But Wendy, I only ever shoot in that mode - yet I have had my latest digital incarnation since October and shot only 1629 images. AI Servo and continuous drive mode are similar to a film camera for me. I tried shooting in single shot mode once only, and instantly hated it. The camera makes you *wait* until a shot's in focus? No way.
Ah, but you have to remember what I'm shooting. Dog agility. My technique is just the same as if I was using an MX :-)
I know the course, so I know the dog's path. I pre-focus on an obstacle and wait. Dog takes the obstacle and, bam, I pick him off. (using Fred's sniper analogy ;-) ). I have a very high rate of keepers using this method.
I'm afraid my disdain for the machine-gun method comes from seeing others in the same field switching to continuous and blindly shooting away in the hope that they capture something worth selling.
True story: I was competing with Tanja in the AAC National Championships in Montreal this August. The photographer who had the contract to cover the event had an assistant who just didn't have a clue about dog agility. There were 22 shots made of my dog. Out of those only one was in focus and moving towards the camera. More than half were butt-shots (the dog's not mine - thank goodness!)
Anyway, my latest venture is flyball. It was while taking snaps at a practice session I learned that the technique I have used for yonks just won't work in flyball. Well, almost. Box-turn shots are easy to get, but the running shots are something else!
I suppose what I'm saying is that I dismissed a very useful technique because of what I'd seen produced by others without trying it for myself. Too set in my ways ;-)
Wendy
Wendy Beard,
Ottawa, Canada
http://www.beard-redfern.com
