85 or 70-200...LOOK INSIDE

A friend & I are shooting a big cheerleading competition on Nov 11. It will be held at Klein Collins High School. We haven't scouted the location for lighting condition, but we'll assume the conditions won't be great. If you have any info on this gym...plz pass it along to me. THX!

Hopefully you can help me make a tough decision. No flash allowed...so with my 1D MarkII N, should I shoot with a Canon 85mm/f1.8 or just use my Canon 70-200mmL/f2.8? Will 1 f-stop really make a huge difference? Will it make a difference at 200mm?

With cheerleading, there's so much movement, especially with throws up and down, I think a zoom will be more useful. Yes, an extra stop is always nice. But with the ability to bump the ISO up, you should be fine.

Be sure to post the results. Too bad no flash allowed.

mark

bring both just in case?

The 85 is pretty much pocketable. Take both.

Thanks for the quick responses.

I'll have to agree with MDJAK. The flexibility of the 70-200 seems to be a big advantage. I don't own a 85 f/1.8, but I was thinking of borrowing or renting one. The competition moves at such a fast pace might not be worth the trouble to rent the 85.

I'll wait and listen to what the rest of you suggest.


Thanks,
Sonny

I was under the impression you already owned both lenses. In light of the new information, then definitely just take the 70-200 and bump the ISO. Get what you can...if the lighting is so bad you can't get SS you need at ISO3200, then it's not even worth shooting, IMO.

EDIT: Since you're pretty good at witholding details...if you're being PAID to shoot this, then buy an 85mm and take it with you in case you do need it. Your clients deserve that.

Do not forget the narrow DOF you get with wide apertures...you might be able to get a shot and freeze motion, and your DOF with 85mm f/1.8 focused at 30' away is only 2' deep.

Okay, I'll give you an additional perspective. I'm shooting a cheerleading competition next week. I'm bringing the only lens that I ever bring to these kinds of things, the 85 1.8. It allows me to get most of the shots I want and is beautiful at freezing the action for the flips and turns and other kinds of fast action. Most indoor lighting is mediocre to terrible. The 85 1.8 can handle those. Yes, I do give up the flexibility of a zoom, but I try to make for it by moving (if I can) and really focusing on the shots I can get. Just my stlye, I guess. If the lighting is bad, the extra stop can be a life saver. You can always jack up the ISO on 2.8, but at some point quality could be an issue (even with use of noise reduction programs). Depends on what you are going to do with the photos. Have a great time (and yes, the action is non-stop and fast).