She SCORES!!!!

She's really getting a feel for the game and is getting quite aggressive. She was quite a bit away from the goal but had brought the ball down field and then booted it. It was great.

Since I read a description of how to set up my camera to shoot sports over at DPreview my keeper ratio has gone way up. Now though, I'm thinking I need the 200-400. I can send the settings to anyone who wants them (D2x-D200 specific though).

Nice Mark, and Yes please, I'd like the "keeper" settings you used, and even any DPreview pointers you may have. seanmhyde at hotmail, please. The 6-yr olds I'm capturing probably don't move as quickly as Ellen

It's one it's way!

Yeah, I could use 'em, too, Mark. Thanks!

Great capture! I like the look of determination!

I love the focus on her face, I can tell she's a competitor

Looks like she's quite the competetor. Are you a Saturday soccer dad? We lost one of the golfers in our group to being a Saturday soccer dad. BTW, not a bad thing.

Thanks, everyone.
This was at a practice but I go to the games on Saturday also. I'm not exactly a Soccer Dad but nothing in Hood River is very far from anything else in Hood River so it's not a big deal for me to stop by the games and practice.

I used to be a soccer dad. Until last Sunday when my son broke his collar bone and his season is over now. Not counting his concussion in the beginning of the season. Anybody said the soccer is a safe and healthy sport?
And the crazy and psychotic parents :) Myself inclueded. Soccer would be such a fun sport if they could eliminate the parents...
However, sport photography is fun. Different from nature. In fact, it is completely opposite. The good thing is that I can impress the game authorities with my lens so that they think I am a reporter and allow me to stand directly by the field on HS games...

Mark, I need you to send me those settings as I am a beseball,softball,soccer,basketball, and gymnast Grand-pa. Four grandkids between 10 and 4 years old and a sports fanatic son-in-law with the two oldest. Ellen reminds me of my 6 year old granddaughter.

Mark... If I had to do it over again, I'd probably get a 300 F/2.8 rather than the 200-400 F/4. It's lighter. It's more compact. It's a little bit cheaper. It's faster. It works well with the 1.4 TC(where it's comparable with the 200-400 at 400) and 1.7 TC (where it's comparable with the 500 F/4). It's amazingly sharp. I can hardly believe how fast it focuses. It's got an awesome bokeh.

It's nice to have the zoom on the 200-400, but I'm often jealous of Inge's 300.

If you're gonna buy one, rent each of them for a day or two.

Ellen's really putting some muscle into that kick, isn't she.

Sean

BTW My D2x has settings "banks". I put these settings in Bank "B". That way, I don't need to remember them all the time and can easily switch to bank B when I'm out shooting sports (or any fast action for that matter).