You can shoot many sports with an M9, I do it with my S3 and did it with my M6.
For Soccer I use anything from a 28 to a 105 depending upon what position my son is playing. I move from the group of parents at the side lines so I can get the angles I want. Shooting from the crowd never works. Sometimes I’m down on the ground, other times I’m standing, depends on the position and what’s going on in the field.
XCountry is easy but you generally only have one or two shots at most, unless you hustle to the finish line. There I use a 105 for the finish as I am never allowed to get that close. Shots on the course are done with between a 25 and a 50. Depends upon the light and where I am .
Basketball again, I get down low near the court and shoot with a fast 35. If I’m up high I shoot with a 105 or 85. I move up and down the court (walking) to shoot different plays (defense or offense). Sitting second row here, first row there. I never sit in one place and shoot with a telephoto. In High School I would climb up and sit on places that I shouldn’t have to get a different angle.
Track is all about getting close, on the inside of the track to shoot. They go around and around so depends upon how they run, are they leaders from the start, do they have a strong kick, my position depends upon the style of the runner I want to shoot and where I will get the best picture of them.
Softball is the place where RFs suck. You need a telephoto to reach out to people, 200, 300, rarely is the action moving towards you. This is the only sport you listed (other than LL, what is LL?) where the action does not come to you too often. You need the wide angle on a body for those times that it does, but more often than not it’s longer is better.
I find the key is not sitting with the other parents, not being lazy and getting involved with shooting pictures rather than visiting with other grown-ups. I’ve seen a couple of photographers who have studios (wedding and such) sit and take pictures from one place and try to sell them. The pictures sucked, great idea, but you could not see faces, no action filled the picture.
With respect to focusing, learn the sport, prefocus where the action will be and trust depth of field, zone focus, it works really well once you get the hang of it.
B2 (;->
