Kid's outdoor sports; which telephoto?

Sorry if these types of question has been asked so many times; have been doing some research as I'm going to be shooting kids soccer, tee ball and summer camp activities starting next month.

My question is, for kids under 9 and younger, I'm assuming 70-200 f4 non-IS telephoto will be more than adequate for day time shots? I don't really want to spend more than $1,000 nor will be shooting wedding or low light sports any time soon so want to keep this within a budget.

The 70-200 of your choice is a good starting point. I prefer the IS version as its sharper and the IS makes it more versatile away from the field. But the F4 is a good lens. As your children grow the 200 may end up being a bit short for soccer and baseball, but by then you will be able to consider the 100-400 or whatever lovely canon comes up with in the meantime.

Ya...if I could find relatively new IS version for under $1,000 (I've seen couple here and there) then I may opt for one and it could double as a wedding lens; at least from what I've read on other sites.

I just want to make sure I can get full body & 2/3 body shots from a distance fine with the 200...then again I think I just answered that myself as I could switch to 60D if I need the extra reach (or just shoot the tele with the 60D to begin with?).

The f4 IS is okay as a wedding lens, but really for a wedding you would want a 2.8. Having the crop body as a tele-converter is a nice option. I still keep my 40D around for that purpose even using the 100-400.

Hmm maybe I'll just go with used non-IS for $500 or so then. They're not looking for super quality photos either.

I have said this in other posts but my take..
u15 and u8 soccer fields are huge..

70-200 - too short on 70 side and 200 too short on the long side
100-400 - too short on 100 side but good on the 100 side

for me I am saving my pennies for a lens that has its sacrifices. I know I know.. but my current 55-250 is perfect @ 55 at times even on a crop but the 250 side isnt enough... soooo that leaves the Sigma 50-500 aka BigMa on my to buy list. I know it isnt the sharpest, I know it is still f6.3 or so on the 500mm side... but I am a hobbyist and for my kids the pics will be good enough. And non IS (or OS as they call it on theirs) is about $600 and with OS is about $1000 in the used market putting it at the OP's price range.

I am hoping to have one in 4 months so if OP doesnt make up their mind I should have soccer pics by then...

I have found 70-200mm almost perfect for reduced size soccer fields. It is a little long at 70mm if I setup too close to the end lines. Fields get progressively larger as the kids get older. You might consider a 70-300mm lens. It is a great lens if you want to get mid-field or slightly longer shots. A used 70-300mm L lens can occasionally be found in the $1000 area.

A 70-200mm lens is okay for youth baseball/softball infield photos. Outfield shots require a much longer lens for about anything more advanced than t-ball.

Here are some dimensions for soccer fields for the different age groups. They might help you plan for the future. Your field sizes might be slightly different.

http://www.heardutchhe​re.net/SoccerFieldsDim​ensions.html

Craign wrote in post #16853584
A used 70-300mm L lens can occasionally be found in the $1000 area.

Ya I was looking at this, 100-400 and few others. So many choices The soccer field I know is VERY small as my daughter was in a team last year for 6 & under group. But the baseball field I believe is standard size for high school; assuming they bring the bases closer for little kids...

Aki78 wrote in post #16852976
Ya...if I could find relatively new IS version for under $1,000 (I've seen couple here and there) then I may opt for one and it could double as a wedding lens; at least from what I've read on other sites.

I just want to make sure I can get full body & 2/3 body shots from a distance fine with the 200...then again I think I just answered that myself as I could switch to 60D if I need the extra reach (or just shoot the tele with the 60D to begin with?).

Have a look a KEH.com, I have purchased from these guys and there stuff is as described or better.

70-200 f4 IS
http://www.keh.com …1/sku-CE07999089813R?r=FE

The 70-200mm f4 was my first decent lens. Used it for a lot of kids sports, particularly football on small fields. I found it really good. Sharp, good range and not heavy. I haven't missed the IS as typically shooting with quick shutter speed anyway.

Of course as others have mentioned, finding it more constraining now as kids have got older and moved into more senior sports photography and the bigger fields that go with that. In those cases I've been realistic about how far along the field I aim for photos, though craving a longer lens, just not sure what.

Cheers
Andrew

I bought the non-IS. I figured for now, it'll be good because all I'll be doing is shooting kids under 7 tops. I had one years ago when I first started shooting and amazed at how it holds its value so when I do need to upgrade it shouldn't be a problem.

I may toy around with adding 1.4x teleconverter depending on how things go. I won't know until next week when the practice starts.