EOS Rebel T6 lens recommendations for school gym photos

[Annakidder28]

New to this please be kind🙏❤️

Hey yall, i was recently passed down a brand new EOS REBEL T6/ EOS 1300D. 🤦‍♀️ that's what the paperwork says. So I've been watching videos, reading handbook, studying as much as possible, but I still feel like I'm lost!! I'm also a hands on person so I know trial and error is going to happen. But my main question is which lens is best for inside a school gym? My son wrestles and I want those "in the moment" photos. I've been practicing some but I don't know really where to start... can anyone recommend basic starter stuff for me please?? 🙏 

[kvbarkley]

What lens do you have?

What was deficient/not deficient in your practice shots. Can you share some examples?

[justadude]

In addition to what lenses you already have, what is your budget for a new lens if what you currently have isn't good enough and/or we can't help you with settings while using your current one(s)? That will help a lot with suggestions if we know your price range.  

[stevet1]

Anna,

A couple of little quick things:

You said you had been "reading the handbook" If you haven't done so yet, I'd strongly encourage you to download the owner's manual in pdf format. Once you do that, then by using the search functions in a pdf reader like Adobe Acrobat, you you can look for the answers to specific questions. Here's a place where you can download a pdf version of your manual:

https://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/8/0300022698/01/eos-rebelt6-1300d-im-en.pdf

The other thing was, you said you have been "practicing" How have you been practicing?

Lastly, you said your brand new camera had been "passed down". Did it come in the original box, or was it just the camera? Ask the person who passed it down to you if he or she had ever registered the camera with Canon?

If it hasn't been registered yet, you might want to go to My Canon and register it. You'll need the serial number of the camera. You can find it on the original box, or on the bottom of the camera.

Steve Thomas

[March411]

Hey Anna,

Congrats on the new camera gear, be careful it's addictive.

In line with your questions, many of the members responses could be rather lengthy, the answers have taken us all years to perfect.

A fairly simple answer is when looking at lenses purchase one's with a fixed aperture of at least f4, I personally use f2.8 and if I have the financial resources f2. A fixed aperture especially indoors with low light will give your the best, most consistent results. Also, it will take some of the initial confusion out of your setup and create a consistent process while learning to use the new gear. Look at the used market, KEH or MPB for a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8, this will work well if you are allowed close to the mat as it pertains to zoom range and the f2.8 will allow for some fairly poor light. 

If your subjects are moving, you will need to set your shutter speed appropriately. Google shutter speed cheat sheet and that should help point you in the right direction. Low movement, low shutter speed, high movement higher shutter speed.

This is a pretty basic response, the answers are really wrapped around the core of Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO. The faster the lens (f2.8) the more light and movement requires higher shutter speeds to freeze action. You are on the right path, continue to practice and look at the data (f stop, shutter speed and ISO) of the pictures that come out well. It will help you get a good understanding of the required setups for different situations.

Youtube but focus on the same areas, aperture, shutter speed and ISO. Unless you are going to photograph in an automatic mode this education will be important. If you want to shoot in auto the manual will help. Again, when you have pictures that you like look at the image data, it will help you learn how to set up for different situations manually.