Tokina AT-X 828 AF Pro 80-200mm f2.8

[thedude]

I've posted previous topics regarding my desire to shoot high school football games in poor lighting. Presently, I have a canon 75-300mm f4-5.6 USM. As you can imagine, I run out of light fairly quickly. (the games start at ~7pm and last until 10pm or so)


I'm currently looking for a much faster lens than my present f5.6. I believe that I can give up the extra 100mm, as long as I buy a 1.4 extender to go with the lens I pick. If I need the extra length, I'm sure I can live with the loss of a stop.

Which leads me to the lenses available:

canon 70-200 f2.8 ~$1100
sigma 70-200 f2.8 ~$800
Tokina AT-X 828 AF Pro 80-200 f2.8 ~$650

What is everyone's opinion of third party lenses? I see many people very happy with sigma, how about the other brands...ie vivitar, tokina, tamron etc...

Anyone with experience with the tokina lens in particular? How about the Sigma?

Are extenders available for all lenses listed above?

I see that canon has a 70-200 f4 available. Would it be valid to put on my 50mm 1.8 and place in Ev mode to force a specific apeture to determine the results? Would that give me an example of what shutter speed I could expect with any of the above lens?

Thanks!

BTW-I'm shooting with a Canon Digital Rebel

[DocFrankenstein]

I have the sigma. I'm happy, but the AF is a bit too slow for action (compared to L :roll: )

I haven't heard anyone being particularly happy with that tokina zoom.

www.photodo.com rates them as:

Canon L2.8 ......4.1
Sigma EX2.8 ....3.9
Tokina .............3.4
You current tele zoom is 3.1

That's a huge difference in image quality between the tokina and sigma. It's well worth the extra 150...

But ideally you'd want the L

[aeroshots2003]

I prefer to stick to Canon : had the 70-200 4.0 and switched to the 70-200 2.8 for more speed and combination with 1.4x and 2.0x.

Some 8 years back I had the same dilemma as you now; I decided to go for the Sigma 70-210 2.8 (old model) but had a bad experience with it. Some autofocus problem - sent it in twice to Sigma, but they considered the autofocus issue "as normal" for this lens :roll: I even met a Sigma representative during a mini-Photokina event: I handed him the lens mounted onto an EOS 5 so he could have a go, but he also refused to acknowledge the problem (my local camera store admitted that the lens was faulty!). Some 6 months after the buy I ended up turning the piece in at my photo store at half its new price (!) and buying original Canon.

With Canon I never had problems, never ever! Now I have a 12 kg weighing camera bag full of Canon gear, from 15mm fisheye to 300 2.8.

To all Sigma users : I can hear you coming - I'm not saying Sigma is bad (far from it) and Canon is far from immaculate, but my Sigma experience just was too much of it.

My advice to Mr. Dude 8) : the extra $ 450 is worth it, Canon's 70-200L 2.8 is a keeper, as many here will acknowledge.

Cheers,


Aero