Affordable super zoom for outdoor sports?

Assuming it is a sunny, well-lit day, what is considered an affordable non-prime super zoom (100-500 region) that can dependably freeze action? I've seen the Bigmos, but was wondering if there were other lenses with possibly larger apertures for the same price region. I have a feeling that wouldn't be fast enough for outdoor sports with faster action (volleyball, soccer, skatepark, basketball).

This would be a complement, or even a replacement if good enough, for my 55-250mm lens. It will obviously also double-duty as a wildlife lens.

I'm not sure what your price range is but sigma makes a 120-300mm 2.8 lens which seems to run about $1500 used if I'm not mistaken.

The lens doesn't freeze action, the shutter speed does. Although a larger maximum f/ratio will help you get to a faster shutter speed for a given lighting.

All of the long zooms (beyond 300mm) are at best f/5.6 lenses (other than the $35,000 Sigma 200-500/2.8 zoom that weighs 30 pounds).

Your choices really are the 100-400L, the 50-500 and the 150-500 for zooms in this range. You could also think about the Sigma 120-300/2.8 and use it with a TC. This gets you to 420mm @ f/4. This lens is about $2700 new last time I checked. The f/5.6 options are all a lot less than that.

The Sigma 120-300 f/2.8 with a TC is a poor combination. It's definitely not Canon L-glass quality.

Fligi7 wrote in post #11430601
Assuming it is a sunny, well-lit day, what is considered an affordable non-prime super zoom (100-500 region) that can dependably freeze action?

Depends on your definition of "affordable."

In the US $500 price range, there's the Tokina 80-400mm lens.

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JeffreyG wrote in post #11430959
The lens doesn't freeze action, the shutter speed does. Although a larger maximum f/ratio will help you get to a faster shutter speed for a given lighting.

What? I thought it shot a ray of frozen ice out of it and onto the subject!

I know a lens itself doesn't freeze action. I was operating on the implicit statement that I wanted a lens with as large of an aperture as possible.

JeffreyG wrote in post #11430959
All of the long zooms (beyond 300mm) are at best f/5.6 lenses (other than the $35,000 Sigma 200-500/2.8 zoom that weighs 30 pounds).

Your choices really are the 100-400L, the 50-500 and the 150-500 for zooms in this range. You could also think about the Sigma 120-300/2.8 and use it with a TC. This gets you to 420mm @ f/4. This lens is about $2700 new last time I checked. The f/5.6 options are all a lot less than that.

Thanks for the breakdown of options. Considering this would pretty much only be used in outdoor, (hopefully) well-lit situations, I believe a 5.6 lens will do just fine. Both of the sigma's interest me.