Need your helps to choose a lens for a surfing competition

Hi all,
I have a choice between 300mm f/2.8 and 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6. Which lens should I rent for a surfing competition?
Thank you in advance for your helps

Depends, how close to shore is the break? When I used to shoot the Vans on the North Shore of Oahu I rented a 600mm. Got tired of lugging that monster around and I started using my 300 with a 1.4x TC, and it worked well. Of the two lenses you mentioned, the 300mm is a great choice.

between the two 300mm f2.8.

I think I'd try the 100-400. More flexibility in range and the slowness shouldn't be much of an issue considering the setting - though if the day's really overcast, you're going to have a problem. Be advised, I've never shot surfing events before so that's all theory .

Thank you Ric, Bobby, and Armis
I am going to rent the 300mm
I am going to shoot US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach California. I am going to be on the pier. So, I am going to be "close" to the surfers.

Lucky you! Wish i could have been at the US Open. Im stuck shooting surfers in bad light with a 70-200! They are just little dots in my viewfinder. F4 is still plenty enough for overcast getting shutterspeeds of 1250/1000 with iso 100-160.

check em out. most are very cropped though. doing what i can with what i have in up to gale force winds and rain

http://www.flickr.com …n/sets/72157630​269294726/

I love the 300 2.8, and loath the 100-400, but for surfing I am curious why the choice is so automatic to the 300 when you are going to be shooting stopped down anyway. Just wondering. I have never shot surfing wide open....

Josteinsen.... surfing Norway... that is just plain crazy stuff. I complained about the water Santa Cruz! But that would be crazy to shoot some stuff up there. Whats the season in Norway? May have to make a detour on my way up to the platforms.

blueskyoveraquatic wrote in post #14789685
Hi all,
I have a choice between 300mm f/2.8 and 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6. Which lens should I rent for a surfing competition?
Thank you in advance for your helps

^^ I've been shooting the US OPEN of Surfing for a couple of years now and the lens I often use is the beastly 400 F2.8L MKII paired with a 1.4xII. Those lens you're planning to rent are excellent glass and hope that fellow POTN'r Airbutchie can chime in as he shoots with the 300 F2.8L. We both shot the event last weekend and will cover the finals as well.

Here's the thread for the 2012 US OPEN of Surfing ...

https://photography-on-the.net …p?p=14792882#po​st14792882

and the 2011 US OPEN ...

https://photography-on-the.net …tington+beach+s​urf&page=2

This is a big event with thousands of people expected. Get there early.

good choice, looking forward to seeing some shots posted here.

Did we ever find out what break he is shooting? I just shot surfing in Costa Rica with a 70-200 + 1.4tc... and it worked just fine. Don't we need that info first?

Shot from Costa Rica

(image removed - not needed anymore)

Just posting so you know depending on the break, you don't "need" big glass to get shots.

Croasdail wrote in post #14793260
I love the 300 2.8, and loath the 100-400, but for surfing I am curious why the choice is so automatic to the 300 when you are going to be shooting stopped down anyway. Just wondering. I have never shot surfing wide open....

Josteinsen.... surfing Norway... that is just plain crazy stuff. I complained about the water Santa Cruz! But that would be crazy to shoot some stuff up there. Whats the season in Norway? May have to make a detour on my way up to the platforms.

We have the worlds longest coastline after canada so many surfspots up and down the coast. Not as hot as in other places people think of when surfing but with a good wetsuit some nutters surfe all year.

Best waves are in sept-feb but you cant be afraid of snow or surfing in below freezing. Surfers come from all over the world to surf some of the spots. Even a few aussies and kiwis have moved here to surf! They must be crazy lol

For shooting some of the best spots are far north in lofoten, stadt in the west and the crazy long beaches in the south west. These places gets big waves comming in from the north atlantic. The place i shoot at only has great surfring conditions when its really windy "gale/storm" and dies out as soon as the wind dies. Google surfing norway and you will get an idea

josteinsen wrote in post #14790241
Lucky you! Wish i could have been at the US Open. Im stuck shooting surfers in bad light with a 70-200! They are just little dots in my viewfinder. F4 is still plenty enough for overcast getting shutterspeeds of 1250/1000 with iso 100-160.

check em out. most are very cropped though. doing what i can with what i have in up to gale force winds and rain

http://www.flickr.com …n/sets/72157630​269294726/

Thank you for your comments
... For my combo: 50D + 70-200mm f/4 + 1.4x, my max aperture is f/5.6. To get a 1/1000 shutterspeed, I have to bump my ISO to 1600 on an overcast day. Unfortunately, ISO 1600 is quite noisy on my 50D.

Croasdail wrote in post #14793260
I love the 300 2.8, and loath the 100-400, but for surfing I am curious why the choice is so automatic to the 300 when you are going to be shooting stopped down anyway. Just wondering. I have never shot surfing wide open....

Josteinsen.... surfing Norway... that is just plain crazy stuff. I complained about the water Santa Cruz! But that would be crazy to shoot some stuff up there. Whats the season in Norway? May have to make a detour on my way up to the platforms.

Mark,
Thank you for your comments
My combo, 50D + 70-200mm f/4 + 1.4x, needs a high ISO for a 1/1000 shutter speed, and my 50D can not handle high ISO well.
I am thinking:
50D + 300 2.8 + 1.4x or
5D + 100-400
I like the 50D combo better because it can reach farther and 50D's AF is better than 5D's.
Noise resolution of the 50D is not as food as the 5D, but the 300 2.8 is fast.

patrickf117 wrote in post #14793332
^^ I've been shooting the US OPEN of Surfing for a couple of years now and the lens I often use is the beastly 400 F2.8L MKII paired with a 1.4xII. Those lens you're planning to rent are excellent glass and hope that fellow POTN'r Airbutchie can chime in as he shoots with the 300 F2.8L. We both shot the event last weekend and will cover the finals as well.

Here's the thread for the 2012 US OPEN of Surfing ...

https://photography-on-the.net …p?p=14792882#po​st14792882

and the 2011 US OPEN ...

https://photography-on-the.net …tington+beach+s​urf&page=2

This is a big event with thousands of people expected. Get there early.

Thank you for your comments/advices

The 100-400 IS USM is capable of some stunning shots like below

http://flic.kr/p/9rpav​z

I love my 400 f/2.8 though for surfing. One tip I will give, try and keep your settings around 1/1000th @ f/8 and you will get some great results.