what lense to go with

Ok so see my sig and you can see my lenses..
now for hockey i have the 85mm as recommended by yall... i like it but i just still have to learn how to use my camera better..


my sigma lens is great for the distance of soccer... large fields...
but im not impressed with it...so want to replace it..

kit lens.. as it has IS it seems to work ok...


now i have $1k up...
most of the times i take my camera out is for kids sports/events - taking it to thanksgiving... other than that i really dont do portraits....

guy at work said get the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens

now that will get a good range covered... but i still wont have it replace my soccer lens... and wont be good below the 24mm (understaning that i have a 1.6 crop so it is really more)....

or should i go with a nice canon L say 70-200?

just thinking what to do next..
thanks
Jeff

Really depends on how close you can get to the action. My 24-105 is great, but is way too short for sports. The 70-200 (I have the f/4 non-IS version) adds good reach. Why not consider a 70-200 f/2.8, as it can be used with either 1.4x or 2x TC's? Gives you speed and range. May want to consider the 100-400 as well. Not as fast, but being a zoom is a great asset. Check out used lenses as you can save a LOT of money.

I agree with richardfox......get the 70-200 2.8/1.4xII and start shooting away.

If you do this make sure you get the 1.4x II or the 2.0x II they seem to be better equipped for AF, but you still may lose some IQ on the shots. The 24-105 is a great lens, but it just isn't a lens to use for soccer even with the extensions. I recommend the 70-200 and if you can get the IS mark I.

Sigma 100-300mm Ex f/4 , for your soccer lens

well soccer is done till spring... i could get a nice zoom lense... im trying to figure out what will work for now...hmmmm

i know the nifty two fifty cant compare to say the 70-200L lens... but since im not a pro.. would the 250 be better as a hobbyist... father? save the extra and get a lower mm to replace my kit lens?? that is where i guess i need to decide....

here is my thining now..

im thinking of adding the 24-105 to my bag now for general photos to replace my kit lens and use the kit lense for the shorter below 24 (35 on crop) ....

then next year add the 100-400 for soccer - will have to be from tax return.

TeleFragger wrote in post #11344217
My Sigma 70-300mm lens is great for the distance of soccer... but I'm not impressed with it, so I want to replace it.

What specifically is the problem with it? The 70-300mm from Sigma is sharper and produces better images than Canon's same-price alternative (Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III). Both are a little soft at the long end of the range, beyond 250mm.

In daylight, both can produce high-quality images.

Are you shooting at night or evening? If so, you'll want a lens that can gather more light, which means a wider aperture like f/2.8 or better. (I found f/2.8 not wide enough for night sports.)

Maybe a 135mm f/2L is in your budget? Can't get much better than that for image quality. But coupled with a 2x teleconverter, which would give you a nice reach for soccer, it won't be f/2 anymore...

If you went with the Canon (or Sigma) 70-200mm f/2.8, you might see better image quality than your cheap zoom, but not only are you losing reach at the long end, but you're not gaining *that* much light.

And I think Canon's 200mm f/2.0L is out of your budget range.

saintseminole wrote in post #11348739
What specifically is the problem with it? The 70-300mm from Sigma is sharper and produces better images than Canon's same-price alternative (Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III). Both are a little soft at the long end of the range, beyond 250mm.

well i have been using my 70-300 for soccer... and i like the reach. but the pics are soft.. maybe just me? im trying to learn how to use the camera.. let alone i havent dabbled into the editing photos to bring in sharpness yet...

here is my lens..
took a while to find it..
when i googled 70-300... i found DG, DL and APO.. but each of those lenses have the markings on them... but i finally found mine as it doesnt say anything other than 70-300...

here it states it is a DG
http://www.microglobe.​co.uk …0300mm-f456-dg-macro-lens

so it is a 4-5.6....
now on a side note...

im more looking for replacing my kit lens.. i borrowed my neighbors tamron 18-50 or something like that.. all in all it grabbed nicer pics over my kit lens..

so trying to find a nice range.. i was recommended by a guy at work to get the 24-105.. figuring that would get my kit lens replaced (but kept for if by chance i needed that 15-23 range...)

am i on the right track? i know just dumping money into this doesnt make better pics.. but im just trying to gather the minimum lenses to get me where I can learn on and progress with my pics.....

here is where i placed one of my sigma pics...
https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=925206