I have a Nikon D300 and using a Nikon 18-200mm VR Lens.

This is the first time I have had a go at sports photography.

Now I know I should be using at least a 300mm lens for this but all I am after is action shots close to me like the touch line.

I have read somewhere else to have you camera in S mode to get some good shots, I did this on the weekend and I am very dissapointed with the results.

What is the ideal setup on the Nikon D300 for sports ?

Thank You

Glyn.

I use a 70-300mm on a d40. I use aperature priority and have it fully open. It takes a bit of practice with the panning, but I'm happy with mine. I also increase the ISO to 400. This allows for a faster shutter speed while maintaining depth of field.

Nick

I use a 18-200mm on my D70s and use it on the sports mode for both soccer and rugby. Because I have no idea of the rules of rugby or how the game is played using the sports mode allows me to concentrate more on where the ball will be and what would make the best shot. I find with the auto focus mode though I sometimes miss what I was trying to focus on and capture something entirely different. However as I now do my son's soccer (ok football ) team on Sundays and our only schoolboy rugby side (hubby trains the 1sts pack) on Saturdays I did buy a monopod at the beginning of the year and it has been worth its weight in gold over the last two days.

Kat

I agree with both the previous responses, The gear you have is fine, I use a 70-200mm myself sometimes hand held sometimes on a monopod. As long as you keep mobile this is long enough, just.

I also shoot on aperture priority as I find that this is quicker to change on the fly. My lens is f2.8 so I vary from this to f4 depending on light and what depth of field I require. I try to shoot at ISO 100 but will push this up to ISO 400 and above if required.

I am still learning myself but I have my best results using the above information. I also find that it is useful to change settings and try! As long as you look at the data after you can quickly learn what works and what does not.