Best Lens for indoor crossfit photos

I've just started taking photos for our crossfit gym and I'm looking to get a suitable lens for this environment. Its a small area and the lightening isn't the best and I have to work around some concrete pillars in the middle. I use a 60D and love using my 85mm 1.8 but it gets in too close and I find by the time I've moved back to get the shot I want there is stuff in the way (pillars, rings, people etc). So I want something that handles low level lighting, fast and doesn't get in too close. Thanks

Take a zoom lens into that environment to find out what focal length you want. A zoom probably isnt going to be fast enough as they max out at 2.8.

You can get a 50mm f1.8 for just $100. An excellent lens to boot.

The current lens that I shoot with at the CrossFit box I go to is a 50mm 1.8 and it's capable lens for that type of environment, but not ideal if space is limited. I've rented a 24-70mm f/2.8L USM II for a weekend and was amazed how well it performed. That lens is definitely on my to buy list.

If you can find one available the Sigma 30/1.4 is a great value. Especially right now as there's a new one coming out and the old version (which I have and love) has been discounted below $300. I got a smoking deal on mine, at the time, and paid $300 when they were going for $350-$400.

What's your budget. Personally, I'd use my 24-70 f/2.8. It's not the fastest focusing lens (though not bad either), but I don't think that's going to be a huge issue for crossfit. It's not a cheap lens, though.

Yeah, do actually need a fast focusing lens for crossfit. I used a zoom lens and found I was using it around the 25-30mm mark so I'm going to buy a 28mm 1.8 and see how I go with that as its not an expensive lens if I don't like it.

Zoom is probably your best option for flexibility, but for the sake of keeping the photo's natural looking i'd try to stick to something around 30 to 35mm. There are a few amazing lenses in that range that would be perfect.

even on a crop sensor?

gt1cm2 wrote in post #15867887
even on a crop sensor?

especially on a crop sensor. On a crop a 35mm lens has a field of view and perspective similar to that of the human eye. This gets debated as to exactly what that means, and whether its actually 35 and I dont want to restart that debate, but its in the ballpark. On a FF camera the 35 is a wide angle lens, not terribly wide mind you, but wider than normal.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the 24-70 is an especially slow lens. I've used it for sports photography with no real issues (martial arts, snowboard freestyle, etc). It's just not as fast as something like my 70-200 and about on par with my other wider angle lenses like my 50 or 85mm. If you go with a prime, 35mm sounds like a good option to me. I've used my 50mm with my 40D for indoor martial arts pictures in a relatively small room, and there were definitely a lot of times I wished I was using something wider.

Right well, rightly or wrongly I've gone with 35mm F/1.4, if it doesn't work out I can always sell it!