Soccer photography lenses!

Hey guys!
Just wanted some help deciding on a lens I could use for soccer photography.
Options are:
-SIGMA 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM
- Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM
- Sigma AF 70-200mm f/2.8 APO EX DG OS HSM
- EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM Telephoto Zoom Lens
- Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM

Thank you!

Well what size field are you talking about? A 5 year old's field? Teenage? Pro level? How close will you be to the edge of the field? Crop or FF? Day or Night games?

For youth soccer, I use the 100-400 about 90% of the time. This lens needs decent light, but the range is great for all age groups. I started with the 70-200, but found that I shot at 200mm the majority of the time.

From JR/SR high and up the fields are roughly the same size, so that really isn't a big deal.

I've shot w/ the 300/4, 300/2.8, 400/2.8 and 70-200/2.8. 90% of the time an f4 lens will be fast enough due to good light (unless it's a night game and then it's dependent on the lights). Anymore I use my 70-200/2.8 w/ 1.4x extender to give me 280mm range. I like fast focusing lenses so L glass is my goto.

If its decent light then 400mm F5.6

kebup wrote in post #16154709
Hey guys!
Just wanted some help deciding on a lens I could use for soccer photography.
Options are:
-SIGMA 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM
- Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM
- Sigma AF 70-200mm f/2.8 APO EX DG OS HSM
- EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM Telephoto Zoom Lens
- Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM

Thank you!

Like others have said the size of the field, how close you are to the sidelines, day or night, etc. are important factors.

I use the 100-400 for soccer (and other things)

Canon 100-400
with 60D

Some questions to ask yourself and share with us...

How much do you want to spend?

How heavy and large a lens are you willing to tote around? Related question: Will you be using a monopod or tripod?

Will you be shooting at night or in poor light? Or will most shooting be done in good daylight?

And some things we need to know, in order to best advise you...

What camera are you using?

What access will you have? Will you be on the sidelines? Or in the spectator stands?

Is this for hobby purposes or family shots? Or are you wanting to shoot professionally?

Pick up a Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG (non-OS) model. You won't be using/needing IS for shooting sports, and the Sigma gives you higher shutter speeds, even as light levels dip. In brighter light, you can add the Sigma 1.4x TC for even greater reach. Shopping carefully, you can find one for $12-1500.

I use a 70-200 f2.8 and 400 f2.8. I'm considering selling the 400 for a 200-400 f4 from canon. I think that could be the ideal soccer lens for day games.

I suspect the dust pump will get the most votes on this one, assuming it's day games you are talking about.

My daughter plays U13 travel soccer and I use the 100-400 for almost all of her games. For the 5v5 or similar tournaments, I switch to the 70-200. As others have said, depends on the field.

I shoot my daughter's soccer team every weekend (U17 now) for the last 4 years and use the canon 300 f/2.8. I find on my 7D crop 300mm is ideal (I shoot from the end lines) so if you are using a crop body would recommend the 300 f/4 if the 2.8 is out of range for you. Getting used to a fixed focal length has made my soccer shots better than when I used to use zooms. I now "see" the play forming that I want to capture and how it will frame at 300mm. With that said, now that I am using my 5D III for soccer, I am using the 1.4 extender most of the time so if you are doing full frame consider the 400mm f/5.6. Don't underestimate the value of the widest aperture you can afford when shooting soccer. I shoot everything at 2.8 without extender, and 5.0 with extender and this really makes the players pop off the nicely blurred background. Fast accurate focusing is everything in getting a lot of nice sharp images in soccer and when I used the 100-400 I was not satisfied with the rate of keepers I was getting. Also, I tend to shoot manual exposure on consistently lit days (no passing clouds) for best exposure so a fixed aperture is required to do this.

300 f/4 non-IS used might be a good buy for soccer, might get it for $650 or so (assuming 300 2.8 IS is too much, on FF that plus TC or 400 2.8 is even better)

are you shooting day games only or night only or both? what level? on the sidelines? up in the stands?

Daytime? If so, use the 100-400.

Predominately day matches but wouldn't mind one that works for both. Will be on the sidelines. Will spend maximum 1k-1.2k. Senior level.
Wouldnt the Sigma 50mm-500mm be a good lens?