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Archive 2014 · Need Input 300mm or 120-300mm

  
 
Mongrel
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p.2 #1 · p.2 #1 · Need Input 300mm or 120-300mm


Thanks for the heads up on the bodies, Mike...

In a similar vein you can do VERY well on ACCURATELY described lenses right here on FM. Check feedback obviously, but I've made some major (for me) purchases including an excellent copy Sigma 120-300mm (the first model) and a Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 (older model as well). Ultimately I sold the 70-200 but still have the 120-300mm.

If you were to put a "WTB" for Nikon mount you could save yourself quite a bit.



Jul 23, 2014 at 07:53 PM
robby521
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p.2 #2 · p.2 #2 · Need Input 300mm or 120-300mm


i have the 120-300mm non-Sport lens and love it.i shoot all kinds of sports,day and night.


Jul 23, 2014 at 09:41 PM
JohnBrose
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p.2 #3 · p.2 #3 · Need Input 300mm or 120-300mm


I find that shooting with a prime makes me more in tune with getting a better shot and I usually have less images in the end, but they are typically stronger images than with using a zoom. The zoom is also going to be heavier and probably focus slower. I would probably not use either if I wasn't a pro though, I would be shooting with a light weight consumer zoom and enjoy the game.


Jul 23, 2014 at 09:52 PM
mgbII
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p.2 #4 · p.2 #4 · Need Input 300mm or 120-300mm


Very interesting reading. I am in the same position but not yet ready to comit financially to a new substancial lens investment.

I shoot for fun soccer in the summer and hockey during winter. I was also looking at the 120-300 as an option. But more and more leaning towards a fixed 300mm.

I get by at the moment with a Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 OS. But sometimes I find I am missing that extra 100mm if not more.

And I agree that used Nikon 300mm f/2.8 will certainly cost me more than the brand new Sigma.



Jul 24, 2014 at 11:02 PM
MDelinquento
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p.2 #5 · p.2 #5 · Need Input 300mm or 120-300mm


Mike,
I'm going to offer some alternative ideas, based on my shooting youth sports for families over the past ten years, as well as shooting adult soccer for a corporate employer.

I think the 70-200mm lens most likely serves you well for gymnastics, so I'll limit the scope of my comments to soccer. I also assume you are shooting outdoor soccer--indoor would be well served by the same zoom, or an even faster prime.

I'd suggest you think through your current and emerging shooting requirements. consider who your audience is and what your objectives are. Also consider how the field expands as the kids grow, and how the speed of the game hastens too. As my kids have grown in sports (my son plays U15 premier soccer; my daughter high school lacrosse), the game seems more disciplined and a bit more predictable, though I want to believe I've gotten smarter about soccer as well. Still working on girls lacrosse though.

To me covering youth sports for clubs and families implies very different shooting objectives than covering a match for news publication. The latter has one focusing on key plays and key star players. Often the photographer is restricted to a set piece of real estate on the sidelines.

My objective in shooting teams is to get shots of all the kids and to help frame them positively. That means being able to grab shots of close-in action, or goalkeeping, or a competitive header at midfield. Or a mundane throw-in. Or safety shots for the days when the team just stinks. I've always found a prime to be too limiting for me in this context.

So I would recommend a zoom lens. I'd also recommend a wide ranging one with a minimum reach of 400mm. As the kids age and the fields grow, you'll want more reach. But you'll also want relatively wider capability for corner kicks or behind the goal action. You also want to fill the frame at least halfway with the ball and bodies.

Though I shoot Canon, I've thought that the new Nikon 80-400mm would be worthwhile for soccer. I regularly use the Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6. It's very handholdable (I eschew monopods when I'm the only shooter with free range roaming rights) with very good image quality.

I would also recommend, less enthusiastically but still, the new Tamron 150-600mm f5-6.3. I've posted some shots here taken with the Canon 5D MK3. Though my keeper rate is less than with using the Canon zoom, I was still fairly pleased with the extra reach and the price was a bargain. I'm still learning the lens and expect my results to improve as more matches are played.

Of course none of these lenses are fast f2.8 ones, but with good high ISO performance of newer bodies that hasn't been an issue for me. I don't consider these shots to be fine art (something akin to what I've been doing for the past 40 years). I often shoot during very dismal, wet Puget Sound days. At a certain point one's skills take over.

Hope this helps,

M



Jul 25, 2014 at 01:15 AM
CW100
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p.2 #6 · p.2 #6 · Need Input 300mm or 120-300mm


MDelinquento wrote:
Mike,
I'm going to offer some alternative ideas, based on my shooting youth sports for families over the past ten years, as well as shooting adult soccer for a corporate employer.

I think the 70-200mm lens most likely serves you well for gymnastics, so I'll limit the scope of my comments to soccer. I also assume you are shooting outdoor soccer--indoor would be well served by the same zoom, or an even faster prime.

I'd suggest you think through your current and emerging shooting requirements. consider who your audience is and what your objectives are. Also consider how the field expands as the
...Show more

that was my experience when I volunteered to shot youth soccer for a season. the 100-400 gave me plenty of good pics and I still use it for shooting college lacrosse. But undoubtedly a 300mm f2.8 prime would make that background "bokeh" much nicer and I've seen great pics from the Sigma 120-300 f2.8 "sports" zoom








Jul 25, 2014 at 05:58 AM
schlotz
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p.2 #7 · p.2 #7 · Need Input 300mm or 120-300mm


Gymnastics, no question f/2.8 lenses or better. Having shot soccer for the last 15 years, 300mm IMO is a bit short for a full size field. Additionally, if you plan on shooting HS soccer, the lighting on the fields for night games are notoriously awful and f/4 equipment won't cut it, even with high ISO. The Sig 120-300 will work, you just have to wait for the action to come a bit closer. Grabbing action at center field in low light and having to then crop will not provide the best result. BTW: the Sig is NOT a light lens, I would recommend a monopod. JMTC

Good luck with your decision.

Matt



Jul 25, 2014 at 06:47 AM
mgbII
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p.2 #8 · p.2 #8 · Need Input 300mm or 120-300mm


I could not agree more to what schlotz says:
Having shot soccer for the last 15 years, 300mm IMO is a bit short for a full size field.

I get by at the moment with a Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 OS. But sometimes I find I am missing that extra 100mm if not more.

And here schlotz says:
Additionally, if you plan on shooting HS soccer, the lighting on the fields for night games are notoriously awful and f/4 equipment won't cut it, even with high ISO.

So true. Same story with F/4 equipment in most hockey arenas.



Jul 25, 2014 at 09:52 AM
mikekeating
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p.2 #9 · p.2 #9 · Need Input 300mm or 120-300mm


Thanks for the input all. I was able to find a good deal on the 300 prime so I am gonna give it a shot. I will have to see what I can do to make it work for the full soccer pitch. I have a 1.4 TC so it will not be a problem for day games. I will have to find good positioning at night. I can practice during the guys games in the fall.


Jul 28, 2014 at 06:29 AM
schlotz
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p.2 #10 · p.2 #10 · Need Input 300mm or 120-300mm


With permission, position yourself behind the goal line half way between the flag and the side of the net. Stay low, ie on your butt.


Jul 28, 2014 at 07:24 AM
mikekeating
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p.2 #11 · p.2 #11 · Need Input 300mm or 120-300mm


Awesome, thanks for the advice.


Jul 28, 2014 at 01:06 PM
PennsyBill
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p.2 #12 · p.2 #12 · Need Input 300mm or 120-300mm


Mike-Did you say how old the player's that your shooting and for me, it makes a difference especially will soccer, if it's boys or girls as the boy's games are much faster up and down the field and they play in the air much more.

Also, consider I'm 72 and don't move up and down the sidelines like I used to - and the big lenses get heavier all the time. I have two bodies - an old D300 that I love because of the crop factor and a D3s that continues to amaze with it's speed and low light capabilities.

My grand-daughter is going to be Junior this year and I've shooting her games since her shorts came well past her knees and she was more interested how her face was painted than the intricacies of the off-sides rule. And like you I rarely sell an image to one of her current or former team mates - I fortunate enough that my cost to print is basically zero.

I have and still do sell some photos to her opponents - certainly not enough to pay for my gear but I really enjoy sharing a good capture - and it's been year's since I've had to pay for a meal when on the road with the team.

I can't think of a better lens for what you're doing than the Sigma 120-300 F2,8 Sport with the caveat that you also get the 1.4TC plus the USB Port to fine tune the lens and the lens with the TC. I don't have any experience with the other Sigma TC's but I've read good things about them,

I like the zoom over a prime mostly for the way shoot - I, of course, try to get as much action as possible but I also try to make sure I get at least 3 o4 decent shots of everyone who plays and this usually means roaming the sidelines rather camping out at a specific location and I hate to give up on a great shot when a breakaway is coming toward me faster than I can move backwards

Let me add that this combination with either camera body,on days when there is plenty of light and the uniforms have a lot of color and contrast (makes the auto-focus so much better) and I do my part I don't have any problem making quality 16x24 and even a but higher with as little at 25% of the original capture,

Good luck



Aug 01, 2014 at 02:51 AM
Tareq
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p.2 #13 · p.2 #13 · Need Input 300mm or 120-300mm


Wish if Canon didn't go crazy with prices then i will sell my Canon 300 f2.8IS mk1 without doubt to get mk2, but that mk2 is nearly 2x-3x of the mk1 when i bought it brand new, so i will never sell it to get mk2, unless i become rich or having paid very well or Canon will reduce the prices to as before in the past with mk1 versions of lenses and cameras.

I was thinking about Sigma 120-300 old version in the past, and now with new sports version even more, but i was thinking how many times i may use it over my 300 2.8mk1 and 70-200 2.8 mkII?



Aug 01, 2014 at 04:40 AM
finster1018
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p.2 #14 · p.2 #14 · Need Input 300mm or 120-300mm


why pay $7000 for IS you probably will never use (if you're mainly using it for sports or action? Scour ebay, Craigslist or even here at buy and sell and you eventually find a non-is version of 300 prime for under 2k that is super sharp, super fast, and you can STILL use at night. I thought I was going to sell it here to fund my 400 non IS but I kept it and I prefer to use it (300) with 1.4x teleconverter during the day then to lug out the monopod and 400L.


Aug 03, 2014 at 07:54 AM
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