Best lens for basketball/wrestling with a rebel T7?

[LuhCowgs]

Just recently got my hands on my own rebel T7. I have been using school provided cameras (R6 with 70-200mm f2.8 on them) for other sports such as soccer and football, but im trying to learn how to do more with less. What would be a good lens preferably under 200 dollars for basketball/wrestling? I have heard the 85 mm f1.8 is decent but not quite sure.

[Waddizzle]

What would be your shooting location for the each sport?  

Your camera doesn’t have great low light performance.  I would recommend a wide aperture prime lens like the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM.  

[March411]

Personally I would say the the 70-200mm 2.8 would be my first choice but there is no way to fit that into a $200 budget. You will get recommendations that fit the budget but will not be optimal for the sport you are photographing. A 85mm or 50mm will work for wrestling if you are allowed up on the mat but even on the floor basketball would be difficult.

Having a good position on the floor and being able to move freely would critical to getting good frames. Both lenses would most likely require some heavy post production cropping. Depending on how you plan to use the images the 24 MP sensor will impact your image quality if you have to crop deeply.

Have you thought about saving for a 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II? You can find them used in decent condition for somewhere between $900 - $1300. A 50mm or 85mm would be great to have in your lens arsenal, probably just not the best suited for these sports.

[shadowsports]

Greetings,

The replies received are intended to stick within your stated budget and unfortunately. neither the new body and / or pairing it with a $200 lens are going to be that great for sports.  There is a huge disparity between the R6 and T7, and with any lens at this lesser price point.  We're sorry but it's just the case here.

Your budget will need to increase in order to put you at or near the class of hardware you've been shooting with.  

[ebiggs1]

"What would be your shooting location for the each sport?"

Absolutely the most important factor. The second being, know the sport. If you don't know what is going on or about to happen you are not likely to get good shots no matter how much you spend on a lens. If $200 bucks is a set in stone limit a 50mm or 85mm prime in the f1.8 aperture ratio is probably the best you can do. However, only if you are mobile and can get close or far from the action.

BTW, post editing and raw format are the third and fourth most important things.

[LuhCowgs]

I will be allowed courtside at both basketball and wreslting matches, and they both take place in highschool gyms which I understand have poor lighting most of the time. Would saving up for a 70-200 be worth it or would I then just be limited by my camera body?

[wq9nsc]

If you can land a used EF 85 f1.8 in your price range, go for it.  I used one often in very poorly illuminated areas and it is the best low cost low light sports suitable lens out there.  It focuses VERY quickly which is critical for sports, I have many far more expensive and sophisticated Canon lenses but the EF 85 got me through a lot of basketball and indoor soccer under atrociously bad light levels.

Wrestling is NOT my favorite sport to shoot, this was the first time I shot it and I used a 135mm f2 on my 1DX body from just off the mat, basically the same focal equivalent as an EF 85 on your T7 with APS-C size sensor.

Rodger

[March411]

I can only give you my perspective and hopefully others will give you their thoughts on the topic.

I own DSLR and MILC bodies. I use Canon and Sigma EF lenses on both, on the mirror-less I use the Canon $129 adapter when using an EF lens. The EF lenses work outstanding on both, do the research and you will find that many, including professionals have moved to R bodies and maintained their EF glass and are very pleased with the results.

That was a lot of words before answering the question. Your T7 will absolutely work, is it the best, you know the answer but it is a good camera. The 70-200mm will definitely make your experience more gratifying, give you more flexibility on how you approach subjects on the floor, and should provide better images which really depends on your skill set. 

If you decide you have the passion for photography you do like most of us did when starting out, you build your equipment as funds allow. I would use the T7, save and buy the 70-200mm used and start saving for your next piece of equipment.

Moving to mirror less, well the focus point, focus speed and available ISO features are a great reason to make the transition. Your 70-200mm will provide you with years of enjoyment on either body type. Two things to be aware of:

• Maintenance/repairs on older lenses can be a challenge. I have a independent provider 20 minutes from my home for EF and DSLR repairs. Something to think about but you would be in the same position with the 50mm or 85mm lenses.
• Your T7 has an APS-C sensor which has focal length multiplier of 1.6. The effective focal length of the lens you would be using would be 112-320mm. If and when you purchased a new body and if you went full frame the effective focal length would be 70-200mm. Again, unless you purchased lenses specific to the APS-C sensor the math would remain the same. An 85mm lens would have an effective focal length of 136mm.

Again, that's a lot of words.....I'm sorry but I hope this helps.

[LuhCowgs]

Thank you for the response! As i said before I have been using the school provided equipment and I agree that a 70-200 mm is easily the best thing I have used to date, however im not allowed to use those for anything on my own time. I think I will begin saving for a 70-200. Do you have any exact recommendations for one that would work with my camera, and what reliable websites/sources should I try to find used lens on?

[March411]

You'll see that Rodger responded below. He does some fine work and used the 85mm with success. For sports he can assist you since he lives sports photography. I look at his posts to continue to learn all the time!. Big fan!

Now to answer your question, I would get the EF 70-200 f/2.8 IS II, it is a good lens and I'm not sure I could justify the added expense for the III.

For used equipment I use KEH or MPB. Both supply consumers with equipment that is as good or better hen described and they have a decent warranty period. Stay away from Ebay, Amazon or anyone that does not have a decent reputation in the industry. I simple google search will answer that question.