Had the opportunity to photograph my son playing soccer last month, whilst visiting Christchurch. Here are a sample taken with the E3 + ZD50-200 (Mk 1). All photos taken with IS off, S-AF (feathering the shutter), single focus point (normal sensitivity). In good light, I find the combination fast enough to capture the action.

Those are good captures. I assume your son is the person in red. He looks intense...looks like he plays hard...is competitive and plays well.

Some great action shots, to be sure. Well done!On the last shot, his red shirt looks overcooked.Cheers,Craig

Biggest comment is try an shoot more portrait orientation to isolate the one or two players your are concentrating on.SA-F missed focus on the last shot, but that is really hard to get with SA-F, they are just moving at you to fast and DOF is too thin to hope to get the shot without spray and pray.

Good action captures. I agree with the portrait orientation. If you plan on taking a lot of photos it's worth adding a grip to make that easier.My daughter has one set of uniforms with white jerseys and when they play teams wearing black or its very bright out the exposure is difficult. I find that RawTherapee highlight recovery works well for bringing down highlights so I can keep the exposure up a little taking the photos rather than trying to pull up shadows on the faces in PP.

Yes, it is him in the red. He plays centre forwards, and loves the game. The league he is playing in is actually a Church league! Lot's of competition between the local churches! -- RobPNthhttp://www.myfathersworld.net.nz

Nice set! I have an E-30 and the same lens and agree, good light is key to making it viable for sports. You've done well here.If I might ask, how is the quake recovery coming? After the Japan quake, NZ got shoved out of the news permanentlly.Cheers,Rick

Hi Rick - I'm afraid it will take years to re-build the CBD. -- RobPNthhttp://www.myfathersworld.net.nz

Sorry to hear that, Rob, but I'm also not surprised given the breadth of the damage. Eventually things will be better than before, but it will be a long haul. Heck, we're still working on the Bay Bridge seismic overhaul twenty-two years after its failure in the Loma Prieta quake. It took three years to build in the first place.Cheers,Rick

I take it you are from Palmerston North? I think I've only ever seen one other E3 here, photographing a dedication in the rose gardens. Was that you? We are in the definite minority here! -- Don.A Land Rover, a camera ... I'm happy!

RobPNthwrote:..In good light, I find the combination fast enough to capture the action.From the shadows it does not look like a good light at all - bright and harsh, and easy for clipping. But the images came out quite not bad, as it appears. Wide open and straight to the subject - very good in fact.