Best Canon Lens For Softball?

nicki2414

Well, since basketball season is over and I am starting to prepare for outdoor sports I have been looking to upgrade to some new lens. I will be shooting a lot of softball games so I am doing some research, but figure I would ask here too. What do you guys think is the best lens to use for softball. I am looking to keep it pretty cheap, but don't mind buying used. More than anything do I need to stay around f1.9-2.8 or can I get away with the f3.5-5.6 range? I am looking to at least get up to 200-300mm. I use a canon xti.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.
Oh and I will be shooting ALL different age groups if it makes a difference.

clemensphoto's

Last year I was using a Tamron 28-80mm f3.5-5.6 and a Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 and they worked very well. This year I'll be using a Tamron 28-300mm f3.5-6.3 (non VC) and expect the lens will perform very well. But those are my $0.02 worth.

Candid Arts

I'd say a super fast lens would be great for getting the fast running, stopping the ball mid air, or bat mid swing, or dirt in the air as the ball hits the ground.

something along the lines of an f/2.8, like the 70-200 2.8 IS L, 24-70 2.8 L. Two lenses I would suggest.

johng

You need to specify a budget. Really you do. The Canon 300mm 2.8 is a great choice at $4000. The Sigma 100-300 f4 is a very good choice at $1100. The various 70-200 lenses can be OK as long as you're shooting from on the field although by the time you're at full field size, 200mm will be short for corner to corner shots. You need to consider if the lens doesn't have ring USM or sigma's HSM you're going to give up focus speed. Not as critical in softball as some other sports but still something that is worth considering - especially if you're wanting to get into other outdoor sports.

jonh68

If money is no object, the canon 300 2.8 prime and 1.4 TC, Sigma 120-300 2.8 with a 1.4 TC, Canon 70-200 2.8, or the Sigma 100-300 f4 with 1.4 TC.

The TC's can be used for daytime baseball on any of the lenses giving you more reach. Anything less than 200 mm is going be a disappoitnment as about the only action you could get would be batters and plays at home plate.

mercphoto

nicki2414 wrote:

Well, since basketball season is over and I am starting to prepare for outdoor sports I have been looking to upgrade to some new lens. I will be shooting a lot of softball games so I am doing some research, but figure I would ask here too. What do you guys think is the best lens to use for softball. I am looking to keep it pretty cheap, but don't mind buying used. More than anything do I need to stay around f1.9-2.8 or can I get away with the f3.5-5.6 range? I am looking to at least get up to 200-300mm. I use a canon xti.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.
Oh and I will be shooting ALL different age groups if it makes a difference.

It depends on if this is a business expense of yours or just a hobby. Hobbies can be hard to justify large expenses on, whereas its easier for a business. If you're trying to sell photos for profit you really should consider professional equipment. Its professional for a reason.

I really don't think you'll be pleased with a 3.5-5.6 lens. That is a really slow piece of glass, especially on the long end. It will really hurt your shutter speeds, which is crucial for stick-and-ball sports. They tend to focus slowly. It will increase your depth-of-field and that is a problem. Shooting a long tele wide-open at 2.8 can often blur out distracting backgrounds, plus it gives your photos that Sports Illustrated look that parents will buy. Plus the ability to shoot later at night, with less available light, get higher shutter speeds in any given condition, and the shallowest depth of field.

In short, you'll capture images that the parents cannot get with their own cameras. There is a really big difference in the look of an image at 300 and f/2.8 versus 300 at f/5.6.

Invest in a really good lens that is appropriate for this task. If you want a zoom, get a 70-200/2.8 lens. Image stabilization isn't needed. Buy used if you have to. Or get a used 300/2.8 lens (I still wish I had never sold mine). Either of these lenses will serve you well for a long time. Next budge for a much better camera body. An XTi is really going to pale for fast-action sports compared to a 50D, and that pales to a 1-series (again, consider a used 1-series, like I had once).

clcoronios

Keh and B&H both have great used departments. Check them out! Regularly....

Carol