EOS Canon Rebel XTi

[Swildcat1967]

You guys won't be disappointed when you get the 70-200 2.8 , I love mine, and was lucky enough to find one used for a great price! Mine is non IS, but still a great lens. My next lens will be the 85mm 1.8 or 1.4 for basketball season. Of course my dream lenses would be either a 300mm 2.8 or in my really great dreams a 400 2.8 but those two are priced way out of my range. Maybe someday!!! How do you guys like the xti? I have a 30D and while the pixils are lower I love it! I am still learning though as I made a huge jump from a fujifilm 3800 point and shoot 3.1 pixil to the 30D just before football season! Talk about learning on the go! (oh and one thing use manual not the sports setting anytime in my opinion)

Edited April 2, 2007 by Swildcat1967

[CoachT]

You guys won't be disappointed when you get the 70-200 2.8 , I love mine, and was lucky enough to find one used for a great price! Mine is non IS, but still a great lens. My next lens will be the 85mm 1.8 or 1.4 for basketball season. Of course my dream lenses would be either a 300mm 2.8 or in my really great dreams a 400 2.8 but those two are priced way out of my range. Maybe someday!!! How do you guys like the xti? I have a 30D and while the pixils are lower I love it! I am still learning though as I made a huge jump from a fujifilm 3800 point and shoot 3.1 pixil to the 30D just before football season! Talk about learning on the go! (oh and one thing use manual not the sports setting anytime in my opinion)

What I am looking at is something like Canon Auto Focus -70-210 F2.8 SIGMA APO (82) WITH HOOD, CAPS, 35MM SLR AUTO FOCUS ZOOM TELEPHOTO LENS

 

The 85mm 1.8 is a really nice lens. You can crop and zoom in using software and still get some excellent quality, if you have the light settings right which I still mess up at times.

[swampler]

Has anyone used the 85 f/1.8 for baseball? My 70-300 isn't fast enough for night games, but I'm afraid the 85 won't be long enough. Can't afford the 70-200 f/2.8 for a hobby / part-time newspaper and not sure the 2.8 would be fast enough for night games anyway, though the 2 stops improvement would be better than what I have now.

[score3]

It's horrible for baseball. No zoom at all. Get the 200 mm prime at f/ 2.8 for $650.

 

 

Has anyone used the 85 f/1.8 for baseball? My 70-300 isn't fast enough for night games, but I'm afraid the 85 won't be long enough. Can't afford the 70-200 f/2.8 for a hobby / part-time newspaper and not sure the 2.8 would be fast enough for night games anyway, though the 2 stops improvement would be better than what I have now.

[swampler]

It's horrible for baseball. No zoom at all. Get the 200 mm prime at f/ 2.8 for $650.

Ouch! I could get the Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 for less than $200 more.

 

I was afraid the 85 would be too short though.

[score3]

Not trying to sway you either way, but I've read bad things on the internet about Sigma. If you purchase it and something goes wrong (which from what I've read, something will go wrong), be prepared for absolutely no customer service. This is just what I've read more than once.

[swampler]

Not trying to sway you either way, but I've read bad things on the internet about Sigma. If you purchase it and something goes wrong (which from what I've read, something will go wrong), be prepared for absolutely no customer service. This is just what I've read more than once.

I'm not too enthused about Sigma either. I heard Tamron is coming out with one, but not sure when or how much it will be. My 24-135 Tamron is excellent.

[kiwidad]

I envy you with that lens. That is a great lens. I have a Rebel XT and am using an 18mm-55mm F3.5-5.6 lens for basketball. My next lens will be either the 85mm or the 50mm 1.4 I believe. I had a professional photographer give me some tips. If you get a chance try this. Put your camera on AV Apeture Priority. Put your F stop as big as you want it. F1.8 in a gym. and let the camera determine the shutterspeed. You will always have the correct shutterspeed. In certain situations you may not like the shutter speed but it will be correct. Frankly with a F1.8 lens you will probably never have a problem. Also with that lens you should be able to lower your ISO to about 400 and still stop the action. Every ISO you go higher is like 2 F stops. But you also add noise (grain) to the picture. I also make my files large but not RAW. You can create some really nice shots by cropping and resizing the picture.

 

Auto generally doesnt do exceptionally well especially with some of the bright uniforms the players wear. your success will vary! You will find better success going to full manual and using the histogram to tweak the exposure after a few test shots.

 

I hate to diagree but you will not be able to shoot at asa 400 in the majority of high school gyms (the exception will be the ones using the fluorescents) even with a f1.8 lens. And you are going to quickly discover the problems of depth of field with an f1.8 lens wide open. I typically shoot with a 85 f1.8 lens on a nikon and find with so little depth of field at f1.8 I get better results at f 2.8 or 2.5. Typical gym in middle TN is approx 1/320th at f2.5 with an iso equiv of 1600. This is a little low to freeze all the action (hands/feet) but its good enough to get decent pictures.

 

If you shoot from a corner the 85 is almost a perfect focal length for action in the paint. If you want to shoot up the floor an 80-200 f2.8 zoom works well, VR or IS lenses are handy here but a monopod works just as well if you are on a budget. If you want to shoot behind the basket just outside the lane a 50 f1.8 works very well. I have a 35-70 f2.8 which works well under the basket with my back to the wall.

[score3]

I have a 35-70 f2.8 which works well under the basket with my back to the wall.

 

No flash?

[Swildcat1967]

If anyone is thinking about a sigma zoom, they have I believe the only 2.8 120 - 300mm zoom lens . While I haven't used one, I have heard both good and bad things about them. I also know someone through flickr, that I value their opinion very much, and they use it and like it alot! I would love to try one sometime, as they are much much cheaper than a canon 300mm 2.8. I know it could never be as good as my dream lens, but I have seen some nice photos with it.

[kiwidad]

No flash?

 

no flash!

 

I shoot natural light. Modern digital cameras and high iso equiv sensitivity with fast lenses enable good photography without a flash. There are a handful of gyms I shoot in which make you work hard to get good shots but it can be done....

 

I was a Riverdale high to day and they have those fluorescent panels.. can you spell BRIGHT? very nicely lit gym and a pleasure to shoot in.