, Focus + Release, Release + Focus or Focus?

[@billieweiss7681]

Great questions, Gary, and thanks for watching! Yes, I use the joy pad on the back of the camera to position my focus point on my subject. In other words, I'm constantly moving the focus point around depending on what's happening and how I want to compose my shot. And I use Release!

[@Gazzab6]

Billie Weiss Thanks for your reply Billie and you have put my mind at rest. I've always used Release on my D500 but recently I've seen other photographers using the other modes so started thinking I'd be better not using Release. Your confirmation has helped me decide to continue using Release for my wildlife photography because as discussed in your earlier video Wildlife vs Sports Photography, the two genres overlap. Hopefully when the restrictions in the U.K. have lifted, I'll be able to get out and try some sports photography again. All the best and I'm really enjoying your channel.

[@b.p.sheaves4736]

Thanks Billie, I use Single with action as well some times, and also pre focus on a base and that has gotten me some of my favorite images. I have played with back button focus a few times, but never really got use to it with sports. Do you find there is a big advantage to it with the sports photography?

[@billieweiss7681]

Thanks for watching! Yes, I do use back button AF and should have definitely mentioned that in the video. I do find it super helpful for sports photography to use it. Just feels faster to adjust on the fly when things are moving fast!

[@steveroberts7620]

Did they make you pull the BTS that was posted. Was looking forward to seeing that

[@billieweiss7681]

I'm hoping I'll be in the clear in a week or two! Just waiting a little bit. It's queu'd up and ready to go!

[@jonathanorenstein7463]

Thanks for another great video - I just started photographing high school soccer this year after years of music and theater events. I could stick with this new genre! Question for you - high school stadiums have pretty odd and dim lighting for night games - is there a focus method that works best in those conditions?

[@billieweiss7681]

That's awesome, Jonathan! Glad to hear you just started shooting some high school sports. Good question - for most cameras the AF-C and either single or group modes will work great even in dimly lit stadiums or gyms. It's not until the environment get's really dark, like full night time with not many lights, that the autofocus starts to have trouble. Probably rare that you'd need manual focus with even bad stadium or gym lights!

[@jonathanorenstein7463]

@@billieweiss7681 I'm shooting Sony A7iii and an adapted Canon 200mm f/2.8 which gives me enough reach from the sideline to the middle of the field. Sony's affordable 400mm range is limited to their 100-400/5.6 and 200-600/6.3 zooms. I probably could push ISO to 12,800, but like you said in another video, I can't mess with Clarity or else I'll lose sharpness at such high ISO. I appreciate your advice!

[@arwen311]

Billie, thank you for the great video! Question: What is the advantage of AF-S over AF-C when I can just set my camera on AF-C for all occasion? I mean, just because it's on AF-C doesn't mean I have to shoot continuous. Or am I missing something?

[@billieweiss7681]

For sure, that's definitely correct. I think with AF-C you can dial in a bit more precise control, so if I find myself in a portrait scenario, I will often switch to AF-C. But to my knowledge to your point, effectively you could just be on AF-C at all times.

[@surf_photographer_bali6647]

Billie, I do surf photography and have been using the group setting and thinking of trying the single point focus, if I am focusing on the surfer will the spray from the surfer still be in focus? I have been getting great shots with my canon 5d Mark II using the group 9 point setting. Regards matthew

[@patricksmith2553]

I have to say I was little shocked to find out you use Single and Continuous like you describe. I’ve been a back button AF shooter since 1999 and therefor I’ve haven't had any of my cameras in single point AF. Using the back button allows you to have both single and continuous, without switching. It has other advantages as well, but I’m just very surprised you don’t use back button AF. I’m even more surprised that you completely left it out of this video as an option, although I realize this video is geared towards beginners.

[@billjohnson3323]

You must have a camera I'm not familiar with. I use back button focus but I still have to select single (and get the beep when it achieves focus or I'm in servo and it never stops focus.

[@patricksmith2553]

@@billjohnson3323 It (the camera) stops focusing when you release your thumb. There are plenty of videos on this subject and I don't have time to explain it all to you. I'm a working photojournalist. However Steve Perry, a wildlife photographer and KZbinr has a great video on the subject. Actually there are probably countless videos on the subject. For reference though I'm talking about DSLR's and I, like Billy use Nikon D5's. Some argue that BBAF is no longer useful on mirrorless camera's as it is on DSLR's, but I don't know, I don't use mirrorless.

[@billieweiss7681]

@@patricksmith2553 Thanks for pointing this out Patrick, and I am realizing now I definitely should have clarified or made note of this in the video. I use back button auto focus as well - basically all the time!

[@patricksmith2553]

@@billieweiss7681 No problem Billy, you're a great photographer, and I thought you might of just forgot. We're all human, I was just surprised that you didn't mention it. I also thought that you probably did use back button AF, but the video confused me. You don't really ever need to switch to Single Point AF unless you like having or hearing the "beep" confirmation. Like someone else mentioned above, that's the only reason I can think of for switching. I personally never switch and I know and trust my AF is on point. Both from experience and from calibration of my lenses. As long as my point is where I meant to put it, the focus is going to be correct. The only issue I've ever seen with using a single point in Continuous is with VR on. The VR can cause your point to appear to be on the eye, but the it shifts due to the VR operation.

[@bryansimmonshayes]

Hi Billie, I was wondering if you ever have issues with the auto-focus getting stuck on the brim of the hats rather than the eyes when doing portraits? I've had to go manual a lot of times because of this.

[@tedk2814]

Yes, basically this is my strategy. I use Nikon also, sometimes I use Small Group like when I'm shooting a pitcher through his full windup and delivery from the side, he moves forward a lot, sometimes batters will move forward also. So if the "spot" moves off the subject ( my inability to carefully keep it there ) I'll get wonderful in focus shots of the first baseman, small group helps. I have set custom button to toggle between these. I have a question about focus lock on. Mostly I just keep it in the middle, in spot mode if I think I missed focus, I let up momentarily on the continuous shutter and re acquire .....sometimes.... I think. What is your philosophy on focus tracking in Baseball? Thanks Billie

[@billieweiss7681]

Hi Ted, nice going with using the small group to combat the "spot" moving, and also a great call to set the custom functions to toggle between the two! Great ideas. To your question - I generally hold down the AF back button on the back of the camera as I'm tracking the subject. So if the guy is running up the line, I'm holding the button down as I'm panning the lens to stay on him and *try* to keep it locked onto that single focus point. If I screw up somewhere along the way, I try to do a quick let up, then push back down on the AF back button to refocus it. Hope that makes sense/helps!

[@ZeeTaib]

Hey! Question when shooting basketball i like to shoot single shots (when standing still) and also moving shots (competition) so what Autofocus would you suggest

[@erxcdecker]

With the advanced face/eye AF tracking that is out these days, do you (or would you) ever use these modes instead of single point? I'm thinking of the AF tracking in something like the 1DX3 or R5.

[@alahlah2231]

please reply I am a Nikon d750 user and the sigma 70-200mm f2.8 lens is always focused towards the back, I have used af-C 9dynamic, it is still the same fucos towards the back

[@Alicia-bt6kc]

Please me, Nikon D3 still good in 2021?🤔

[@billieweiss7681]

It is definitely outdated but still usable if you don't have another option! You can still make good pictures with it :)

[@Alicia-bt6kc]

Great, thx👍

[@zamirloshi4127]

Why don’t you just use continues focus for slow subjects to? Is there an advantage when using singe shot? I always keep my camera in continues, even for portraits and things like that...

[@billieweiss7681]

Good question Zamir. I actually do just keep it on continuous for most situations if I'm moving quickly and on the go. But if I have time and am in a controlled environment like a portrait, I will switch it over to AF-S. Also wanted to make the distinction clear for the purposes of this video. Thank you!

[@ekevanderzee9538]

Not even a mention of back button?

[@billieweiss7681]

I am realizing now I should have mentioned this in the video! Yes, I do use back button focus!

[@fasttracksportsphotography6311]

Why not just stay in AF-C mode? If you go to AF-S mode I will guarantee that eventually you will forget to switch back to AF-C and you will have a ton of out of focus photos

[@billieweiss7681]

I typically don't forget, but it's a valid point. I think for portraits, I like to go to AF-S so I have maximum control, and then am always mindful to switch back for game action mode. But leaving it on AF-C is a perfectly valid option!

[@jmanuelcor]

I personally use AF-S mode to save battery, because I don't have extra batteries to take with me and the AF-C uses a lot more energy. I only use AF-C when necessary

[@MrKenrwi]

Ya know I have to say this. Autofocus is cheating, how did the pros of the past ever get the great photos they got without autofocus. Now I have my Nikon D850 so I cheat too but, I use manual focus too. A lot with my manual cameras F5, F3 and my F2. I also have a Sony rx10 iv. I practice with my manual lens everyday I am not much slower than auto, I am of course, but I am pretty good. Anyway autofocus is a tool but it’s cheating 🤪 Learn to track focus manually, anticipate movement and it will help you in a pinch it’s fun too.

[@billieweiss7681]

I hear what your saying haha. It's crazy how far the technology has come and what it enables photographers to do. I think it's nice that you still use manual focus from time to time, and agree, autofocus is a tool, but shouldn't be entirely relied upon at all times.