Help choosing lens for track day.

zorbo

zorbo

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I hope this is ok because im asking a question for a friend . He has two sons and bothe are into motorcycle racing. One is into track and circuits ,the other is into scrambling etc.
As he has no pc (broken) and im not into sport i said i would ask this question for him.
Ok he is new to photography and has bought a canon 550d. Too light for my way of thinking ,but it was his choice. Anyway he wants to get into photographing track/bikes etc
He is a learner and is looking for a lens suitable for track days etc.In the uk only. He isnt well off but not skint either ,so is looking for a lens for his canon body .
He has a 28-135 and now he wants something with a bit more reach for the track that wont break the bank.
Hope you can give me some advise that i can pass on to him. Thanks for your time. Regards.
 
It's all relative, there's a few threads on the topic of lenses for Motorsport already to get some more advice. The sigma 100-300 f4 is a good all rounder and can be had for between 400-500 quid used. That is the best cost/length lens for most circuits... If that's too much then you're in the territory of either sacrificing reach or optical quality. Hope that's beneficial :)
 
I owned the Sigma 100-300 F4 did not use for motorsports but the quality vs price is outstanding. You won't go far wrong with that lens.
 
it all depends how far he is from the action. but i would look at 100-400L
 
I have a 70-200 f4, which is sometimes not long enough, I borrowed a 70-200 f2.8 with 2x extender which wasn't too bad, was bit heavy. Going to Brands for BTCC end of month, so going to rent a 100-400 and see what that's like, just experimenting at moment.
 
100-400 is a popular choice, but it's expensive.. 700-900 pounds used and in all honesty is not that much better if at all than the Sigma in terms of IQ. You pay for the IS and in reality it's not worth it for Motorsport where a 20 quid monopod will do a much better job.

While 400mm is useful at Silverstone and Donington it's largely overkill for the rest of the UK circuits, especially for someone who's goal is shooting a few track days.

Teleconverters are hit and miss with low range telephoto lenses as they reduce the AF speed, degrade IQ and reduce the amount of available light. This becomes less of an issue with top flight bodies and fast glass but in the range of f4+ lenses and a 550d they will struggle if not yet experienced with how to drag the best out of the equipment.

You can in some situations spend your way out of problems, but for the average person practice will see a much better return on any investment.

Sorry to go on so :) if you could ball park your friends budget it would help as the focal range for track photography spans from £200-10000 as he has a 550d I guessed 400 quid would be reasonable
 
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how close is he? on a tight budget 55-250mm is great
after that I'd look at the sigma options, 2nd hand. 50-500, 150-500
 
Thanks very much for all your advise i will pass it on to him. I used to own a 100-400 and i did suggest this lens to him taking into consideration of the re-sale price also,
But he thought it was a lot of money for just odd days at the track. As he is only just getting into photography i had to agree with him.
Another point is that the 550d seems rather more suited to smaller lens (just my thoughts) and he would have to be very careful using a big lens with that body.
He has told me he has a 75-300 ,so my advise is to get some practise in and just use what he has till he gets more experience.
Thanks again for all your help and ill relay this to him.
 
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