Ok I have less than $700 to spend on a zoom

Im building my travel kit. I totally lost when it comes to zoom lenses. I asked about the 70-300mm IS USM but gotten VERY mixxed reviews. I want to get into shoot sports. I will probably just do kids socer games for now until I get better. An "L" glass isnt really needed unless it fits into the price. So now you guys know my budget can someone help me out?

As soon as you say you want to shoot sports...you will see a line of people screaming that you have to have an "L". The 70-300 IS USM is not a bad lens by any means and is perfectly capable of taking fine images. The down side of the lens is that it does have a fairly small aperture even wide open...thus it requires very good light to give you satisfactory results. There will be circumstances that it will be very difficult if not impossible to stop action with this lens, but if you realize that going in and choose your shooting situations wisely....there is no reason why it won't work for you.

Travel or sports? I'm not sure I'm getting what your aim is here. If travel, the 7-3IS is hard to beat. For sports, how about a Sigma 70-200 f2.8 or 100-300 f4?

The Sigma 70-200 isn't an L, but it's a great sports zoom. You'll have to save a bit more for it, but, believe me, it's well worth it. And www.sigma4less.com seems to have the best prices on the lens. I just purchased one through our school for my yearbook staff and am very pleased with it.

Liza has great advice, take it

ChrisBlaze wrote in post #2164215
Im building my travel kit. I totally lost when it comes to zoom lenses. I asked about the 70-300mm IS USM but gotten VERY mixxed reviews. I want to get into shoot sports. I will probably just do kids socer games for now until I get better. An "L" glass isnt really needed unless it fits into the price. So now you guys know my budget can someone help me out?

For sports you really need lenses at least f/2.8. This really limits what you can buy. Indoors I would recomend one of the following: 50 f/1.4 or 85 f/1.8 For outdoor sports look at the 200 f/2.8 L, and it fits your budget.

I'd say a canon 70-200 f/4 L. I see them used here from 500 to 550. I haven't checked the new price lately. Check B&H video. This would be nice for outdoors with decent light. Otherwise get the sigma 70-200 2.8 for a little more.

ditto with Liza, pretty happy with mine!

Much as I love the 70-300 for being a lightweight all around travel tele, the Sigma 70-200 has it beat for action. When you need the large aperture, there's no getting around it. I keep both and each fills a different role.

B&H has some used ones in 10 condition (basically new) for $800.

Does travel kit mean you want to pack light? the canon 70-200 f/4 is lighter than the sigma.

save some cash and get 70-200mm sigma 2.8

You could buy my Used 70-200 f4L for $550 plus S&H through PayPal. Used is just a term, it was bought only in May 2006 and is basically brand spanking new.

what i mean by travel kit is that I'm building my bag so that any given time, I'll have a lens for the situation. Most magazines say you need:

1. wide angle (some say the kit will do until you can get the 17-40L or the 10-22mm)
2. One Portrait (usually recommend the 50mm f/1.8 )
3. A 70-300mm or 200mm zoom

While I dont shoot like a pro (as you can see from my photoblog) I still like good IQ. Sports is something I'll do for fun. The Probowl is comming up so I wanna get practice with zoom lenses.When I start to get better I will invest more in the L.

That Sigma is not cheap...$840 Link

no, but it is good and fast, you need speed for sports, especially nighttime with lights. $750 at sigma4less http://www.sigma4less.​com …2B%3D28SG70200F​28DCA%3D29