5 replies to this topic

[gostdiek]

Help! I am looking for a good sports lens that works well in low light for shooting football and basketball, sometimes from the stands, with more zoom than 70-300

[TBonz]

What you want to do can be done, but you are making it hard on yourself.  The D3500 does not have the buffer you would ideally want for sports photography, nor does it have the frames per second that one would prefer.  Lastly the body size may seem unbalanced with some of the better sports lenses.  But I will see what I can provide for guidance.

 

A quick bit on shooting from the stands, unless you are looking for a wider view, it really doesn't work.  If there are people in the stands, you are going to have a hard time shooting with more than a 70-300 with the possible exception of the 80-400.

 

 

You are really looking at multiple lenses.  The 75-200 f2.8 Nikon would be a great lens for indoor sports and for reasonably close action from the sidelines.  The Nikon prime lenses - 300 or 400 f2.8 are great if you can afford them as is the Nikon 200-400 f4.  The 80-400 mentioned above might be your best bet.  When you look at the Nikon 200-500 or the Tamron / Sigma 150-600 lenses, you are getting back to higher apertures than you may be able to use for night games.  

 

I expect you might want to consider a monopod as well based on the lens you choose.

 

Probably not what you wanted to hear, but hopefully some useful advise.  

[Merco_61]

Don't forget the Sigma 120-300 Sports. It doesn't have more reach than a 70-300, but 300 mm is usable even for cropping on DX unlike the consumer zooms. I can't think of anything else over 200 mm fast enough for low-light sports without going with expensive primes.

[bluzman]

Don't forget the Sigma 120-300 Sports. It doesn't have more reach than a 70-300, but 300 mm is usable even for cropping on DX unlike the consumer zooms. I can't think of anything else over 200 mm fast enough for low-light sports without going with expensive primes.

 

Given that the OP is using a D3500 (~$500 MSRP), I'd be interested to see if the Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Sports that costs $3,599 is a real consideration.

[Merco_61]

Given that the OP is using a D3500 (~$500 MSRP), I'd be interested to see if the Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Sports that costs $3,599 is a real consideration.

The strange thing is that the Sigma is the low-budget choice for what the OP wants to do. Indoor sports can't be done on the cheap when the venue is too poorly lit for a 70-300 or you need a bit more reach.

The 70-300 class are all a bit soft at the tele end, so cropping won't give a nice photo. 

[TBonz]

Simple answer - to do sports "right" it isn't cheap,  You can get by less expensively but by doing so you give up capability in one way or another.  The 70-200 f2.8 is effectively a must.  Yes, third party versions of that lens work as would the 100-300 to cover that space.  The 70-200 or 80-400 f4.5 are still going to cost around $2000 and the prices go up from there...I didn't even mention the 24-70 that can give some great shots when you are close inside and outside.  Nor did I discuss prime lenses other than mentioning the 300 and 400 which are each more expensive than the lens Peter mentioned.  If goesdiek really gets into sports photography, then they will want a better body as well. 

 

All of this isn't to say that it can't be done less expensively.  I know someone who loved the 200-500 for sports.  Big difference is that he shot football and other field sports that were day games and didn't have the crappy high school lights to deal with.  I know a guy who covers basketball home games for an ACC school.  He also shoots for wire services.  He basically started with a D5000 version (not sure which) and a Tamron 75-200 f2.8.  He just had to pick his own location carefully and anticipate the action.  Time and effort helped him learn and expand his equipment and his capabilities.  But, he is a remarkable photographer and an excellent business man who knows how to sell what he shoots.  

 

Best way to put it:  Shooting with lesser gear is not impossible, it simply makes it harder to get the shots you might want.  Shooting with the best gear is not going to make you as good as a pro without some effort and practice.