Express Action Sports

I have the Canon Rebel T1i, and I’m looking to take better pictures of outdoor sports as well as indoor events. I currently have the Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/1.4-5.6 IS, Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, as well as a Canon EF 50mm f/1-1.8. Would a Speedlight be beneficial? Or more cost efficient?

It sounds like you have the lenses that should do the job. There are of course better faster lenses but they cost a ton of money. What I think you need to do is learn how to use your camera better. A good class in photography and some practice will improve your pictures.

The 55-250mm should do a fine job with outdoor sports during the day. You will have trouble with it indoors or at night because of the small aperture. The 50mm F1.8 should do a good job with indoor sports if you are reasonably close.

A flash is not recommended though. It would be completely useless with outdoor sports as the action would be too far away for the the flash to be effective. Indoors it would work if you were within about 30ft. but do you really want to be sending a bright flash in the athletes eyes over and over again. I think they might have a problem with that.

If you really want to upgrade lenses be prepared to lay out some serious cash. The 70-200mm F2.8 IS lens is nearly $2,000. A 50mm F1.2 is also nearly $2,000 and a 24-70mm F2.8 or 18-55mm F2.8 are over $1,000.

I’m going to school next fall for sports journalism, so I need a good camera. I am also living in the rocky mountains for the summer and would like to get some nice shots out there… I’m not sure if I should get an SLR, or a really good Point and Shoot. I don’t know very much about photography and I need a user friendly camera to learn on.
Thanks!

There is NO really good P&S that will do the things you need your camera to do as a sports photographer.

* P&S cameras have sensors that are over 15 times smaller than a DSLR, 30 times smaller than a 35mm SLR
* P&S cameras come with one lens and that is it. SLR’s and DSLR’s use interchangable lenses … from fisheye to 600mm telephotos.
* P&S cameras suffer from shutter lag making catching the action in sports nearly impossible.

You will learn a lot about photoraphy in school ..

Before you buy anything, talk to your instructor(s) and see what camera you will need to use for your classes. My guess is they will tell you that you need a 35mm SLR to start and after a few classes, you may be able to buy a DSLR to add to your "sports" lenses …

There are NO user friendly adjustable cameras … thats why we get the big bux.

While as a student, you will not be required to supply your own 400mm f/2.8 lens (over $7,000), you will be expected to know how to get rock steady images.

My other guess is that you will end up with either a Nikon or Canon 35mm SLR … you can buy them used on craigslist for under $200 with a decent normal zoom lens (24mm-70mm is common)

hey, i just aquired a nikon f70 slr camera, I really enjoy it, but i want
to start taking some pics of snowboarding and in the spring skateboarding and mountain biking. right now the lense that is on my camera is a AF NIKKOR 28-70mm, is this good enough, any recommended lenses?

I just answered a similar question in the "camera" section on Yahoo! Answers. But for someone with a D80 and he was using his camera for his kids playing sports. Both are going to have alot of movement and action, so you want to capture the action in a still frame with out the blur.

If its for sports and action shots. A good one for that type of stuff with out breaking your budget is the

AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED

AF-S DX VR Zoom-NIKKOR 55-200mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED

both are good for action shots and have fast AF so you can get the snap shots of snowboarders flying over you with out the blur.

I would like a complete package (camera, lenses, etc) under $1000. Is that possible? Are bundles better to save a few $$?

Any of the major brands – Sony, Pentax, Nikon, Canon, Olympus – with the kit lens are good starting points. Read reviews of all of these cameras and choose the one that you believe best fits your needs. Don’t wear blinders that limit you to Nikon or Canon.

I suggest avoiding "bundles" unless all they include are a second lens. The ones with a tripod and filters and all the other items usually included often are of low quality and are things you’ll likely discard.

You might want to consider buying a body, a 50mm f1.4 lens and a zoom of perhaps 70-200mm with an f2.8 constant aperture. The 50mm f1.4 will be good for portraits and any low-light, non-flash photography you might do and the 70-200mm f2.8 zoom will be suitable for most sports situations. Its important to have a constant aperture zoom so your shutter speed will remain the same as you zoom from 70mm to 200mm. Zooms with variable apertures such as f4/5.6 are very slow lenses and your shutter speed will decrease. If your shutter speed at f4 is 1/125 sec. at f5.6 it will drop to 1/60 sec. With an f2.8 zoom under the same conditions your shutter speed would be 1/250 sec. and stay at 1/250 sec. as you zoom from 70mm to 200mm. Another advantage of a fast f2.8 zoom is a brighter viewfinder which makes it easier to compose in lower light and helps the AF to work better.

Here are some reputable sites:

http://www.keh.com
http://www.adorama.com
http://www.bhphotovideo.com
http://www.uniquephoto.com
http://www.beachcamera.com

There are many other reputable sites and just as many – if not more – scam sites. If you see a deal that just seems too good to be true, check the seller at http://www.resellerratings.com

Good luck and happy shopping.

I’d like to take action photos as well as team photos for youth sports in my area. I will be purchasing a canon 7D in the near future and a letter board, but beyond that I don’t know what I’ll need. If anyone has advice I’m all ears. My budget is about $5000 after I buy the 7D. I want to make the most of my money without buying things I don’t need.

Thanks in advance,

For team photos, you would need a lens that is "normal". A standard zoom, in a range of like 24-70mm, works well. A prime lens, maybe a 35mm, also works well. Is it team and individual photos? In my area, these types of photos are usually taken indoors because weather in April is so iffy. If that is your case, too, you would need to invest in some lighting equipment as well.

For action shots. you’ll find that you can get the batter and the infield with a zoom that goes to 200mm. You’ll get the batter at full length with a 200mm. To get the outfield or to zoom to get more of a headshot of the batter, you’ll want a bit more. You need to be sure you get every player on a team when you do this (or you’ll hear about it!).

So if you really are OK spending $5000, the Canon 24-70 F2.8 is excellent, though you are probably get by with a less expensive lens if needed. It is around $1,200

The Canon 70-200 F2.8 is an excellent lens for sports. It is heavy, you’ll probably want to pick up a monopod. The F2.8 non-IS version is around $1,500 and the IS version is around $2000. There are good primes in the price range, too, look at the 300mm F4 (the 300mm F2.8 is a dream but $4,200). The Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens is a good alternative with good range, but if you are going to do any night games it might be limiting (though the 7D has pretty decent ISO performance)

The lenses can be found at http://www.bhphoto.com

Look at AlienBees for lighting. You’ll need a couple of lights, lightstands, umbrellas and wireless trigger/receiver. http://www.alienbees.com. If you want to use them outdoors, they also sell the vagabond battery.

Sony, Nikon, Pentax? Make and model please!!!!!

Also any top lense ideas?

I am looking to spend up to around £700 on the body.

I am interested in learning about photography and taking some action shots. Sailing, watersports, but also wildlife, people, etc.

Ideas and suggestions much appreciated.

Also, any top London schools for learning about using the camera?

I would recommend a canon 400D or 30D. Canon have the widest range of lenses that will help you to do all of that.

for the lens, if u like all in one lens, i would recommend the Canon EF28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS. I know its expensive and bulky, but it covers a lot of ground and the image quality is just simply stunning. i own one

Or if u want a few lenses get a Canon EF24-70mm f/2.8 and a Canon EF70-200 f/2.8 IS lens. This will definitely allow you to take better pictures than the all in one solution, but you also have to be bothered with changing lens everytime and it also end up costing more.