Canon 200-800 for sports (baseball/softball) - anyone?
vbnut wrote:
He said he was going to do just that. Hopefully he will report back here on how it went.
So, I used the 200-800 exclusively for the first softball game I shot. I was allowed on the field along the first or third base fences, and even did some shots (of the pitcher) outside the fence behind home plate. I'm typically on a walkstool and will shift to one spot or another as needed. Here are my thoughts:
1) In terms of the 200-800, I couldn't sit where I usually did simply because of the 200mm lower end (duh!) but I could easily change the type of shot I took. For example - instead of doing full body batting shots, I'd zoom in to get upper body and the bat swing. Using the 200-800, it was obviously easier to get closer shots of the infield and outfield and not have to crop so much. Everything as expected so far.
2) In terms of the acquisition of focus - found it not nearly as good as the RF 70-200 f2.8 or the EF 300 f2.8. That was even using the 200-800 on the RF R5II and the other lenses on RF R5 bodies. Some of it might be my inexperience with the lens, especially in terms of being zoomed in or out and trying to adjust to action at different bases while trying to zoom one way or the other.
I did use the 200-800 the next day for my grandson's baseball tournament. I had to stay outside of the fence on these games, but the 200-800 really was a bit easier to use because of the extra distance. Check out this post to see some of those shots. Still didn't focus as quickly as I wanted, but definitely had some advantages for being outside of the fence.
Overall, I might keep using it for baseball/softball just so I get more comfortable with it, but will probably tend to stay with my 70-200, 300, and I've also got the RF 100-500 I've used quite a bit, too. Like any lens, you have to use it for a while before you get comfortable with it. The 200-800 has it's place, for sure, but I'm not convinced I'll be taking it along every time I shoot baseball/softball.
P.S. - I'm a woman, vbnut.
Aug 07, 2025 at 02:51 PM
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