Beginner Help Selecting a Camera for sports

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Andrewb94

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Hi all,

Im looking to get into photography. I will be mainly photographing sports like whitewater kayaking and mountain biking and also some landscapes as I do a fair bit of hill walking. At the moment I currently use 2 go pros for capturing all my video stuff so I would like to have a proper camera to use alongside these, but also one that is capable of recording video too.

I have currently been looking at a canon 7d mk ii with the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II usm lens + the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L II usm lens.

Would this camera combined with both these lens cover the areas I'm looking to photograph. Im not to clued up on the ins and outs of everything yet but I'm hoping to learn everything. Ive also done some research and tamron also make their own variations of both the above lens' for a fraction of the price. Is there any pros/cons to buying the cheaper lens?

any help would be appreciated.
 
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Welcome to TP :)

That's not a bad starter outfit you've spec'd there :thumbs: at least on the stills side. I'm not really qualified to comment on the video side, other than I know it's reckoned to be pretty good. Canon 7D2 is just the job for your interests (unless you want to quadruple the budget) but don't jump so fast with the lenses. There are lots of options, but the main thing is to get the focal lengths right and 24-70 is probably not wide enough for landscapes on a 7D2 (there's the 1.6x crop factor to consider) and something like the Canon 17-55/2.8 IS would be better. Or 17-85, or... and so it goes on.

Then you probably won't know how much reach you need on the telezoom front until you've tried it. You may want longer, such as the Canon 70-300 L or 100-400 L. Think carefully to avoid expensive mistakes. Or maybe just get a Tamron 70-300 VC meanwhile, which is a very good lens for not much money, try that to see exactly what range you need, then upgrade. It's not weather-resistant though, that might be important.

And I think you know this but I'll say it anyway. Long lens photography of action-type subjects takes a fair amount of skill. Regardless of the camera, this is not just point and press - you will need to at least master the basics of photo technique and have lots of practise to get the best from this very capable equipment.
 
The 100-400 mark 2 is a cracking lens. Worth a look if you have the budget. Great for compressing landscapes too.
 
Good choice of gear to start with. 24-70 is a great lens but as said not wide on a crop body. 17-55 or 15-85 would be better. Both very sharp lens. If you want to take a lens whilst walking look at the 70-300L it is smaller and lighter than the 70-200. I have had both and image quality is excellent on both. Chuck in a Canon 10-18 which is quite cheap you would be covered for everything.
 
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PINNACLE said:
Good choice of gear to start with. 24-70 is a great lens but as said not wide on a crop body. 15-55 or 15-85 would be better. Both very sharp lens.
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Agreed. Fab as it might be, a 24-70 would probably not be wide enough for landscapes on a crop body. Back in my Canon days I had a 15-85 IS and whilst it might not be a constant aperture lens, it was very sharp and punched above its weight IMHO.
 
Thanks for the help so far.

I understand that it's not going to be a case of point and shoot with this setup. I'm keen to learn and understand that it will be a bit of a learning curve to start with.

Is there any other accessories I should potentially consider too?

Also could anyone point me in the direction of some good sources of information that I can read up on to be able to understand the pros and cons to selecting different iso's and aperture settings etc.
 
Andrewb94 said:
Thanks for the help so far.

I understand that it's not going to be a case of point and shoot with this setup. I'm keen to learn and understand that it will be a bit of a learning curve to start with.

Is there any other accessories I should potentially consider too?

Also could anyone point me in the direction of some good sources of information that I can read up on to be able to understand the pros and cons to selecting different iso's and aperture settings etc.
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For a run through the basics, this tutorial by our very own Pookeyhead is a good place to start https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/t...ure-theory-but-were-afraid-to-ask-101.440126/

You're jumping ahead on the equipment front again. Start with the camera and standard-range zoom - that's the lens you'll be using most, overall, and it's important to get that right and be properly familiar with all it can do. Then you'll know what it can't do and be ready to move in the right direction. Only buy one extra item at a time, as when you add to an outfit there are knock-on effects that affect the next purchase.

For the future, think about a flash gun, or two, and a monopod - for what I imagine you'll be wanting to do, I'd be using both of those things a lot, though it has to be said flash and action subjects can be quite tricky. It sounds like you'll enjoy the learning and the challenge though :) A tripod is always a good plan, maybe some filters for landscaping, post processing software (eg Lightroom). Memory cards and a spare battery, shoulder bag or backpack, etc etc. You'll not be short of things to spend large amounts of money on :D
 
Ive been using the Tamron 150-600mm, its currently £200 cheaper on eBay than elsewhere, as a pro its worked very good, especially on my FX bodies where I simply up the ISO - Hope this helps.
 
Looking at their team photos, they seem only to employ good looking young people with foreign names. I suspect that they are a grey importer, so this 7D2 won't have a uk warranty and possibly not even a uk plug. You may also find the menu system is in Chinese. Recommendation - steer clear. If you are ok buying grey and many are then check out Digitalrev (they are in this site), or Panamoz who both are reliable.
 
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