Action Sports Photography...which lens should I buy?

[Skalin]

*I moved this from the sports forum to here since I felt it would be more fitting.*

Well seeing as how I am going to be buying a used 20D from KEH with in the week. I still have 465 to spend on a lens. I will be shooting rollerblading photography mostly along with walk around and small venue concert photography as well. For shooting rollerblading (same general concept as skateboarding or Biking pretty much) I will be mostly shooting indoors at skateparks seeing as it's winter and most of the skating outdoors right now will be minimal.

I was thinking of buying either the Tokina 10-17mm fisheye, the canon 70-200mm f4, Tokina 12-24mm uwa, or the sigma 12-24mm uwa. Other suggestions are open as well. I think if I go for something that is 10mm I'd rather go with the fisheye than the sigma/canon 10-20mm. I'll put a poll so you can vote

---------------- Now playing: Reggie & the Full Effect - Thanks For The Misery (http://www.foxytunes.com/artist/reggie+%26+the+full+effect/track/thanks+for+the+misery) via FoxyTunes (http://www.foxytunes.com/signatunes/)

[Cathpah]

people *still* go frootbooting? wow.

i think your best bet is to look at photography that you like and decide what lens you'd need to achieve something similar. fisheye is the classic skateboarding lens, so i'd assume that might be the way to go (tokina fisheye zoom) but if you won't be right up next to the rollerblader, then fisheye will look ridiculous and really far away.

[Big Hands]

70-200 f/2.8. Go used if you have to. Go with the Sigma if you have to.

The f/4L version is a fine lens, but sports photography is not it's strong suit.

With those ultrawides, youll have to be right on top of your subjects to fill the frame even on a 1.6x crop camera.

JMHO.

Regards,
Jeff

[Skalin]

people *still* go frootbooting? wow.

i think your best bet is to look at photography that you like and decide what lens you'd need to achieve something similar. fisheye is the classic skateboarding lens, so i'd assume that might be the way to go (tokina fisheye zoom) but if you won't be right up next to the rollerblader, then fisheye will look ridiculous and really far away.

Haha yeah, people still rollerblade. Most of the people that do it now professionally are taking it to a whole different level of craziness. I also have common sense when it comes to fisheyes and what not. The peleng 8mm would be a cheap alternative but I really do not like the black vignetting at all. Next step for me is going for a telephoto for the spring and summer. Well, technically, next is to get 2 vivitar 285hv's and some ebay wireless triggers and receivers. Anyways, I'm waiting to see sample images and user reviews of the IS kit lens as well. Cheap walk around lens would be good.

---------------- Now playing: Reggie & the Full Effect - Thanks For The Misery (http://www.foxytunes.com/artist/reggie+%26+the+full+effect/track/thanks+for+the+misery) via FoxyTunes (http://www.foxytunes.com/signatunes/)

[Skalin]

---------------- Now playing: Reggie & the Full Effect - Love Reality (http://www.foxytunes.com/artist/reggie+%26+the+full+effect/track/love+reality) via FoxyTunes (http://www.foxytunes.com/signatunes/)70-200 f/2.8. Go used if you have to. Go with the Sigma if you have to.

The f/4L version is a fine lens, but sports photography is not it's strong suit.

With those ultrawides, youll have to be right on top of your subjects to fill the frame even on a 1.6x crop camera.

JMHO.

Regards,
Jeff

Seeing as how I am not looking to do this professionally and currently do not have a paycheck that will comfortably pay for a f/2.8 it's not really an option.

[gasrocks]

How about Tamron 17-50/2.8? Indoors? 28/1.8?

[In2Photos]

Indoors you need fast glass. Nothing slower than f/2.8. So maybe an 85 1.8 should be considered as well.

[JoYork]

70-200 comes in 2 flavours for the same money... f/4 IS and f.2.8 without IS. I would recommend the latter for sports.

If price is an issue, the 85mm 1.8 prime seems a good choice. Oh, and crank up the ISO... better to have a grainy but sharp pic than a blurry one.

[Skalin]

I am going to be shooting action sports inside (skateboarding, rollerblading, biking) not so much arena sports such as basketball, soccer, hockey, ect.

[Skalin]

Also, for indoors I will be using off camera flashes, two vivi 285hv's to be exact, so wider aperture isn't really an issue.

[Cathpah]

Also, for indoors I will be using off camera flashes, two vivi 285hv's to be exact, so wider aperture isn't really an issue.

you'll probably still want a wider aperture to get some ambient light in there so that one can still see the rest of the skatepark in the background instead of just a bright skater with black surrounding them.

[twoshadows]

What about the Sigma 15mm Fish?

[ps249]

You think 10-24 MM is gonna get you into sports/action photography?? Am I missing something here?

[Skalin]

You think 10-24 MM is gonna get you into sports/action photography?? Am I missing something here?

Yeah, I'm not shooting indoor stadium/arena sports such as basketball or soccer. I am going to be shooting rollerblading which basically is the same concept as skateboarding...get as close as possible without getting hit to get the shot. You need an ultrawide or fisheye lens to get the whole subject and the object they are "grinding" or jumping off of.

[Skalin]

What about the Sigma 15mm Fish?

That is a possibility as well. I know it's not that wide but what it lacks in wideness on a crop camera it makes up in larger aperture. Plus it's a prime lens so it's still a prospect.

My biggest gripe about the sigma/canon 10-20/10-22mm lenses is that when you get to the edges it seems to stretch the image out at about 10-13mm where as the fisheye just bends it in causing vignetting. I've seen rollerblading and skateboarding pictures taken with the 10-22mm and 10-20mm and the subject/skater being at very top or very corner and seemed to be stretched out which is very unappealing to me.

That's just my opinion though.

[Skalin]

This is one of the only shots I've found on flickr of rollerblading taken with 10-17mm and ironically a canon 20D

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/165/410889285_6e9e94831d_o.jpg

It has obviously been cropped to cut out a lot of the vignetting but none the less still a great shot.