Rex Photography

what is the best lens for sports photography using canon?

Public Comments

1. I do a lot of sports with both my Canon 5D and 20D...my favorite lens is the Sigma 50-500mm zoom (nicknamed the "Bigma" for its large zoom range). The long reach is terrific, you have the shorter focal lengths when you need them without changing lenses, and optical quality is very, very good. The only downside to the Bigma is that it's not the best for night-time sports, with a maximum aperture of f/4.5. For night-time shooting I usually pull out the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS lens -- nice big f/2.8 maximum aperture plus image stabilization helps in poorly-lit stadiums and arenas. The downside is that it only goes to 200mm, so you need to be closer in. Hope that helps!
2. Yep, I can second WellTraveledProg. For an extra twist, instead of the Bigma AND the 70-200, you could ´make do´ with the 70-200 plus a teleconverter. The Bigma costs $1000 The 70-200 costs $1100
3. What sports are you shooting? I shoot ice hockey and soccer. My two favorite lenses are my Canon 70-200 mm f/2.8 L and Canon 300 mm f/4 L. I've shot with non-Canon lenses, but the Canon lenses work better with the Canon bodies. I think they focus faster and offer better image quality, but they are more expensive. For soccer sometimes I wish I had more reach at the far end (like the Canon 100-400 L), but since most of the matches I shoot are at night, that lens doesn't open wide enough for me. And the 400 mm prime is WAY out of my budget! Think about how far of a reach you need and whether you can sacrifice the f-stops. That will help you make your decision.