Shooting Wife's Triathlon

My wife is doing her first triathlon at the end of this month which gives me a good excuse to rent a lens for the event. I want to rent a telephoto lens that I would actually buy so here are my choices:

1a. 70-200 f/2.8L IS II + 1.4x
1b. 100-400L
2. 300 f/4L + 1.4x

I'm lumping the 70-200 and 100-400 together as a choice because they are similar size and weight to tryout. Although it will probably be sunny during the event (San Diego, CA) the 100-400 seems like it maybe too slow. This makes me lean toward the 70-200 and putting the 1.4x on it if needed. The 300 f/4L is another great, but different, option and would get the most reach with the 1.4x TC.

Part 2 of this question is which lens should go on which body. I have a 5Dc and 20D and I plan to use the 24-105L for the close range shots. I know the 20D will give me the reach for things like the swim and run, but for the bike portion which will be very fast the AI Servo of the 5D would probably perform better since it has the 6 additional AF points. However the 20D does 5 fps and the 5D only has 3 fps, but conversly the 20D will only do a 6 shot RAW burst where the 5D can do 17 RAW frames before the buffer fills. It's an option to switch lenses around between events if needed.

I've seen great sport shots from both and I never do this type of shooting so I'm hoping to get some suggestions. Thanks in advance

Oops, just realized I placed this in the photo sharing section instead of Sports Talk. Sorry Mod's please move when you have a minute.

70-200 on the 5d is easily your best sports setup. I don't know which event you are talking about but there is a good chance I will be on the course shooting for which ever company has the contract for that event... and I will be using the 70-200mm F2.8 at its widest aperture.

cwood wrote in post #11943693
70-200 on the 5d is easily your best sports setup. I don't know which event you are talking about but there is a good chance I will be on the course shooting for which ever company has the contract for that event... and I will be using the 70-200mm F2.8 at its widest aperture.

Thanks for the info. She's doing the Super Seal on Coronado on the 27th. If you see a guy fumbling around with a 70-200 II on a 5D say hi

It all depends on how close you plan to be to the action. For me, that would determine which lens to rent. A 70-200 2.8 is not going to be put to very good use if you can't get close enough to use it. The 100-400 IS should be fast enough if there is any sort of decent light at the event.

I'd also take into consideration what you plan to use each lens for. If you're planning on using the 100-400 for wildlife photography and not for fast sports action, then this might not be a good test for it.

Fligi7 wrote in post #11944388
It all depends on how close you plan to be to the action. For me, that would determine which lens to rent. A 70-200 2.8 is not going to be put to very good use if you can't get close enough to use it. The 100-400 IS should be fast enough if there is any sort of decent light at the event.

To be honest I have no idea how close I'll be. I know the bike and run go down one major street so I assume I'll be fairly close for that, but the swim might be a different story. I would also rent the 1.4x for the times when I need the reach (and just for fun).

Fligi7 wrote in post #11944388
I'd also take into consideration what you plan to use each lens for. If you're planning on using the 100-400 for wildlife photography and not for fast sports action, then this might not be a good test for it.

That's true and I understand the limitations of this test. What I'm hoping to learn is how does the lens feel for size and weight for a full day. The 70-200 and 100-400 are similar in both respects (excluding the 1.4x). Also I don't use the long end of my 28-300 much, typically only on vacation and only for wildlife. For those few times I could put a 2x on it and still get 400@f/5.6 like the 100-400, but at the cost of AF speed.

The more I read about the 70-200 and 100-400 the more I understand how different the lenses are. They each have their pros and cons and I'd probably end up renting both before making a final decision. I also have the 300 f/4L in the back of my mind as well. A 70-200, 300 f/4, and 1.4x is a nice range with excellent IQ. However, the 100-400 covers the same range with good IQ as well. Either way will be a great improvement over my current f/6.3 @ 300mm.

As you can see I'm fairly confused on the long end and hope renting some/all of these lenses will answer my questions as it did for my 24-70 vs 24-105 choice.

Having been a triathlete and also volunteered at events, I can say in many cases it is tough to get close enough for a 70-200mm to be as effective, but it all depends on the specific event as they are all different. Also depends on whether you will be photographing all 3 disciplines (I assume so). Swimming will be the toughest to capture. I would say you are better off with the 100-400mm, especially for the swimming.

Gizmo1137 wrote in post #11944968
Having been a triathlete and also volunteered at events, I can say in many cases it is tough to get close enough for a 70-200mm to be as effective, but it all depends on the specific event as they are all different. Also depends on whether you will be photographing all 3 disciplines (I assume so). Swimming will be the toughest to capture. I would say you are better off with the 100-400mm, especially for the swimming.

That sounds very odd to me. I have also competed in many triathlons over the past 20 years and I can't think of a single event that did not have a ton of spectator area on the course that is suitable for picture taking for the run and the bike. In fact when I work the events I often find myself competing for space with all the husbands and wifes who are out there taking their own pictures. Only the finish line and swim transition really benefits the working photographer at these events.

Regarding the swim... the transition is the only reliable picture to get... Identifying your wife in her black wetsuit and red swim hat with 1000 other athletes is damn near impossible. Depending on the layout of the transition you might need to use a pretty long lens to get the shot of her running out of the water.

cwood wrote in post #11945795
That sounds very odd to me. I have also competed in many triathlons over the past 20 years and I can't think of a single event that did not have a ton of spectator area on the course that is suitable for picture taking for the run and the bike. In fact when I work the events I often find myself competing for space with all the husbands and wifes who are out there taking their own pictures. Only the finish line and swim transition really benefits the working photographer at these events.

Regarding the swim... the transition is the only reliable picture to get... Identifying your wife in her black wetsuit and red swim hat with 1000 other athletes is damn near impossible. Depending on the layout of the transition you might need to use a pretty long lens to get the shot of her running out of the water.

I think from the course layout I'll be pretty close to the action. My wife is is doing it with Team in Training so her purple swim cap should help. If in doubt I'll snap pictures of strangers and delete later

scubthebub wrote in post #11945957
I think from the course layout I'll be pretty close to the action. My wife is is doing it with Team in Training so her purple swim cap should help. If in doubt I'll snap pictures of strangers and delete later

haha... from the events I usually shoot with TNT participating... the purple make things worse... not better. You won't believe how many purple swim caps you are going to see out there.

Good for her though

I had some dialog with someone on how to shoot in this situation. You might find it helpful.

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=962385

Also if you have any questions or would like any help figuring out where to go please let me know. My fiancé is a triathlete and I have spent many weekends at these events.

ZXDrew wrote in post #11947799
I had some dialog with someone on how to shoot in this situation. You might find it helpful.

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=962385

Also if you have any questions or would like any help figuring out where to go please let me know. My fiancé is a triathlete and I have spent many weekends at these events.

Thanks for that link, there is A LOT of good info there thanks so much. I don't really have any specific questions right now, I have a basic idea of what I want to do. I'll probably have a bunch after the event when it won't matter anymore

I'll give you a little advice I've found helpful. Use google maps or the race map and find where the sun is going to be. Try to get her to wear something you can spot easily. My fiance ran the Austin Marathon last week. For bigger races we try to buy her the newest shirt possible for the race. The marathon had 12k+ people in the marathon and only 1 other person had on her shirt. I also review the course to tell her what corner to run on outside/inside of. Try to make it easy always right or always left.

Have you practiced shooting the triathlon events?

ZXDrew wrote in post #11948906
I'll give you a little advice I've found helpful. Use google maps or the race map and find where the sun is going to be. Try to get her to wear something you can spot easily. My fiance ran the Austin Marathon last week. For bigger races we try to buy her the newest shirt possible for the race. The marathon had 12k+ people in the marathon and only 1 other person had on her shirt. I also review the course to tell her what corner to run on outside/inside of. Try to make it easy always right or always left.

Have you practiced shooting the triathlon events?

I've looked at the maps and it is basically north-south so the sun will be predictable (http://maps.onemillion​revolutions.org/map.js​p?mapID=1579). The course always transitions in the same area so I shouldn't have to move too much to get pictures of her. For clothing she will be wearing a Team in Training purple top that I can pick out. She is doing it with about 10-12 other team members and I was planning to snap pictures of everyone I could. I know how her bike looks (although it's a popular bike) but I'll error on the conservative side if I'm not sure if it's her or not.

I will mention to her that I'll always be on the the sun side of the track so I don't get only silhouettes, but I'll also have my 550EX in case. I have never shot a triathlon but I did her marathon a few years ago. I am not worried a lot about the run/swim because she won't be moving that fast. But I am a bit worried about tracking her bike portion since she'll be moving pretty fast and I don't have a lot of experience using AI Servo. I can't really practice much because I'm renting the 70-200 for the weekend. I hope to practice on some on the faster riders in front her. Luckily she ends up doing a few loops of the bike course so I'll have a few chances.

Thanks again for all the help and advice, it's much appreciated!

What I usually do is have the person wear L.A. Gear's for the run and cycling. It makes them easier to spot.