Camera Labs

I just cant keep up!!

Unitil recently I shot youth football( soccer that is - not the version played by men with odd shaped balls;)) with a basic Olympus E420 and a 70-300 lens. Results were fine. One month ago purchased Canon 7d with 50-250 and results are good. Now been tempted with an offer to shoot first team action and used 50-250 for first shoot. Results still good but plan to get faster lens.

In terms of budget I can afford either Canon 70-200 f4 (c£500) or Sigma 70-200 f2.8 (c£650). I may also add 1.4x and/or 2x.

Comments/advise would be appreciated.

PS
This Action/Sports/Aviation Forum is the business!!

Not experienced with either, but I would comment that if you find yourself needing to use a 2x converter, you're better off with a f/2.8 lens as that will retain AF capability where the f/4 wont.

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Canon DSLRs: 7D, 5D2, 1D, 600D, 450D full spectrum, 300D IR mod
Lenses: EF 35/2, 50/1.8, 85/1.8, 135/2+SF, 28-80 V, 70-300L, 100-400L, TS-E 24/3.5L, MP-E 65, EF-S 15-85 IS
3rd party: Zeiss 2/50 makro, Samyang 8mm fisheye, Sigma 150 macro, 120-300 f/2.8 OS, Celestron 1325/13
Tinies: Sony HX9V.

Well, since you're OK with f4 but you'd like more reach, I would say save up for option c) Sigma 100-300mm. If that's absolutely out of the question, since your other two choices cover the same focal length range (actually less) as your current 50-250mm, I would say go for the largest aperture difference. i.e. Sigma f2.8

Mark

If you can afford the Canon 2.8 then I'd say go for it. I have the EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS (not MkII) and it's great.

If you want something a lot lighter and can live without the extra 2/3 stop, get the f/4 IS.

don't recommend using the 1.4x converter with either lens. If you want to do that, get a prime. Just MHO.

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EOS 7D + grip, EOS 40D + grip, EOS 10D + grip
EF-S 10-22mm f:3.5-4.5, EF 17-40mm f:4L, EF-S 60mm f:2.8 Macro, EF 70-200mm f:2.8L IS, EF 300mm f:2.8L, EF 500mm f:4L IS, EF 1.4x Converter II
2x Speedlite 550EX
Manfrotto 190XPROB

The 70-200mm sigma HSM II is very fast when it comes to AF speed. I would get that and a 1.4 TC if I were you. Or the 150-500/50-500 sigma (not very fast though)

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D7000,Sigma 70-200mm hsm ii, 18-135mm af-s, 35mm 1.8 af-s,85mm af-s VR II macro, sigma 10-20mm 4-5.6, 500mm f8 off brand, sb600

I use both the sigma 70-200 2.8, and sigma 100-300 f4 to shoot my kids playing rugby league, actually I haven't used the 300 with the kids games yet as I purchased it just after the end of the season, but I did hire a sigma 120-300 2.8 a couple of times, and for me 300mm was enough, the 200 was great with the youngest son as they were still on the half fields, but it was a bit short with my eldest as they were playing on full fields, 2.8 does come in handy when the light gets low/bad, but f4 was still OK, that's why I sold my 100-400 and bought the 100-300, for me, the extra stop was worth more than IS and an extra 100mm.