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Ballmom89 · ‎09-22-2024

Hi All! Looking for recommendations for my camera. I am not a photography buff, but am interested in learning. I primarily would like to have a good sports lens so I can take photos of my son and his team from the dugout during baseball games.

edit: looking to spend less than $500. But willing to go above if it’s necessary

Tronhard · ‎09-23-2024

Thanks for that information. That is tight budget. Since Canon don't seem to sell these refurbished any longer, I would suggest going to a site like KEH.com. They rate the condition of the gear and provide a warranty.

For that budget, I would recommend one of these two:
EF-S 55-250 IS STM: $146:
Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM Autofocus APS-C Lens, Black {58} at KEH Camera
EF 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS USM MkII: $402:
Canon 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II Nano USM Lens for EF-Mount, Black {67} at KEH Camera
This would be the best bet within your budget, I think. It's an excellent lens. (see my article on these 70-300 Canon Lenses In-Depth Analysis - Canon Community) and not too heavy or bulky for the camera or the confines of the dugout.
I took the following images of a match from an area on the side of field just outside the wire fence - so maybe 20m (66ft) away, and well within the focal range of the lens, with the original version of this lens - and the MkII USM version is even better:
EOS 60D, EF70-300@100mm, f/8, 1/1000sec, ISO-320  EOS 60D, EF70-300@86mm, f/7.1, 1/200sec, ISO-200
On the second image above, the ball is actually on the end of the bat at the moment of contact. The test of a good lens is if it will take a significant crop, so the next image below is one such:
Cropped version of previous shot
EOS 60D, EF70-300@185mm, f/8, 1/500sec, ISO-320

I had a look for a Sigma 150-600c lens, but the cheapest ones are $812:
Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM C (Contemporary) Lens for Canon EF-Mount {95} with TS-71 Tripod Co...

cheers, TREVOR

The mark of good photographer is less what they hold in their hand, it's more what they hold in their head;
"All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow", Leo Tolstoy;
"Skill in photography is acquired by practice and not by purchase" Percy W. Harris

View solution in original post

Ballmom89 · ‎09-23-2024

Thanks for the suggestions! I will look into all of these. The vest is genius!

Tronhard · ‎09-22-2024

Hi and welcome to the forum!

One of the most basic, no-technical but very significant questions to be answered is what is your $budget value? We can suggest a lot of gear that you will not or cannot afford to invest in.

Second, what lens or lenses do you have at the moment - please be specific and note down ALL the data listed on the front face of the lens as there are often multiple versions of optics and the can have significant differences: (e.g. EF-S 18-135 IS USM f/3.5-5.6 would be a good amount of detail).

Given you are not asking about a change of camera body, I will first leave to one side my colleague Demetrius' suggestion about moving to a mirrorless camera until you suggest a budget that can support that. In that case, any EF or EF-S lens will work for your camera.

So, let's see how you respond with the questions I have posed (and others will have) and then we can get a viable solution for you.

cheers, TREVOR

The mark of good photographer is less what they hold in their hand, it's more what they hold in their head;
"All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow", Leo Tolstoy;
"Skill in photography is acquired by practice and not by purchase" Percy W. Harris

Ballmom89 · ‎09-23-2024

I only have one lens 😣 it’s the EFS 18-55mm. I used it this weekend and couldn’t even get quality photos at the plate from the dugout which is probably <100 ft

ebiggs1 · ‎09-23-2024

Best bang for the buck is one of the 150-600mm super zooms on the used market.. $500 should get you a nice used Sigma C model. If you have too much FL and don’t use it no big deal but if you don’t have enough FL and need it that’s bad.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

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