Torn! 70-200IS II or 600EX-RTx2?

[drvnbysound]

Originally Posted by questionmarc

yea!

"The thing is that I wanted to start shooting some sports more seriously, and I had myself convinced fully that the 70-200 was what I needed to get more serious about sports shooting"

IMO his choice of glass is far beneficial and a little more versatile in terms of sports and general portraits! and nothing in his lens kit is suited for sports photography especially indoor

I don't think indoor was mentioned until the last post... could have been different if "sports shooting" was day games of little league.

Originally Posted by touji

Thanks for the pricing, etc! I guess the problem with buying a balls out lighting set up is that I'm currently in Japan (originally from VA), and I haven't really settled down anywhere. If I buy the gear in Japan, hauling it back to the states is going to be hell!

As for shooting f4, pretty hard to shoot indoor sports right?

It really depends on the lighting of the facility. The difference between f2.8 and f/4 is 1-stop... so it could also be the difference between ISO800 and ISO1600...

[kawi_200]

I would not buy the 430exII. I have both the 430 and 580 and the controls alone make the 580 worth the price difference. The 430 is a great little flash and does the job well, but when I need to make adjustments it is such a PITA to use the buttons. The control wheel on the 580 is SO MUCH better. Plus the extra power is very nice to have.

I have a set of Interfit radio triggers that have worked perfectly for me. They are a little cheap and batteries go flying if you drop them, but I'd still recommend them as an entry level wireless flash trigger.

For indoor sports you'll want a 70-200 f/2.8 or for outdoor a 100-400L might serve you a little better. Look in to the Sigma 70-200 lenses. They're significantly cheaper than the Canon lenses and I have heard endless praise about them. I have not used one personally though. The Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS mkII is an outstanding piece of glass though, and having the funds to buy one makes it very hard NOT to buy it. It is certainly a worthy investment.

[drvnbysound]

I have both models as well, and agree that the control wheel is MUCH nicer to use. I only listed it as I was trying to keep the price around $2,300-$2,400 mark... and 580s are ~$130 more (each)... but that wasn't necessarily a suggestion for the OP to purchase, it was a listing of what I would purchase if I were in the situation.

touji: How much indoor sports shooting have you done? Curious because I just looked through your Flickr and 500px accounts and didn't really see any sports stuff. I was trying to see what the lighting conditions are like in the Japanese locations.

[questionmarc]

Originally Posted by drvnbysound

I don't think indoor was mentioned until the last post... could have been different if "sports shooting" was day games of little league.



It really depends on the lighting of the facility. The difference between f2.8 and f/4 is 1-stop... so it could also be the difference between ISO800 and ISO1600...

indoor or outdoor - even more so outdoor the bokeh at f2.8 is hands down better - the only reason people get the 70-200 f4 is that they can't afford the mkII or they want a lighter lens

[touji]

Haven't shot indoor too much. I've tried once with the 55-250 but couldn't get any keepers at all. Should have bumped ISO more but what's done is done. I'd say lighting is comparable to the average school gym you would see at any high school. I'm only in Japan for another 2 months and I'm planning on shooting indoor sports mainly back at my home university.

In terms of shooting at parties, I guess one flash on camera does just fine...

[drvnbysound]

Originally Posted by questionmarc

indoor or outdoor - even more so outdoor the bokeh at f2.8 is hands down better - the only reason people get the 70-200 f4 is that they can't afford the mkII or they want a lighter lens

Ehh, I really don't care about the weight and I certainly wouldn't say that I can't afford the f/2.8. I bought a 70-200 f/4 (non-IS) primarily for portrait shooting - I didn't need the extra stop of light, the DOF calculations are pretty darn close to each other... I just didn't want to pay 2-3x the cost for better bokeh - not as a hobbyist anyway

[questionmarc]

like i said its either the weight or the price - for you it was the price

i am also a hobbyist - one that doesn't have a wife to look after his wallet =D

[drvnbysound]

Originally Posted by questionmarc

like i said its either the weight or the price - for you it was the price

i am also a hobbyist - one that doesn't have a wife to look after his wallet =D

+1. I am married, but I do the budget

[xxzeppelin5xx]

I feel like my 70-200 f/2.8 IS was one of the best investments I have ever made, purchasing a set of 600EX-RT units was probably the second best. Now I have the 70-200 f/2.8 IS II but don't use it as much as my prime lenses but a set of 3 600EX-RT's will open a lot of doors for you in the lighting category. You really need both but you could do without a bunch of speedlites long that I could ever live without a good sports lens.

Here are some guidelines and general information to show you what's possible with the 600EX-RT from a wedding and photojournalism point of view.

http://markwebbphoto.com/blog/2012/6...00ex-rt-review

[JLP520]

Originally Posted by HughR

Get 430EX IIs, but trigger them with your 60D. I have two, and I use them wirelessly in A:B ratio with my 60D. It works extremely well. After you've learned to use your 60D wireless pop-up system, you'll know whether you want or need radio transmitters.

Quality advice right there....

[Tim S]

Just my two cents worth....but....
If it was me, I'd get the 70-200 f/2.8 non-IS and two YN-560's and RF-603's. I'm confused why you want IS AND high speed sync for sports. Learn manual flash and balance the flash and ambient exposures.

[xxzeppelin5xx]

Originally Posted by Tim S

Just my two cents worth....but....
If it was me, I'd get the 70-200 f/2.8 non-IS and two YN-560's and RF-603's. I'm confused why you want IS AND high speed sync for sports. Learn manual flash and balance the flash and ambient exposures.

There are going to be times when you need IS. I usually turn off the IS on most of my lenses when I shoot sports but if I shoot an event or wedding then IS definitely comes in handy.

[touji]

FYI, I wasn't planning on using flashes (hhs) for indoor sports. Also, as debated on the forums, IQ on the IS II is superior to the non-IS, no?

[PhotoMatte]

Since I've had the 70-200 IS (version 2) for a few years now, the idea of buying three new 600EX-RT speedlights was an easy one! Wow, they work great! A broader flash range than my 580EXII units, along with a flash head that can zoom out to 200mm (as opposed to 105mm for the 580EXII), paired with flawless radio trigger ability...it was no-brainer!