Be Prepared
To get good results of fast moving subjects, you have to be ready in advance -- even when you’re using Sequential Shooting. A very short delay, called shutter-lag, can occur between the moment you press the shutter button and the first picture in the sequence is taken. To take a picture perfectly timed to your subject’s movement, take this into consideration and press the shutter button slightly in advance.

Great sports and action snapshots are rarely accidents, but that doesn’t mean they are difficult to shoot. While there are a few technical tricks, much of your success will come from being prepared when the moment arrives and taking enough photos to achieve the results you’re after.

Use a high ISO
Using a high ISO will allow the camera to use higher shutter speeds to stop action. Higher shutter speeds will also diminish camera shake when using long focal lengths on Olympus Ultra Zoom cameras for example. In daylight, an ISO of 400 should be sufficient. Using the DIS MODE (Digital Image Stabilization) Scene Mode or the SPORTS Scene Mode -- found in most Olympus models -- will set the camera to automatically select higher ISOs.

Image Stabilization (IS)
Image Stabilization is available in the Olympus Ultra Zoom line of digital cameras, as well as in several Stylus cameras. The IS technology enables shooting at lower shutter speeds, or with lenses zoomed to extreme focal lengths, by compensating for camera shake by shifting the sensor up/down and left/right to steady the image. Using IS will not stop your subject's movement, but using DIS with IS will freeze the subject and provide sharp results.

Pre-focus the camera for more precise timing for that perfect moment
Moving subjects are often unpredictable -- and timing means everything. The shutter action on your camera is much faster when pre-focused. All Olympus digital cameras will pre-focus when you press the shutter button down halfway. Once you've done this, fully press the shutter button to get the picture at the perfect moment. This technique works well for subjects that move but stay in one place, such as a baseball batter. Some Ultra Zoom and E-System cameras have a Continuous AF option that will track the focus on a moving subject as long as the shutter button is depressed halfway. Ultra Zooms and E-System models also have an additional Predictive AF that calculates the motion of the subject when using the Sequential Drive function to anticipate the next point of focus of a moving subject, such as a runner moving toward the camera.

Use the Sequential shooting options found in the Drive menu
Sequential shooting will enable the camera to shoot rapidly and continuously by holding the shutter button down. Depending on the resolution being used, two or three frames per second are possible. The perfect shot can be selected later from the burst of images taken. Even some of Olympus' newer point-and-shoot models -- like FE and Stylus series cameras --have a drive mode. Some Olympus cameras, such as the SP-570 UZ, have High-speed sequential shooting at rates of 13.5 images per second. One application for this option would be to analyze a golf swing by viewing the image sequence.

Sequential shooting with the Stylus 720 SW. In cooperation with: Ocean Expo Park, Okinawa.

When the distance between the subject and the camera doesn't change much, you can take fun pictures by setting the [DRIVE] mode to []. When the distance to the subject changes significantly, you can use the [] mode if your camera has it. However, in this mode the focus is locked every time a picture is taken, so the interval between sequential pictures will be longer. Also, the image size is reduced a bit, but with some models you can take sequential pictures at more than 3 pictures per second. Sequential shooting can be used in most camera models, but the actual performance of the function will vary depending on the model.

Similar to the Drive mode is Shoot and Select Mode
Using this mode you can take pictures of a fast moving subject using sequential shooting, and then select only those pictures you want to save on the memory card. For example, taking good pictures of a softball or baseball game can be quite difficult. Often you press the shutter button when you think you've got a great shot, but by the time the picture is taken the players have moved.

Set the [SCENE] mode to [SHOOT & SELECT1]: The camera will be set to high-speed sequential shooting and will continue shooting pictures as long as you continue to hold the shutter button down. The pictures taken in the sequence will then be displayed on the LCD and you can select and save the pictures you like. Note: the image size is reduced when using Shoot and Select mode.