Body and Lens for motorsports i have around £1000

Hi all,
last week i took my boy to the roger Albert car rally ant temple newsum and
Olivers Mount we had a great time with the canon 400 and a cheep sigma 70
300 but i think they was a little soft the gallery is here, i think i met a few people from here as i recognize some shots taken from the same place
i was....

any way back to the question in hand, i was sold my 400D as i was upgrading it this month any way wanting some thing with a few more features,

so i have around £1000 to spend and i really want to end up with a body and a lens that can be used around motor sports, the type of thing will be rally, British super bikes and other car racing.....

first i have seen to lenses

#1 Sigma 120 - 400mm f4.5/5.6 Apo EX DG OS Lens

#2 Sigma 100 - 300mm f 4 EX IF DG APO Lens

now for a body

#1 canon 40d

#2 nikon d80

this would have to be the Nikon with the 300mm
or the canon with the 400mm to make them fit around my prices

if you have any advice i would like to here it or if you thing any other body or lens would be better please say but remember i have around £1000

cheers mark..........

I would go with 100-300mm f/4 EX , a much better lens.
Of course I would go with the Canon body also.

Certainly the 100-300mm is the pick of the lenses. Suit yourself on the camera.

The 100-300 f/4 is the better lens, and very good for motorsports.

I'm not too familiar with the Nikon cameras - what does the D80 do that your 400D did not? I ask since I know the 400D is good enough to use for motorsports...

I'll throw in another option, if you want quality and the 40D. Get the 40D, a Canon 70-200 f/4 L (non-IS) and a Kenko Pro 1.4x teleconverter. Price the camera and lens at Camera Price Buster and get the Kenko from OneStop Digital or one of the better Hong Kong suppliers on ebay. That would just about fit into the £1000 maximum after you get the £60 rebate on the 40D. Well, almost In my experience, the 70-200 is long enough for most shots at rallies, and it doesn't lose too much quality with a teleconverter fitted. It also has the advantage of being much lighter than the Sigma, which certainly helps if you're carrying it around rally stages all day!

Seconded on the 70-200 f4 and 40D combo. It's a winner!

+1 for the 70-200 +40d, this is what i have just purchased for a similar reason, mine is for grasstrack racing.

I used to own a 70-200mm f/4. It isn't bad for rallying but it is woefully short (even with 1.4x TC) for circuit work in the UK, particularly since the OP mentioned "British Superbikes" which tend to be fairly small. With a 1.4x TC on it the AF speed isn't particularly impressive in poor light. It isn't a bad lens but motorsport is my priority and it is one I "used" to own for a reason.

The 100-300mm f/4 EX Sigma is a MUCH better choice as a motorsport lens under UK conditions.

That'll teach me to look at the pictures rather than read the post! I agree that the 70-200 will be too short for circuits, especially for the bikes.

If the OP gets the 100-300, however, they'll have to go with a cheaper body and a teleconverter would still be useful. Even without the teleconverter, that seems to be over budget... Maybe save money by buying a Canon 400D instead of the D80

Indeed, a 1.4x TC added to the Sigma 100-300mm is a useful package for brighter days. If it comes down to a choice between a better body or better glass, glass is nearly always the way to go. I shot some motorsport a few months ago with my old 10D because one of my 1D bodies was out of action. Because I had the right lens on it worked out well; with a poor lens I would have struggled even with a 1 Series.

Hi Mark - I'm not quite clear from your phrasing whether you have actually sold your 400D. If not, do you really need a new body? What you have, while not cutting edge, is really quite competent. My instinct would be to hold onto the body and spent the extra on glass that'd even better suit your needs. More money = more choice, be it marque or third party. Then, upgrade your body as and when . . . YMMV

thanks guys,
sadly ahack yes the 400 body sold last week on ebay as the was going to be the first buy
but after going to a few events and finding my sigma 70-300 was a pile of dog doo i sold that as well so with the sale and this month over time from work i have around £1000