Continous shooting or Anticipation!

[JerseyGirl]

When taking action shots or moving people and animals, how much do you use the continuous shooting at the high end of your cameras ability to get a focused shot and how often do you use your own anticipation and single shooting to catch the shot? While the burst rates seem to keep getting higher and higher, the Canon 7d is at 8 fps I think I am wondering if it is becoming like the megapixel race. From what I've heard most people don't need as many mp's as are offered now. Is it the same with the burst rate?

Jerseygirl

[scootermcq]

When I can get the club face hitting a golf ball on a regular basis, then the frame rate is fast enough...

Seriously, for most people an 8 fps is fine, for some sports photographers they would probably want more. I am almost always in continous mode, as even taking portraits, the people relax after they think a shot is taken and the second picture is quite often the better one.

[RichardTaylor]

@JerseyGirlJerseyGirl

"What is the shot"?????

Is it this? (#1 of a sequence)


or this (#3 of a sequence")



or
#2 of a sequence.


or
Part of a sequence.


I use continuous shooting all the time when shooting action, or potential action.

Are you talking about getting a focussed shot or capturing "the moment"

A planned or repeating event is easy especially after the first time around.
I may only shoot one shot in these cases.

How do you use anticipation to capture an unplanned event?

I wouldn't believe what I hear. What do you believe from your own experience?

I will use any tool available to get a focussed shot.
Otherwise what is the point, except for an "arty" shot in capturing an out of focused mess?

[Elmo]

A tool is a tool. Burst mode is a tool. Even with Burst mode anticipation is necessary to know when to start the burst. It should be noted the illustrations given are at the beginning of the burst.

That being said I am an anticipation shooter. I learned before the days of Burst, winder or Motor drives. For years we shot cameras requiring changing of film between each individual shot, you anticipated or you got nothing. We will not even bring autofocus and auto exposure into the discussion. I will admit the cameras were better designed for anticipation back then. Generally when one looked through a viewfinder one would see a frame, showing the image area, surrounded by viewable area to keep on apprised of impending action. The SLR/DSLR brought an end to the added viewing area and brought about the need for rapid sequences of frames.

The added area in the viewfinder is one of the reasons I still use a rangefinder for much of the stuff I do. The right tool for the job.

One additional thing anticipation and knowing one only has one chance will make one a better photographer not a blaster nad hope for the best

[JerseyGirl]

@scootermcu:
Yes, I would hope that for most people 8 fps would be fast enough. I guess what I meant was while Canon's 7D now does 8 fps, does one really need that kind of burst rate to freeze great action shots. Or does something like Nikon's D90 work well enough with 4.5 fps, which it looks like you have. I have been told that because a SD or HDSD card is used in the D90 the files don't transfer from the buffer to the card as fast - (I think I have that right) therefore, the camera slows down sooner than others like a canon that uses a compact flash because the camera has to wait for the buffer to clear. This may be overly simplifying it but I think you will know what I mean. Is this true or are there faster SD cards that can help eliminate some of that?

[Jim Bryant]

Being a sports shooter.....the faster the frame burst the better. But you that mode to fit your personal style from one shot to low to high.

[RichardTaylor]

@JerseyGirl

The card you use does make difference.
This is from DPR (Nikon D90)
Nikon D90 Review: 14. Timings & Sizes: Digital Photography Review

I shoot action with a Canon 40D and in RAW format.
The buffer fills up after around 16 shots and it can be very annoying when it does. I try to control it by shooting short bursts or just one shot at a time but sometimes get carried away in the heat of the moment.
It is not a big enough problem to make me switch to jpg where basically you have a leeway of 128 pics before the camera slows down to 3 FPS.

In reality the bigger problem is accurate focus especialy when the subject is moving towards you and the action is not always taking place at the same distance, so you can't prefocus..