Help with body/lens combo for HS football

Needing help with choosing the correct body/lens combo for the upcoming football season.

Here is the equipment I plan on taking
1DX II
7D II
Canon 300 mm 2.8 IS II
70-200 f/2.8 IS II
24-70 f/2.8 IS II
Canon 1.4 Extender III

My initial thoughts is to pair my best body/lens combo - 1DXII + 300, and use the 70-200 with the 7DII. However, since I should have decent light for the first half of games (at least for the first month or so), should I pair the 300 with the 7DII for more reach? What does everyone think?

Sure, but you'll only really know when you have your position staked out.

CyberDyneSystems wrote in post #18694248
Sure, but you'll only really know when you have your position staked out.

I will have full access to the sidelines. So I can be anywhere outside of the 35 yd lines, and I can also be in the end zone. I will not be limited to just one location.

That's a hard one. You really want to shoot with the 1D body but the 7D + 300 = better (more appropriate) reach. I'd go with the 300+1.4x on the 1D for as long as f4 works plus the 70-200 on the 7D. When it gets dark I might switch the 300 to the 7D depending on how dark it is and how high the ISO needs to be on the 7D. I really think you want around 400mm one way or the other for football game coverage except for close in plays. For me, the 24-70 can normally stay home unless I know I need it for something special.

70-200 / 7D2 and 300 / 1DX = 112mm-320mm and 300mm equiv 35mm AOV

70-200 / 1DX and 300 / 7D2 = 70-200mm and 480mm equiv 35mm AOV

Which gap or overlap would you like? I would suggest #1 plus a 1.4x on the 300mm. I agree with Bob above, I would rather have a fast 70-200 on the 7D2 to keep the ISO down a stop and put a 1.4 on the 300 to get 420mm on the FF which can handle the extra stop of ISO. You are likely not going to miss the 100mm gap in the middle.

TeamSpeed wrote in post #18694366
I would suggest #1 plus a 1.4x on the 300mm.

That would be my preference as well as I prefer the longer reach. My last game using two 1D X II bodies was 90-shots each on a 24-70/2.8 (group shots, cheer, etc) and 70-200/2.8, and 235-shots on a 400/2.8.

TeamSpeed wrote in post #18694366
...I would suggest #1 plus a 1.4x on the 300mm. I agree with Bob above, I would rather have a fast 70-200 on the 7D2 to keep the ISO down a stop and put a 1.4 on the 300 to get 420mm on the FF which can handle the extra stop of ISO. You are likely not going to miss the 100mm gap in the middle.

+1

I do know that a 70-200 with a 1.4x on a FF just isn't enough from the sidelines, especially given the teams have a tendency to block a good part of the sidelines. This means typically you are shooting from the 20yd to endzone areas across and down the field.

Kit looks solid. But I curious what shots you are hoping for that you can't get now. Is it reach that is the issue? Focus speed and tracking? Are you planting yourself in the end zone and trying to cover the game that way? What is the problem you are trying to solve? Need more ISO performance? You will eliminate hardware as an issue with what you are proposing. But you are also looking at spending a lot on your kit too.

For me, I hate teleconverters, regardless of price or make. It's just one more piece to worry about. Your 7d with a 300 will give your reasonable coverage. A used 1D mk IV with a used 400 2.8 will give you even better coverage due to its 1.3 crop sensor. I know its really old, but it was and probably still is one of my favorite cameras. It can easily shoot ISO 3200, and still performs well a stop or two even higher than that. That and a 1 Dx with the 70-200 should give you complete coverage of the field.

There are a lot of issues that even the best new camera can't solve at High School football stadiums. Light fall off in the end zones creates horrid shadows. I'm not aware of any camera that solves that problem yet. I don't like to see guys with strobes on the fields either - which can solve the problem. But just be really clear what the issue is your trying to solve. The answer my not be what you expect. More money helps... but not always.

When I was shooting with 1dmk2 and 7d combo and the same lenses you have, I used the 300 on the 7d for more reach and the 1d/300 for when things got close. Worked well for me. Now, I've sold my 300 and have a 100-300/4 sigma, which I'll use when it's light and switch to the 70-200 in the second half. No longer carry two bodies.