Sea Otter Classic

Sam

The Sea Otter Classic is a world renowned bicycle event held at the Laguna Seca Race Track in Monterey Ca.

I have a series of images that I took of a rider going down. These came out pretty much in focus, but over all I really sucked at getting the riders in focus.

The purpose of this post is to share and ask you sport shooters for any advice you could offer so I can get more consistent in focus shots of fast moving subjects.

I am using a Canon 5D II and various lenses with and without high speed flash.

I was able to check the focus points and even when the focus point was right on a rider it was no guarantee the image would be in focus. The shutter speed was between 1/800, and 1/1200. This should have been enough to stop motion and camera shake.

I tried pre-focusing on a spot and shooting when the rider hit the area. I tried using AI Servo with center point and with all focus points. I tried holing the camera still, and I tried panning.
All of these methods worked to one extent or another but not as consistently as I would like.

Thoughts?

Sam

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Zerodog

Sam, these look pretty good.

For action you just need practice. Stuff moving fast is tough. I prefocus on an area close to the action, then pick up the action itself. I hold the shutter release halfway until go time tracking the subject. I use the continuous focus and 21 point selection.

Shutter speeds of 1/800 and even 1/1200 are a bit slow to really stop the motion dead. So in turn you will get motion blur thrown in there as well. If you get your shutter up around 1/2000 - 1/2500 that is what I consider golden for when I am shooting trials. Also try closing the aperture down a bit. I like f3.5-f4ish. You just get more in focus with your subject. I think 2.8 is great for some stuff. But some DOF is a good thing too.

pathfinder

You have the wrong camera, Sam. Don't take offense at that comment, I own and shoot with a 5DMKii also. But not for sports.

A 7D will be much more faster, and easier, for this kind of shooting.

AI servo with three point AF groups and micro focus adjusted lenses will make a real difference.

I like the shots you posted.

ian408

I thought they looked pretty good too. Trail Head is a local shop too--you might contact them and see if they want to buy anything.

Sam

Thanks guys.

Zerodog,

Do you have a website? Also the Nikon's are known to have better AF than many of the Canon Camera's, like the 5D II.

The full frame has a pretty narrow DOF vs a cropped camera, and with the focus issues I tried to shoot a little smaller aperture.

Jim,

Trying quantify the AF compatibilities of the 7D vs the 5D II and maybe a 1D III. (dream camera for this would be the 1D IV)

Also how about image quality between the 7D and 1D III.

Wondering if I should look into trading my pristine 5D I + $ for one of these?

Sam
Added: I ain't gona give my 5D II............where it's strong, it's STRONG!

Zerodog

Sam wrote: »

Thanks guys.

Zerodog,

Do you have a website?

Here you go Sam. www.theinfinitymachine.com

Needs some updating when I get the time. A lot of my recent events have been paid for by someone else. So I don't have pics up from them. I need to put some of my favorites in my portfolio gallery.

Sam

Zerodog wrote: »

Here you go Sam. www.theinfinitymachine.com

Needs some updating when I get the time. A lot of my recent events have been paid for by someone else. So I don't have pics up from them. I need to put some of my favorites in my portfolio gallery.

Thanks!!

I took a quick look and was checking out your exif data. Will look more in the AM.

Sam

aktse

You should have met up with Rick.... He was there for three days and recently put his is photos from the event.

Sam

If anyone is interested, here are the shots I posted to my website:

http://www.samlinvillephotography.com/Events/Sea-Otter-2011/16650167_4rWdTx

Interesting to see the difference in style between Rick and myself. He has some really nice sport shots!

Sam

Rick_R

Sam wrote: »

If anyone is interested, here are the shots I posted to my website:

http://www.samlinvillephotography.com/Events/Sea-Otter-2011/16650167_4rWdTx

Interesting to see the difference in style between Rick and myself. He has some really nice sport shots!

Sam

Thanks, I typically shoot the DH practices and races (it keeps me from racing and crashing). I try to shoot at places I would have trouble riding and showing the riders getting through the section.

I try to make all of the riders look fast (not a problem with the good riders, harder with the slower ones, like me). I typically shoot around 1/250 with a flash (second shutter sync), but will drop down if I'm panning across with the rider. This is from the inside of the same turn you were shooting outside of:


This was at 1/60 and tracked the selected focus point on the rider's face all through the turn. I think you 5D will do fine as long as you select a focus point (don't let the camera do it) and practice the timing. Once I started to select the focus point rather than letting the camera do it, my keeper rate went up a bunch. I like using a flash as it helps stop the action and lights up the riders faces.


While YMMV, practice really helps in the timing and predicting what the riders are going to do (you do not want a rider and bike crashing into you, it hurts). If you have any questions about the photos, please feel free to contact me (use email as I don't hit Dgrin all that often).

You really got around a lot from your photos. Sea Otter is a great time (as long as it does not rain too much) for everybody. Once you get to know the people it is a large party / get-together / meetup of people you don't see much.

Hope you did not get too sunburned.
Regards
rick

Sam

Rick_R wrote: »

Thanks, I typically shoot the DH practices and races (it keeps me from racing and crashing). I try to shoot at places I would have trouble riding and showing the riders getting through the section.

I try to make all of the riders look fast (not a problem with the good riders, harder with the slower ones, like me). I typically shoot around 1/250 with a flash (second shutter sync), but will drop down if I'm panning across with the rider. This is from the inside of the same turn you were shooting outside of:


This was at 1/60 and tracked the selected focus point on the rider's face all through the turn. I think you 5D will do fine as long as you select a focus point (don't let the camera do it) and practice the timing. Once I started to select the focus point rather than letting the camera do it, my keeper rate went up a bunch. I like using a flash as it helps stop the action and lights up the riders faces.


While YMMV, practice really helps in the timing and predicting what the riders are going to do (you do not want a rider and bike crashing into you, it hurts). If you have any questions about the photos, please feel free to contact me (use email as I don't hit Dgrin all that often).

You really got around a lot from your photos. Sea Otter is a great time (as long as it does not rain too much) for everybody. Once you get to know the people it is a large party / get-together / meetup of people you don't see much.

Hope you did not get too sunburned.
Regards
rick

I am peeling as I type this. It didn't rain but if you plan on sleeping in the bed of your truck, don't forget (like I did) a waterproof tarp. The dew is fierce.

Thanks for posting your techniques. Next time I shoot sports or riders I will try this.

Sam