help with blurry action shots with 7HI

[hst]

I have tried a bunch of different settings trying to get good action shots of my kids. Outside they are almost always blurry. I've tried manually setting the shutter to 1/2000 shutter priority and still blurry movements. Any helps would be appreciated.

[doug4117]

use a tripod or a monopod, perhaps?

[Us 5 Camp]

Have you tried to pan the camera with the action, thereby freezing the subject, but blurring the background?

[voxmagna]

Might be a dumb reply, but I'd have thought 1/2000th was moving towards the sort of speed to freeze bullets, and kids don't travel that fast!

So, are you sure the problem is subject speed and not auto focus locked on to the wrong target, no target at all or target moved? Does the EXIF file header show up any focus warnings or say it is distance focus when your target was 2-3 metres away? Are your kids moving towards or away from the camera after AF has acquired their distance. If you are shooting at 1/2000th you will be at full aperture and zilch depth of field if their distance changes. Are you using flash? Find out what DOF your camera has at say f8, and preset the aperture, use flash if indoors with shutter at 1/125 to 1/250th and manually set focus for activity in the range of the DOF. Be aware that internal flash distance falls dramatically with zoom - use sparingly! VOX

[hst]

As an experment I had one kids lay on the grass and move their arms and legs back and forth like a snow angle. I felt that would keep the focal distance fairly close. Everything was in focas but it was a blur where the feet and arms were moving. The torso and face were perfect.

The flash tip does the trick and the motion seems to stop in place, however that limits me to close up shots. All these shots are outdoors. It also produces some unnatural effect when the flash is used outside.

Some of the shots are moving away, going sideways or runing to me. The best ones are the ones coming at me. Tried panning and the background and subject are both out of focus. The background worse than the subject. I haven't done panning before so it could be I just haven't gotten it right. I have tried to put in on continual auto focus but that seems to be worse. I have tried full auto mode and that almost never works.

Thanks for all the tips. I will try some different shutter speeds this weekend to see if the depth of field might be the problem. I appreciate all the great advise!

[voxmagna]

Are you sure the shots ARE captured at the high shutter you say - by looking at the Exif data in the picture file? I once left my camera set for slow sync flash, and at the time of shooting the shutter opened longer to expose for available light. Just a thought, but look hard at the EXIF data with Exifer (freeware).

When you use flash outdoors, try switching the white balance off auto to fixed 'daylight'. I do this all the time on my 414, I think Minolta like yellow pics! VOX

[hst]

I went to 1/250 shutter speed and F4 and got some great shots. I tried going down to 1/125 but some were still blurry. I read the EXIF data and you were right on the money. I thought the shutter was higher speed was higher but in fact it wasn't showing what I thought I had set it on. I also set it to ISO 100.

Thanks again for taking the time to help me find a solution.

Have a great weekend!