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Archive 2015 · First time shooting sports: Need Advice

  
 
Werne1nm
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · First time shooting sports: Need Advice


Hello all,

I'm a Middle School teacher! I teach choir and technology in Metro Detroit.

I need a bit of advice. My administrators have discovered that I am into photography. They have asked me and I kind of presented it to take some photos of a few sporting events for our school website. I figure if they are going to lay me off next year I might as well try and get experience doing some different photo work that I might like to do whilst laid off.

So, I have a MS basketball game coming up as well as a wrestling meet.

Here is my gear:

D700
50mm 1.8 G

D700 will work just fine. I'm not going out and spending 5000$ on a D4s or what not. I'll work with what I have.

My advice I am seeking is what lens to either purchase or rent before these events.

I'm thinking of the two popular zoom lenses. the 24-70 and the 70-200 2.8

I really only want to rent one of these lenses due to cost and would like advice on which one I would get more use out of. I do not mind possibly renting the 70-200 and then using my 50mm and switching lenses during the basketball game. Ideally, it would be nice to have two cameras with the 24-70 on one and the 70-200 on the other. But I am a teacher on a teachers salary after all!

I am leaning on renting the 24-70mm 2.8 for both events.

What would you suggest?



Mar 05, 2015 at 04:04 PM
phuviano
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · First time shooting sports: Need Advice


70-200 vr ii


Mar 05, 2015 at 04:15 PM
elorablue
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · First time shooting sports: Need Advice


no question 70-200. don't need anything else.



Mar 05, 2015 at 04:18 PM
Werne1nm
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · First time shooting sports: Need Advice


awesome. thanks!


Mar 05, 2015 at 05:32 PM
mikekeating
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · First time shooting sports: Need Advice


Agree with above. The 70-200 rarely comes off my camera.


Mar 05, 2015 at 06:16 PM
Wrei
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · First time shooting sports: Need Advice


Yep, 70-200 f2.8. I find the 24-70 does not have enough reach on the court. It is great for the stands and jubilations.

Edited on Mar 06, 2015 at 11:53 AM · View previous versions



Mar 05, 2015 at 06:18 PM
chuhsi1
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · First time shooting sports: Need Advice


70-200 for sure plus your 50mm for some wider shots.


Mar 05, 2015 at 06:22 PM
Lauchlan Toal
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · First time shooting sports: Need Advice


For basketball, 50mm sounds perfect. If you're in the bleachers you'd want a 70-200, but as a teacher you can probably get right under the net. You won't be able to cover the court, but most action happens at the net anyways. I've shot a few highschool basketball games as the school photographer, and I was wishing I had a 50mm (equivalent, I use DX) lens. 35mm is a bit too wide, 70mm is a bit too long, in my opinion. And for wrestling, you can probably get pretty close as well, so I think 50mm would work for that too.


Mar 05, 2015 at 07:03 PM
sonofjesse2010
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · First time shooting sports: Need Advice


70-200MM 2.8, don't overlook the tamron VC great deal for the money.


Mar 06, 2015 at 10:24 PM
nolaguy
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · First time shooting sports: Need Advice


Regulation high school basketball court (84x50'). The figures at the top are the approximate scale of adults from above.

Regards,

Chuck









Mar 07, 2015 at 12:14 PM
amlsml
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · First time shooting sports: Need Advice


sit under the basket and use your 50 for now. it will be perfect for lay-ups, jams and baseline shots. if you are investing, the 70-200 2.8 is a no brainer. I use both for every game on 2 bodies. Have fun! Basketball is awesome to shoot and will test your skills.


Mar 07, 2015 at 01:20 PM
pjbuehner
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · First time shooting sports: Need Advice


I think some more information would be useful before making reccommendations. First, What kind of access will you have? Will they let you stand anywhere? What does the gym look like? Is there room at the baseline to sit without getting in the way?
Second, what is the lighting like? Many middle and high school gyms are very very dark. 2.8 seems fast until you get into one of those.
Personally, I never use a 70-200 for sports. I have the luxury of multiple bodies so it certainly makes it easier. I shoot with a 200mm F2 and a 135mm F2.0. An extra stop of light can make a huge difference in some venues. If I go wide, it is under the basket and I use a 24-70. I find the Canon version of the 50mm prime lens virtually useless for sports. The AF is unreliable at best.

Just adding in another perspective. Good luck.



Mar 07, 2015 at 01:35 PM
Werne1nm
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · First time shooting sports: Need Advice


I don't think I did half bad!

All shot with the Nikon 50mm F1.8

DSC_6974.jpg by werne1nm, on Flickr

DSC_6987.jpg by werne1nm, on Flickr

DSC_7121.jpg by werne1nm, on Flickr

DSC_7180.jpg by werne1nm, on Flickr



Mar 09, 2015 at 07:11 PM
Gregstx
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · First time shooting sports: Need Advice


For basketball or wrestling, if you can have close access to the action, then the 24-70 will be the better lens. I have shot a lot of HS basketball and I shoot from the baseline near the basket and I only use the 24-70 f2.8 lens. The 70-200 would be difficult to use, especially if you are shooting the guys. Just too much lens from that range. OTOH, if you wind up shooting football you will need the 70-200 lens.


Mar 09, 2015 at 07:25 PM
Werne1nm
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · First time shooting sports: Need Advice


The asst. principal talked about track and baseball...

I need to save my pennies!

Another one of tonight:

DSC_7619.jpg by werne1nm, on Flickr

Edited on Mar 10, 2015 at 07:53 PM · View previous versions



Mar 09, 2015 at 07:27 PM
Andre Labonte
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · First time shooting sports: Need Advice


For indoor court sports using an FX camera, no doubt the 70-200 VR II. For field sports you will find the lens quite short, and something on the order of 300 to 400mm is more in order.


Mar 09, 2015 at 08:51 PM
pjbuehner
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · First time shooting sports: Need Advice


Another suggestion is to shoot vertical. In a couple of your images, a vertical shot would have captured and isolated the main focal point. Colors and exposure look good.


Mar 10, 2015 at 05:26 AM
Werne1nm
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · First time shooting sports: Need Advice


pjbuehner wrote:
Another suggestion is to shoot vertical. In a couple of your images, a vertical shot would have captured and isolated the main focal point. Colors and exposure look good.


Thanks pj. I ended up shooting some vertical during the second game. Thinking about a vertical grip in the future!

It was a learning process. Forster I used 3d dynamic tracking for the first half of the 7th grade game. When I found that to be unreliable I switched to center point continuous and trusted myself that I could track better than the camera. Then I was shifting the focus point around and started to shoot vertical in the 8th grade game. Just haven't gone through those pictures yet.

Most of these are shot at 1/650 at f2.8



Mar 10, 2015 at 05:41 AM
Elijah
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · First time shooting sports: Need Advice


70-200VRII without thinking twice.


Mar 10, 2015 at 11:40 AM
frdjohns
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · First time shooting sports: Need Advice


I would agree with everyone's advice on the 70-200VRII. Also, seriously consider the vertical grip for your D700. Not only does it make it much easier to get the vertical shots, it will drastically increase your frame rate - helping ensure you hit the peak of the action.

Regards,
Fred.



Mar 10, 2015 at 12:06 PM
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