50mm for basketball

What 50mm prime is the fastest with the quickest autofocus non L glass? I have the 85mm 1.8 and would like something a little wider. I'm shooting with the 7D II

EF 50mm f/1.4.

Is the auto focus comparable to the 85mm 1.8?

jlstan wrote in post #17404831
Is the auto focus comparable to the 85mm 1.8?

I don't currently own the 85 1.8, but I used to. I do have both the 100 f/2 (85 1.8's big brother) and the 50 1.4. To answer your question in one word: NO. It is micro-motor, not USM. I think you'll be fine shooting from the stands. Action will predominantly be moving sideways, up and down the court. It may not be sufficient for fast-approaching action under the basket. For $300, it is worth a try.

Perhaps the EF-S 60mm USM would work?
While not nearly as fast as the 50 f1.4, it has a USM motor and the high ISO should be acceptable on the 7DII

Are you currently shooting / needing the 85 f1.8 be be wide open or are you stopping it down for a wider DOF?

I've been shooting to hold 1/1000 using auto iso most of my shots are around F2. The courts are quite dark

50 1.4 is exactly what you're looking for, I put the 50 on whenever we hit the last 2min or go into OT, if I'm near the basket it's the safety lens that I feel like no matter what I can get something with it (even if I need a little cropping).

Works pretty much like the 85 when stopped down to f2, and at f2 I think it's actually a little sharper and less CA than the 85 is. We've got some decent light in my home gym, I'm at 1/2000, f2, ISO 2000 as my starting point.

My only issues with it on my 5D3 in terms of AF come when I've gotten the AF point on the seats or some background element, and that's where it's at when I need on player, it keeps up with them just fine if I keep an AF point on them. The AF motor has been known to be sensitive to bumps of the focus barrel so I got a $5 Vello lens hood and keep it perma-mounted to protect the lens in the bag.

If it's sole purpose is basketball and you're always at f2, I do wonder if the canon or yognuo (sp?) 50 1.8 might save you a few $$$, when not shooting sports, I do prefer to open the 50 up to 1.4 so it's a justified expense for me.

Here's a few sample shots with the 50 1.4:

IMAGE LINK: http://www.dcanavanpho​to.com/p357514249/e3b0​8ec7b

IMAGE LINK: http://www.dcanavanpho​to.com/p467815066/e4a8​1194

jlstan wrote in post #17404751
What 50mm prime is the fastest with the quickest autofocus non L glass? I have the 85mm 1.8 and would like something a little wider. I'm shooting with the 7D II

Heya,

Well, there's 3 main Canon 50mm lenses that are modern. Or, semi-modern, if you will. The 50 F1.4 is USM. The 50 F1.8 II is not, and is slow to focus. The 50 F1.2 is L, so out of the tier that you're talking about. Other than that, there's Sigma's non-ART 50, which is good, but not as fast as Canon's USM's. So realistically, 50 F1.4 USM if you just want AF speed and decent optics.

Are you sure you need 50mm? On APS-C, I would actually be perhaps considering 35mm to have a good contrast to the 85mm length, instead of something fairly close.

Very best,

MalVeauX wrote in post #17405029
Heya,

Well, there's 3 main Canon 50mm lenses that are modern. Or, semi-modern, if you will. The 50 F1.4 is USM. The 50 F1.8 II is not, and is slow to focus. The 50 F1.2 is L, so out of the tier that you're talking about. Other than that, there's Sigma's non-ART 50, which is good, but not as fast as Canon's USM's. So realistically, 50 F1.4 USM if you just want AF speed and decent optics.

Are you sure you need 50mm? On APS-C, I would actually be perhaps considering 35mm to have a good contrast to the 85mm length, instead of something fairly close.

Very best,

The 50 1.4 is micro-motor USM, just like the 70-300. Neither are ring-type USM. Neither are particularly fast at focusing.

I definitely would not recommend the 50 1.8 for hoops--been there, tried that. Focus was just too slow/unreliable. The 100/2 was very good for hoops, the 135L even better. I shot the older model sigma 30 1.4 after I sold the fifty and found it better under the basket than its predecessor. All of this was on the 60D.

Haven't tried my 50A for hoops yet but it focuses quite a bit faster than the old 30 1.4 and 40 pancake but just a tad slower than the 100/2 or my L glass.

Used the Sigma 50A a couple of weeks ago, worked pretty well

I shoot high school basketball from just back and under the net. The lighting is awful usually 8000ISO just to get 1/500 . I have 7DmkII and have shot with the 85 1.8, 70-200 2.8 and the 24-70 2.8 mk2 I get far and away more successful images with the 24-70 2.8 because of where I shoot from. However even using a white balance expodisc I still have a difficult time with noise. I use AI servo, case 2, focus priority 1st and second image, flicker enabled I wish I could use a strobe but the kids like the pics so it is good enough

How about the Sigma 18-35 1.8? That might fit the bill?

I always shot the 7D with the 70-200 2.8 on the sidelines with no issues, but yes, you don't get very wide shots. The other photog shoots with a 24-70 f2.8 on a 7D currently. It works well for the look he is trying to get, I like "in your face" shots.

I also shoot at very high ISOs from ISO6400 through to 25600.

A lens frequently used for 50mm framing at basketball game is the Canon 24-70mm f2/8. As mentioned in previous threads, a common basketball lens combination is a 24-70mm f/2.8 and a 70-200mm f/2.8. Sometimes, sports photographers who want tightly-framed images at basketball games also will use a 300mm f/2.8 prime.

Like others, I went through the "50/1.8 is too slow" phase.

I zoom with my feet with 85/1.8 from the 3rd-4th row of the stands, and that works. Or 200/2.8 from the top of the stands, but neither of those catch the body-struggles under the net... nor the jump shots that have their back to the stands.

I've tried 40/2.8 STM under/at the side of the basket - it shoots pretty good at higher ISO... but the IQ doesn't match the 85/1.8.