Best Budget RF Lens for Indoor Sports?

[FeelsGoodman]

What lenses would you recommend for indoor sports? I have my eye on the rf 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1l is usm, but a Youtuber I talked to thinks it would be too dark. Any thoughts?

Roller Derby is what I want to shoot.

[March411]

Hello FeelsGoodman, I like your style, you say a budget lens and then mention a nice piece of glass that is $2700. I'm going to have you talk to my wife and convince her that when I picked mine up it was a budge lens ;o)

What body are you using?

I've used mine for indoor basketball (R6 MkII) and while it produced some nice images I had to push the ISO quite a bit to get good light. All the captures had to be run through DXO to reduce the noise. I use my RF70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM and compromised on reach but I believe the overall images have better IQ. If you pick up the Z F70-200mm ($300 more then budget) and add a Extender RF 1.4x you'll be at f4 where best case you would be @ f4.5 at 100mm with the RF100-500. Fully racked @ 500mm would put you @ f7.1. The standard RF 70-200mm isn't compatible with the extender.

There aren't a bunch of options in that price range for fast RF glass right now.

Have you thought about renting the RF 100-500mm for one of your shoots to test? 

[FeelsGoodman]

Just trying to be realistic about price. When seeing lenses for $15,000, $2,700 is budget.

I have an R6MkII. I was thinking about a RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 is USM Lens, but was told by a few people they thought the photos would be too dark. 

I do plan on renting whatever lens I am suggested to try. I will look into the RF 70-200mm. Thanks

[ebiggs1]

Hands down you want the Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens. Alternate if you can find one since they are no longer being produced is the Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Sports Lens. The Siggy is another lens Canon should have made.

[JamesHarvey]

I would want something in the f/2.8-f/4 range for indoor sports, like the the one of the 70-200's then upscale & crop as required (Canon now has a neat NN upscaler but I believe it may require a subscription).  On the other hand, if you use something like an EF100-400ii (not i), don't be afraid to go to higher ISO to get correct exposure with fast shutter speeds, then denoise with the Canon NN denoise/sharpener (which is subscription), which can give very usable images at over 100,000ISO.  I shot this at 204,800ISO. 

[Waddizzle]

I suggest a 70-200mm f/2.8.  Depending on the indoor sports and your shooting location, a 24-70mm f/2.8 would work. 

Personally, I would prefer a fast prime.  

[Tintype_18]

ISO would be one determining factor. Would it be possible before the event starts to shoot photos and experiment with settings to find what is needed? Digital eliminates film and the old time light meter. Anyone remember those?

[ebiggs1]

Was it the middle of the night?

[JamesHarvey]

Just after dusk on a cloudy November day on the US-Canada border.  So it was pretty dark. Shot at f/11 on an R6ii (RF800/11).  Testing the limits! 

[JamesHarvey]

I still have my Weston Master 5 with Invercone . . . .