WIde angle fast prime for sports

Gatorboy wrote in post #5219160
I normally use an 85 f/1.8 for BB, a 50 would be ok, but anything less is way too short.

I've seen excellent shots taken of players driving for a dunk or layup from under that basket with wide lenses. These shots will usually show the offensive player going up, a defender trying to block and a dynamic view of the arena.

If the OP knows he wants a wide lens then I don't question that. All sports would be shot wide angle if we could only get close enough in most cases. I think telephoto is a make do solution.

Look at professional sports photography, a substantial amount of it is shot wide rather than with medium telephotos.

Can you imagine how awesome football shots would be if you could get close enough to shoot wide?

But it would only take about 2-3 plays before the WA photog running around the field would get hit and crushed. I'm picturing little bits of camera all over the field.

Long is used for a lot of sports since you simply cannot get closer. At the pro and college level of basketball the atheletes will often drive along the baseline and give you an incredible wide shot from below the net. The honestly look like they can fly. I've seen (never shot, mind you) some really awesome shots like that.

Wide angle can really lend itself well to sports story telling-- getting the whole play in the frame, etc.

This is my personal best wa basketball shot and I think it does a pretty good job illustrating what I'm talking about.

Zilly wrote in post #5218033
not exactly wide tho is it

Well, it's the widest AF lens that can be sharp at F/2 with the exception of the Canon 28 1.8 (which is inferior to the Sigma by most accounts and nearly the same focal length) and the 24L or the Sigma 20mm 1.8 (which does not have HSM).

I guess I made the mistake of trying to answer the OP's question and suggest a lens that hadn't been mentioned when I should have simply stated the widest lens available that was capable of F/2 and second guessed other's posts.

DDCSD wrote in post #5220284
second guessed other's posts.

that is what is expected . . . . . .