Shooting action photos isn’t just
the preserve of professional photographers with expensive kit. Great action
shots are within easy reach of anybody, but choosing the right camera for the
job can make a massive difference to results you achieve and enjoyment you get
from it.
Not all camera are suited to action photography, so whether
you want to shoot your children’s school football match or sports cars hurtling
round a racetrack, knowing what to look for from a camera’s specification and
benefits it’ll bring to your pictures will ensure that you pick the right
camera for the job.
AUTOFOCUS
DSLRs in the main use a
phase-detect system, with AF points arranged across the frame. The number of AF
points, their arrangement and spread will vary. Cameras with limited AF points
and bias to an arrangement in the centre of the frame can be a hindrance, but
the more advanced systems offer more AF points for greater coverage.
It’s not only about the number of
AF points, but the AF tracking as well. Some systems allow you to focus on the
subject, then track your subject as it moves round the frame from AF point to
AF point. More sophisticated systems use complex algorithms to anticipate
abrupt changes in subject direction to ensure the shot remains in focus when
you fire the shutter.
Finally, the speed and precision
of AF acquisition is incredibly important when shooting action. Cross-type AF
sensors are sensitive to both the vertical and horizontal and provide more
accurate AF acquistion compared to those that are sensitve to only the vertical
or horizontal. The central AF point is typically a cross-type variant on a
DSLR, but some systems feature cross-type AF points across all or some of the
AF points.
Compact System Cameras use
contrast-detect AF. Using contrast to focus, an array of large AF areas are
arranged in the frame providing a good coverage. In the past, focus speed has
been slower than that of a DSLR, but these systems have caught up – mybe not
for continuos focus, but for single AF acquirement.
FRAME RATE
Switching the Drive mode from
Single to Continuous will allow you to hold down the shutter and fire off a
sequence of shots. High-end DSLRs can shoot up to 9-10fps (frame per second),
but you should be able to get pretty close to that with a more afforf-able
model, with 5-7fps more than enough for most subjects.
Fast frame rates aren’t just the
preserve of DSLRs either, as some compacts are now offering even faster frame
rates than top-flight DSLRs, in some cases hitting a phenomenal 40fps, thought
7-10fps is more typical for fast-shooting compacts. It’s worth looking at the
small print on the spec, as some
impressive claims are at reduced resolution.
SHUTTER RANGE
If you’re going to want to freeze
the action, then a fast shutter speed is necessary. While pro DSLR models can
shoot as fast as 1/8000th of a second, entry-level and enthusiast models have a
maximum shutter speed of 1/4000th of a second which is only a stop slower and
more than adequate. Compact cameras have a slightly slower maximum shutter
speed, with the norm being 1/1000-1/2000th of a second, which could be a little
restrictive in some circumstances.
BUFFER
Firing a series of continuous
shots puts strain on the camera’s buffer – the buffer is a bridge that stories
the captured image before they’re written to the memory card. Some cameras have
larger buffers than others, allowing you to shoot more frames before you have
to wait for the buffer to be cleared and captured images transferred to the card. Most modern
DSLRs will allow you to shoot a large chunk of JPEGs consecutively without any
problems, though Raw files are a different story.
Compacts have much smaller
buffer, so with the odd exception, they can’t handle the same level of
continuous shooting.
Remember to use a memory card
with a high class rating – ideally Class 10. This guarantees you a minimun
transfer time of 10MB/s, with cards often providing a maximum transfer time
higher than that. This is a benefit, because the quicker that files can be
written to the card, the quicker the buffer can be cleared and you can carry on
shooting.
FOCAL RANGE
For a lot of action shots,
getting in close to you subject is essential. If you’re looking at a compact
camera, you’ll ideally need a zoom lens with a focal length longer than 200mm
to let you get in thigt and close, while DSLRs and compact system cameras have
the benefit of having interchangeable lenses.
VIDEO
HD video is a common feature on
many DSLRs and compact cameras, with a standard frame rate between 24-30fps. Some
models allow you to shoot as 120fps, allowing you to achieve those ultra
slow-motion shots that are ideal for action.
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