Mike,
This is one of those situations where true Servo focusing is the ticket.
Unfortunately, only the PZ-1p has it. As long as the shutter is pressed
down for focus, the camera will continue to focus as the subject moves
around. On the ZX-7, much like my ZX-10's, there are two things you can do.
First, as you sort of tried, keep releasing and pressing the shutter button
to force the camera to focus. You must do this constantly (what a pain! I
used to shoot kids soccer this way). Second, if you are having problems
achieving focus lock, try tilting the camera at a slight angle to give the
sensor a slightly different target.
This is not an area where the ZX series of bodies is very strong for AF
capabilities. You could certainly practice manual focusing and see if you
can get quick enough or prefocus on a spot and take the shot as the runners
come by. I tend to do that with baseball/softball all the time. Just shut
of the AF, focus where the action will come to and wait. Works pretty well.
Bruce Dayton
Sacramento, CA
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Nosal" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2001 8:15 AM
Subject: ZX-7 autofocus probs.
> Monday I went to watch the Boston Marathon and took my ZX-7. I wanted to
> take action shots of the runners as they went by, but I actually ended up
> missing several great shots. Here's what happened:
>
> As the runners approached, I was zoomed out to 200mm on the F 80-200mm
zoom.
> The camera focused and I fired off a shot. As the runners neared me
though,
> the camera was unable to focus on them, and the shutter simply wouldn't
fire.
>
> Sometimes I would release the shutter button completely, then press it
down
> again to try to get the camera to focus and fire. Again, the camera failed
> to get a focus lock and the shutter would not fire.
>
> As the runners passed by, eventually they would get far enough away that
the
> camera could get a focus lock and then it would fire the shutter. Lots of
> shots of the backs of people's heads.
>
> Other times, I would pull the zoom back out to the 80mm end, as the
runners
> got closest to me, and the camera did manage to get a new focus lock, but
as
> soon as I zoomed back out to 200 for the next runner, it would again fail
to
> focus and I could not fire the shutter.
>
> Using a two-touch zoom manually is a real pain for action shots.
>
> Is the ZX-7 simply ill-suited to this kind of action shooting?
>
> Would a faster lens have helped? (It was sunny, and shutter speeds were
> ~1/350 in the shade to 1/750 in direct sun) The F80-200 is f5.6 at the
200mm
> end.
>
> Would a one-touch manual focus zoom just be easier than worrying about
> auto-focus block? Some of the pictures might not be in complete focus, but
> at least I know the shutter would fire and I'd get something.
>
> What are other folk's experiences with this kind of action shot?
>
> Mike Nosal
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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