Shooting professional action sports with the Fuji X system
By photographer Kim Matthäi Leland
With the X-Pro2 (and the soon-to-be-released X-T2), the autofocus of Fujifilm cameras is finally fast enough for shooting sports professionally.
I shoot quite a bit of sports, especially football / soccer. Mostly matches in the primary Danish league (ALKA Superligaen) and also Champions League matches and national matches. My images are sold via the photo agency Gonzales Photo and are used by media in Denmark and abroad.
FCK vs APOEL (Champions League playoff match)
I like to shoot with a shutter speed of at least 1/1250 sec for football, but 1/800 also works.
X-Pro2 – 100-400 @ 312mm – ISO 5000 – f/5.6 – 1/800s
For about a year, I’ve shot most of my assignments (concerts, photojournalism, portraits etc.) with Fujifilm cameras – but sports I haven’t felt I could do with Fuji due to the autofocus performance. But with the X-Pro2, I finally have a camera with an autofocus snappy enough to shoot professional sports.
FCK vs APOEL (Champions League playoff match)
The 100-400 lens gives me a longer field of view than before (it’s the equivalent of 150-600 because of the crop factor). That means that I can fill the frame better without having to crop so much in post.
X-Pro2 – 100-400 @ 400 mm – ISO 5000 – f/5.6 – 1/1000 sec
It’s not enough to have a camera with fast autofocus – you also need a good lens. First, I used the Fujinon XF 50-140 MM F/2,8 R LM OIS WR (with and without the Fujinon Teleconverter XF1.4X TC WR). It actually works well, especially for boxing etc., but for football, I needed something longer. Preferably something equivalent of at least 400 mm in full frame terms. I was very hesitant about buying the Fujinon XF100-400mmF4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR, because it isn’t very fast (aperture-wise), especially at the long end. There were rumours of a fast telephoto prime, but since it – more or less unnoticed – slipped out of Fujifilm’s lens road map, I decided to give the 100-400 a chance. And I must say, I was pleasantly surprised.
FCK vs APOEL (Champions League playoff match)
Shots of players heading the ball are difficult to get, but the X-Pro2 and 100-400 manages fine.
X-Pro2 – 100-400 @ 183 mm – ISO 5000 – f/5.6 – 1/1000 sec
Of course f/5.6 isn’t as good as the f/2.8 lenses that most sports photographers use. I have to use a higher ISO and longer shutter speeds than before. For evening matches, I used to go with ISO 3200 back in the DSLR days. Now, I’ve used the X-Pro2 at a few matches, and it’s been set to ISO 4000-6400, depending on the lighting conditions at the particular stadium. Shutter speeds have been 1/800 or 1/1000 – before I would shoot at 1/1250 or 1/1600.
FCK vs APOEL (Champions League playoff match)
I set the X-Pro2 to continuous AF mode (C on the dial in the front of the camera that has the options S, C and M). That way I can keep focus on players running towards me.
X-Pro2 – 100-400 @ 323 mm – ISO 5000 – f/5.6 – 1/1000 sec
Despite the not so fast aperture of the 100-400 I have at least as many keepers as before. The X-Pro2 handles the ISO noise very well. I do apply a bit of noise reduction in post (about 25 on the Luminance slider in Camera Raw), which is the same as I did with my Canon images.
FCK vs APOEL (Champions League playoff match)
Most football photographers use two cameras: One with a 400mm prime and one with a 70-200 lens. That means they have to change to the camera with 70-200, when the action comes close. I can shoot the whole match with one lens (the 100-400). I do however sometimes use the 16-55 for overview shots of the stadium.
X-Pro2 – 100-400 @ 153 mm – ISO 5000 – f/5.6 – 1/1000 sec
The X-Pro2 is set to Zone AF mode with either 5×5 or 7×7 focus points. I use continous focus, so I’m able to follow the players, and I’m in 8 fps drive mode (looking forward to the 11 fps of the X-T2!). My contact at the photo agency is quite satisfied – he has chosen 40-50 images per match. Before, I would get maybe 20-30 images approved per match.
FCK vs APOEL (Champions League playoff match)
There’s not as much light on the manager as on the players. For the shots of the managers, I use longer shutter speeds, which is OK, since the managers usually don’t move as much as the players.
X-Pro2 – 100-400 @ 373 mm – ISO 5000 – f/5.6 – 1/640 sec
I should mention that my old Canon DSLR that I’m comparing with, was a 5D mark III with a Sigma 120-300 mm and a 1.4 extender. Most full time sports photographers shoot with a 1D X or the like and a 400 mm f/2.8. And they will probably continue to do so for a while. But the gap between DSLRs and mirrorless cameras is definitely closing, and for me, the Fuji X system is now mature enough for sports.
I’ve sold my Canon DSLR gear and am looking forward to the Fujifilm X-T2 that is supposed to have even better AF performance than the X-Pro2.
Here are some examples of my football images along with comments and EXIF data:
Lyngby vs FCN (Danish ALKA Superliga)
At smaller stadiums like this, there’s often not so much light. Then you have to choose either to shoot with longer shutter speeds or higher ISO. Here I chose to raise the ISO to 6400 in order to keep the shutter speed at 1/1000 sec.
X-Pro2 – 100-400 @ 400 mm – ISO 6400 – f/5.6 – 1/1000 sec
Lyngby vs FCN (Danish ALKA Superliga)
I use a monopod for the X-Pro2 and 100-400 lens. Even though the camera and lens are lighter than in the DSLR days, you can still get tired arms if you have to hand hold it for a whole match.
X-Pro2 – 100-400 @ 183 mm – ISO 6400 – f/5.6 – 1/1000 sec
Lyngby vs FCN (Danish ALKA Superliga)
It’s usually desirable to have either the ball or cheering in the image – like here. This shot was taken at about 100 meters (110 yards) – I was sitting behind the opposite goal.
X-Pro2 – 100-400 @ 400 mm – ISO 6400 – f/5.6 – 1/1000 sec
Lyngby vs FCN (Danish ALKA Superliga)
In Zone Mode the X-Pro2 (and the X-T2) can keep focus on a player. It means that once I’ve nailed focus on him, it stays on him even though he moves around in the frame.
X-Pro2 – 100-400 @ 223 mm – ISO 6400 – f/5 – 1/800 sec
Lyngby vs FCN (Danish ALKA Superliga)
Another shot at about 100 meters. It’s great to be able to get good shots of the goal keeper, which can be difficult.
X-Pro2 – 100-400 @ 400 mm – ISO 6400 – f/5.6 – 1/800 sec
Lyngby vs FCN (Danish ALKA Superliga)
This image was taken at the exact same time as the one above. This one I took with my remote camera behind the goal.
X-T10 – Samyang 12 mm @ 12 mm – ISO 6400 – f/5.6ish – 1/1000 sec – triggered with a set of Yongnuo RF-603C II
Denmark vs Armenia (World Cup qualification match)
It was raining heavily this evening, but luckily the X-Pro2 and the 100-400 are weather sealed.
X-Pro2 – 100-400 @ 400 mm – ISO 5000 – f/5.6 – 1/1000 sec
Denmark vs Armenia (World Cup qualification match)
Christian Eriksen cheering after scoring a goal. Luckily, he ran towards me.
X-Pro2 – 100-400 @ 243 mm – ISO 5000 – f/5.6 – 1/1000 sec
Denmark vs Armenia (World Cup qualification match)
It can be difficult to predict who gets to head the ball after a corner kick, so I often zoom out, and then perhaps crop again in post.
X-Pro2 – 100-400 @ 107 mm – ISO 5000 – f/5.6 – 1/1000 sec
Denmark vs Armenia (World Cup qualification match)
I love getting shots of players fighting over the ball or jumping.
X-Pro2 – 100-400 @ 400 mm – ISO 5000 – f/5.6 – 1/1000 sec
Denmark vs Armenia (World Cup qualification match)
When the goal keeper makes a high kick up the field, I often shift the 5×5/7×7 focus area one notch down with the joystick. This is to prevent the ball “disappearing” out of the image. I almost always shoot in landscape mode. This image is cropped to portrait mode for the sake of composition.
X-Pro2 – 100-400 @ 400 mm – ISO 5000 – f/5.6 – 1/1000 sec
Denmark vs Armenia (World Cup qualification match)
Armenia commits a foul in the penalty area, and Denmark is awarded a penalty kick. Eriksen, however, fails to score on the penalty kick.
X-Pro2 – 100-400 @ 183 mm – ISO 4000 – f/6.4 – 1/1000 sec
See more of my images here at www.leland.dk or follow me on the social media www.facebook.com/kimcml and www.instagram.com/kimcml