Cannon Lens

[Parko88]

Hi 

Can anyone help me out on choosing the best lens for my cannon ESO60D i am looking at spending around $2000 Australian dollars the lens is required for sports athletics action shots mostly day but also required at night so needs to be able to take night close up from far back and close clear shots depending on where i am situated on the track weather i am close to the athlete or may be further away. 

Thanks so much

[ScottyP]

Had you not said you needed night pictures of fast action the answer for daytime fast action would have been cheaper. 

How far away?  I might suggest a70-200f/2.8 lens plus a  separate 1.4x teleconverter to give more reach when needed.  The Canon version is legendary and about $1,800 to $2,100.

There is a brand new version by Tamron that is several hundred less and actually sharper in the corners than the Canon though autofocus performance may not be as good.   Be sure to look at the brand new model which is not really fully out yet. 

[Parko88]

Hi 

Thanks so much for the reply i was told the one photographer has a 70-200mm F2.8 Sigma FX APO but he said his is over 2 years old and there would be newer versions that may be better but couldnt help me with what all he said is to stick with cannon if i can and should get what i need for the money i have to spend.  I Could be anywhere from a couple meters away from the athlete or 100meters  just depends but i do need to be able to take very fast shots not alot of the comps are at night but there are some and the lens i have doesnt cope very slow blurry even after adjusting to let more light. So recomendations for the cannon brand or i dont mind a different brand as long as it does what i need just dont want to compensate going cheaper if you know what i mean i prefer to spend maybe a little over the 2000au to not have to worry. 

Thanks 

[Waddizzle]

Sounds to me like you need more than one lens, especially when you tossed in low light.  I would have suggested the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM until you mentioned low light.  You cannot go wrong with a 70-200 lens for general purpose use for photographing sports.  You won't go wrong sticking with Canon lenses, either.

[ebiggs1]

This is one of the questions I get asked most often.  What do I use for ..........?

The first thing you must understand is all photographic gear has a limit.  All of it, there is a limit to what it can do.  One reason the DSLR or SLR is so valuable.  You can extend this limit with lenses and accessories.  Let's explore.

Number one question is where you are able to shoot from?  This is way more important then what gear you have.  Do you have a great spot to shoot from?

I don't know what sport you are shooting but I have shot American football that uses a 100 yard field.  At 100 yards, a 600mm lens is going to be the thing if you have to stand on the opposite goal line or even the side lines.  Again if you have ever seen a football game here, you probably notice the pro photographers will have more than one lens.  I have a friend that does this for a living this is his bag,...currently.

Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM super telephoto lens 

Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM super telephoto lens

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM telephoto lens 

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM zoom lens

Of course this blows your budget severely which would barely pay the sales tax on this bag.  But it does shows what is truly needed. The single best option is the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM. However, the 70-200 is the greatest go-to lens for almost any sport so spend you money on it.

BTW, my friend uses four EOS 1Dx cameras.  Generally the pros don't switch lenses at a game. 

[Waddizzle]

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@ebiggs1 wrote:

This is one of the questions I get asked most often.  What do I use for ..........?

I don't know what sport you are shooting but I have shot American football that uses a 100 yard field.  At 100 yards, a 600mm lens is going to be the thing if you have to stand on the opposite goal line or even the side lines.  Again if you have ever seen a football game here, you probably notice the pro photographers will have more than one lens.  I have a friend that does this for a living this is his bag,...currently.

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The OP said the sport is "athletics".  That's the Olympic description for track and field.

[ebiggs1]

Never done that but I suspect a 100 meters is still a 100 meters?

[ebiggs1]

Another thought if you didn't have night games to shoot, a great choice for day sports is the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports Lens for Canon.  Also, I might mention you will need a good sturdy monopod for any of the big lenses if you go that route.

I think the Siggy makes your budget, too, or close anyway.