If you only could take one lens to a game??

GooGaBu

GooGaBu

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I know, silly even to pose such a question - Sports Photographers are all so rich that they can afford to have six bodies and ten lenses at each game ;-)

But - just imagine that you could only take one lens to cover a game, let's make it either football or rugby - and for some unexplained reason you'd only be able to take one camera body (Nikon D4 or Canon 1DX - or similar) to a game and you could only have ONE lens to cover the game.. which one would you take and why?? And so that all the answers won't be Canon/Nikon 200-400mm zoom... this would have to be a lens that you have in your camera bag !

For myself - I would go with the Canon 70-200mm f2.8 (because I shoot Canon). Only due to the fact that 85% of images from footy games that I've got published .. have been shot with this one from celebrations, etc.
My 400mm would be too long for this, and anything shorter than the 70-200 .. would just be too short.
So my choice... 70-200mm f2.8.. fair enough I'd lose all the action from midfield, but mostly those don't see the light of day anyways.

(If I still would own my Sigma 120-300... that would have probably been my choice then)

Interested to hear what others would choose.. and why?!?!
 
For Rugby, gotta be the 400mm f/2.8 VR attached to a FX D3S with a 1.4x converter, prime position would be behind tryline 10 yards in from corner flag, i would choose the corner flag opposite the wing which the attacking teams strike winger would be scoring at, this position gives you full out field coverage and will give you just about full frame coverage of the opposite corner where you hope the winger will score all his tries

For footy it would be the 70-200mm for close in goalmuth action as well as the celes.
 
For Rugby 300mm D3s camera with custom function set for choosing either FX & DX & position much the same as Gary's

For Footy 70-200 with the same camera settings, ok DX is limited to 6mps but enough on most days!
 
I don't shoot sports, but if I did, it would be with the longest lens I have in my bag, which is a Canon 70-300L f/4.

As this would be attached to my EOS 5D Mlll, which is full frame, 300mm maximum it would be, as there is no crop factor for added reach.

Dave
 
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On the basis that it would be to give the highest chance of images being published and therefore make money - I'd go with the 70-200mm for the same reasons as others.

That said for an earlier game/summer game I would consider using it with a D800 to give me a chance of cropping in to a higher degree than with a D3s/D4.

If I was shooting to make good images and not most likely to sell then I'd be on the 400mm.
 
Would have to be 70-200 - its the only one I have :-)
 
For rugby .. the 400 on a FF like the 1dx .. your sat far enough away to capture90% of the action...

For football the 70-200 and 1dx and position myself accordingly..
 
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