Quick guide: pace-setter, sports and action photographer

This photographer lives on adrenaline. Whether it's a football match, a motocross race or dog agility, the aim is to stop movement that the naked eye can barely register. In this sport, technique is key: the camera must be able to follow an unpredictably moving target and capture dozens of images per second. Durability is also an asset, as the best action shots are often taken in mud, dust or rain.

Camera

Sony A9 III or A1 II. The undisputed king of sports photography. The A9 III is the world's first full cell camera with a ”Global Shutter”, which means zero distortion even in the fastest movements and an incredible 120 frames per second. It won't miss a beat. The A1 II offers slightly more resolution (50MP) for those who need both speed and extreme detail reproduction.

Lens

Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II. This is a sports photographer's workhorse. The redesigned second version is around 30 % lighter than its predecessor, making handheld shooting much more enjoyable. Its autofocus is optimised to keep pace with the A9 and A1 bodies, and the f/2.8 aperture allows fast shutter speeds even indoors.

Additional information

Sony Vertical Grip (VG-C5) and Tough memory cards. The vertical grip is almost a must for sports photographers: it improves ergonomics for vertical shots and doubles battery life with two batteries. You'll also need Sony CFexpress Type A TOUGH cards to allow the camera to write a huge amount of data to the card without slowing down shooting.

Filming tips

1. Use continuous focus (AF-C). Single focus (AF-S) does not keep up with the moving subject. Set your Sony to ”Tracking” mode (e.g. Tracking: Spot M) and the camera will lock onto the subject and follow it relentlessly around the frame.
2. Take advantage of the Back Button Focus. Release the focus from the shutter release and move it behind the thumb button (AF-ON). This allows you to keep the focus active with your thumb and trigger the shot with your index finger at just the right moment. This prevents the camera from refocusing every time you press the shutter button.
3. Closing time is king. The shutter speed must be short enough to stop the movement. The rule of thumb is at least 1/1000s in sports, up to 1/2000s or faster in motorsport. Feel free to increase the ISO to get a short enough shutter speed - a slightly noisy sharp image is better than a noisy but shaky one.

Also check out our photographer's quick guides