Shooting sports using manual focus... [how?]

[dufffader]

I was just wondering, auto focus cameras have been with us in the last couple of decades, and before that all cameras were manual focus. So what techniques do sports photographers from the old days employ to get a higher percentage of spot-on shots especially when using a telephoto lens in say the 60s or 70s?

Not to mention the pressure of having a 37-38 exposure limit per roll of film before having to switch cameras.

 

[Glenn2]

When ever I've shot fast action with manual focus, have just pre-focused where I thought the action would happen.
With a rangefinder being able to see outside the frame helps a lot, but you are limited to shorter lenses. It very easy to loose the subject while waving a long lens SLR around, the extra magnification can easily be a handicap.


A Leica action shot.... http://gallery.photo.net/photo/3995729-lg.jpg

M4, 90mm Tele Elmarit @ f/2.8, slow shutter ~1/4"?
Film was pushed HS Extachrome (tungsten)


Glenn

 

[Bob Michaels]

I was just wondering, auto focus cameras have been with us in the last couple of decades, and before that all cameras were manual focus. So what techniques do sports photographers from the old days employ to get a higher percentage of spot-on shots especially when using a telephoto lens in say the 60s or 70s?

Not to mention the pressure of having a 37-38 exposure limit per roll of film before having to switch cameras.

I shot a lot of sports up close, including soccer, back in the 70's and early 80's using a manual focus 300mm lens usually wide open. Focus was not a problem. It is the same way you get to Carnegie Hall. Practice! As far as using a limited amount of exposures, you simply learned to anticipate the key moment.

 

[Roger Hicks]

As Bob says: skill, and practice. Ever seen any 5x4 inch boxing pics? Or yachting shots on half-plate and (I think) even whole-plate from that outfit in Cowes?

Cheers,

R.

 

[photogdave]

Zone focusing, as others have mentioned, and anticipating the moment, as others have mentioned.
When I shot sports for newspapers in the 90s I used a Nikon AF zoom lens kit for outdoor sports and a Canon AE-1 with fast primes for indoors. Film was never a problem because I would plan for shooting a roll per quarter or period or however the game was divided. Plenty of time to rewind and reload during the break. Sometimes I'd fire off a short burst of frames at peak action moments with the Nikon, but since I didn't have a motor drive or even a power winder for the Canon just one shot at the peak moment had to do.
I actually won some awards with those shots!

 

[dufffader]

Thanks for the replies. So lets narrow down the topic to SLR and long telephoto lenses at around 300mm. I suppose the technique could be used for wider focal lengths, as well. Once you have the subject prefocused, then I guess experience will tell you when is the best time to release the shutter. With a finite number of frames before having to change film, I guess i is not possible to let go the shutter like what DSLR users and their 11 frames/second do nowadays. ADditionally, I find SLR lens focus ring more troublesome when used to follow a subject, tabbed focus rings on RF surely helps in this respect.

Most of my photographic subjects do not move around too fast, so I love MF.But on occasion, I do face fairly fast and random moving subjects, and I start to wonder what special powers photojournalists of the past have!!

 

[nikon_sam]

and I start to wonder what special powers photojournalists of the past have!!

That would be lots of experience and skill with their equipment...
These people didn't have cameras that did everything for them...they had to do it all manually and quickly...that only comes with lots of shooting and learning...something people these days don't seem to have the time for...

 

[Nokton48]

I was very successful photographing my Son's soccer matches, with a Hasselblad 500C/M and 350mm F5.6 Tele-Tessar. It's all about practice, and ability to anticipate the great moments.
Glad I used MF.

 

[KenR]

Pre-focused

Pre-focused

I saw a column about a fellow shooting a World Series game in the 60's - he had about 6 cameras in the field level box pre-sited and pre-focused on various parts of the field. Play at second base - fire camera 2; play at the plate - fire camera 4; etc. Baseball lends itself to that easily. If you get into the rhythm of the game you see the guy leading off first and figure that he may try to steal second and focus accordingly, not that difficullt even from the cheap seats!

 

[Beemermark]

I was just wondering, auto focus cameras have been with us in the last couple of decades, and before that all cameras were manual focus. .

Boy, I feel old.