what is the best and fastest lense for indoor basketball. low light- using a canon 70D

[mariannemunn]

I shoot high school basketball games in small low lit gyms.  I use the Canon D70 with the Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS.  This takes good pictures but I want sharper picture quality.  I need a fast lense!! I have been looking at the Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS II (think 70-200 will limit what I can capture in my lenses because of space. Also looking at 24-70 f/2.8 L II but have read that the auto focus is a bit slow.  and last the Canon EF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS USM, but I'm afraid to go to the f/3.5-5.6. Because thats what I have now. 

Any advice would be great! 

[mrz1342]

Hi based on my same question and advices here i understand we would have two options to set 70d gear for covering all peruses: first crop-lens-combo including 50 f1.4 + 70-200 f4L is + 60 f2.8 macro. Option 2: 24-70 f4L is + 70-200 f4L is + 100 f2.8 macro. Some professionals believe that ff lenses are not responding very well on apc crop cameras like 70d and some say its no problem you can us ff lenses on 70d just you need add a wide lens with lower focal range 10-20mm to your gear. And still even i am confusing any pro advice?

[RobertTheFat]

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@mrz1342 wrote:
Hi based on my same question and advices here i understand we would have two options to set 70d gear for covering all peruses: first crop-lens-combo including 50 f1.4 + 70-200 f4L is + 60 f2.8 macro. Option 2: 24-70 f4L is + 70-200 f4L is + 100 f2.8 macro. Some professionals believe that ff lenses are not responding very well on apc crop cameras like 70d and some say its no problem you can us ff lenses on 70d just you need add a wide lens with lower focal range 10-20mm to your gear. And still even i am confusing any pro advice?

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F/4 is marginal for low light. You can get away with it if you have a camera that's particularly good in low light, like the 5D Mark III. Otherwise, you should have at least f/2.8. The 50mm f/1.4 is a fine low-light lens, its drawback (for your purposes) being that it isn't a zoom. The 60mm f/2.8 is a fine lens also, but its macro capability contributes nothing to photographing indoor sports.

A full-frame lens is fine on an APS-C camera, as long as you remember that it will have about 20 mm more of a telephoto effect than it would on a FF camera. Sometimes the extra reach is helpful; more often, probably, it isn't. The most common reason that advanced amateurs and aspiring professionals buy FF lenses for an APS-C camera is that they hope one day to graduate to a FF camera. The motivation is that FF lenses can be used on an APS-C camera, but APS-C lenses will not mount on a FF camera. (There are some minor exceptions in the Nikon world, but those are not germane to this discussion.) When you get a FF camera, you don't want to have to buy all new lenses.

I'm at most a semi-professional, so I won't necessarily claim that you're getting "pro advice" from me. But I think most serious photographers, both amateur and professional, will tell you pretty much the same thing.

[mrz1342]

Thank you for your useful information. Exactly as you mentioned im planning for 5dmiii later on and if i can use ff lenses on aps-c camera like my current 70d, its more economy investment. I understand now i need a good general lans for general perposes like 24-70 f4 L is usm with combination of 50mm f1.4 to cover wide angles i need sometimes. Right? Also as you might know 24-70 f4 gives me possibility of macro mode therfore i dont need 100mm f2.8 macro for now nessecerly at the time being; same as possible mid telephoto of 24-70 on my 70d which will be 36-112 almost considering 1.6 focal point calculation, since later on i can invest for 70-200 f4 or even f2.8 L is usm for more telephoto needs. However at this step it seems i can cover my needs of general, lowlight, mid zoom landscape and portrait aswell with 24-70 f4 + 50mm f1.4 lenses. And later on go for 100 f2.8 is macro+ 70-200 f4 L is usm. At that time my gear will be complete and easily i shall plan for 5dmiii and using same lenses i bought! I would know your opinion on this plan or any corrections. Kind regards

[cicopo]

Unless the close focus of the 24-70 meets your needs more than the extra reach of the 24-105 I'd be more inclined to recommend it. They are both f4 lenses & the 24-105 is a very versatile lens on any body.

[RobertTheFat]

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@mrz1342 wrote:
Thank you for your useful information. Exactly as you mentioned im planning for 5dmiii later on and if i can use ff lenses on aps-c camera like my current 70d, its more economy investment. I understand now i need a good general lans for general perposes like 24-70 f4 L is usm with combination of 50mm f1.4 to cover wide angles i need sometimes. Right? Also as you might know 24-70 f4 gives me possibility of macro mode therfore i dont need 100mm f2.8 macro for now nessecerly at the time being; same as possible mid telephoto of 24-70 on my 70d which will be 36-112 almost considering 1.6 focal point calculation, since later on i can invest for 70-200 f4 or even f2.8 L is usm for more telephoto needs. However at this step it seems i can cover my needs of general, lowlight, mid zoom landscape and portrait aswell with 24-70 f4 + 50mm f1.4 lenses. And later on go for 100 f2.8 is macro+ 70-200 f4 L is usm. At that time my gear will be complete and easily i shall plan for 5dmiii and using same lenses i bought! I would know your opinion on this plan or any corrections. Kind regards

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One correction: The 50mm f/1.4 is not in any sense a wide-angle lens. On an APS-C camera it's a mild telephoto, almost a portrait lens (as which it is sometimes used).

[mrz1342]

Really?! You mean now i take 24-105 which is half price of 24-70 and later on when i buy ff camera, i can take 24-70 f2.8? If so, do you think the shapness and quality by 24-105 is convicable?

[ebiggs1]

"You mean now i take 24-105 which is half price of 24-70 and later on when i buy ff camera, i can take 24-70 f2.8? If so, do you think the shapness and quality by 24-105 is convicable?"

It is a little confusing following all this.  Where are you getting your information?  Certainly not here!

The EF 24-105mm f4 L is the best buy in a Canon L full on pro level lens.  If you are getting a pro level lens to start out, this is it.  It will do as well as anything you can buy in a general all around lens.  Maybe not ideal for BB but certainly close at f4 but all the lenses you are looking at are f4, if you don't go for the very expensive f2.8 versions.

The 24-70mm f4 and 70-200mm f4 is a formidable pair for sure.  With out duplication, of focal length.  Still f4.

My advise is go buy the 24-105mm and stop reading the charts and start shooting.

[mrz1342]

For example i know that 24-105 is noisy for AF on 70d but im not sure for image quality! Pls advice

[mrz1342]

http://youtu.be/RBssJQzf2Lw

[mrz1342]

Also I'm not sure macro function is available on 105 or mot?