Lens for American Football Photography

MJ Stebbings

MJ Stebbings

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This is probably a little unusual in this country.

I am helping out a mate who runs the local American Football team. Its more like your Sunday Morning football kinda thing with parents/friends standing around the sidelines, its not like its a major thing.

So, my questions is what would be an ideal lens for shooting something like this? I have the tamron 70-200 but i feel the focus wont be fast enough and that 200 might be a little short? I will look at maybe hiring a lens from Lenses for Hire as i want the best possible pictures i can get.

Mike
 
Cheap option - Canon 70-300mm IS
Expensive option #1 - Canon 100-400mm L
Expensive option #2 - Canon 300mm F/4L IS
Really Expensive option - Canon 300mm F/2.8L IS
Even More Expensive option - Canon 400mm F/2.8L IS

As you are considering hiring, the Canon 300mm F/2.8L IS will be the best "sports lens" for a crop sensor. Pin sharp, lightening focus, not too massive.

If you prefer a zoom range the 100-400 is a great lens, but you will need decent light because it is not very fast.
 
The long primes will be far too restrictive, sure at the point you find something at the space you have framed it will be a cracker (and maybe this is enough for a single shot for a newspaper), but I really wouldn't bother - zoom all the way for your amateur use.

You are probably right about 70-200 being too short on your APS-H body, so either punt for the 70-300 IS (cheap) or the 100-400 IS (not so cheap) or if you want to not buy Canon, the Sigma 100-300 f4. I'd avoid the Sigma 120-300 f2.8 as 120mm is starting to push it with the wide end - you won't get any shots up close with that.
 
Thanks Guys

is the 70-300 IS actually any good with regards to focus speed? I may look at selling the Tamron and getting the 70-300 IS before i upgrade to the L series

Mike
 
Presuming your going to a few games.. I would do the first one wiht the 70-200 and then decide..

I did american football and it was dire.. easy the worse sport I ahve covered... hr after hr of talk and lines and it seemed to take forever to move up field.. The onsite tog went with the game.. so a 70-200 from the side would be ample if you go with the game rather than pick a spot..

300/400 is a behind the goals shoot the whole match lens.. but from my experience if you pick the wrong end your twiddling your thumbs for an hr... move to other end and you just know the play will move...

American football is a rare sport where you can ignore the sports tog rule "never chase the game" so go along the sideline and move to where the play is..I reckon 70-200 will do you :)

my first attempt last summer -> http://othersports.fotopic.net/c1717695.html
 
MJ Stebbings said:
is the 70-300 IS actually any good with regards to focus speed?
Click to expand...

Well, its perfectly fast enough to give good reliable results for motorsport, so I think yes is the answer :D

Basically, its the cheapest proper fast focusing tele from Canon
 
Thanks man, thats really cool. I didnt think about the fact that you can move with the play because of all the "downs".
I love american football and i watch is on Sky Sports when the wife lets me :lol:
 
desantnik said:
Well, its perfectly fast enough to give good reliable results for motorsport, so I think yes is the answer :D

Basically, its the cheapest proper fast focusing tele from Canon
Click to expand...

:thumbs:

Now i'm getting a headache :lol:
The extra 100mm would make life easier and if its fast focusing thats always a bonus.
Anyone know how sharp this bad-boy is?
 
I'd probably recommend the fastest focussing lens you can find, while I haven't shot stills, I've filmed American football a fair bit and find it really insanely fast paced in the few seconds that they're actually doing anything!
That and that as the entire aim of the game (as far as I can make out :P ) is to confuse the other team into thinking that basically everyone has the ball, it's a pain in the rear to shoot at all, because that confuses you too!

While it's less reach, if it was a question of 70-300IS vs 70-200 2.8, I think I'd go with the latter, and rely on the crop fairies if I needed to get in a bit. Could always put a 1.4x teleconverter on (say) a sigma 70-200 for about £500 all in second hand... as KIPAX said, you can chase the game pretty easily because they sit around having a mother's meeting for a few minutes between each 10s of play (!)

Enjoy... :P
 
The only American Football game I did, I shot with the 300L f/2.8 and 70-200 on two crop bodies and "ran the lines".

Stay 30yds ahead with the 300 and catch the big tackles and WR running.

Alternatively stay on the scrimmage and use the 70-200 to get the "pop" and QB throws.

I dont have samples as I'm without my hard drive at the moment with everything on...stoopid PC...stoopid motherboard...must buy a mac.
 
itsdavedotnet said:
I've filmed American football a lot and find it really insanely fast paced in the few seconds that they're actually doing anything!
Click to expand...

exactly! you have to be alert as for the most part your bored then a quick spurt of action.

itsdavedotnet said:
That and that as the entire aim of the game (as far as I can make out :P ) is to confuse the other team into thinking that basically everyone has the ball, it's a pain in the rear to shoot at all, because that confuses you too!
Click to expand...

again.. exactly.. dont focus on the guy with the ball when the play starts or you will never get an action shot.. wait until play starts.. try to follow the ball then you need a very quick focus to grab what you can...

hence why i think sideline and move with play.. you wont be running up and down the pitch believe me :) and side on you have more chance of following whats what.. well side and a bit forward to play..

You will have a massive advantage if your a fan of the sport.. I had never seen a game so it was all a bit confusing... you will know whats going to happen :)
 
Haha

The fast focusing is the problem. The 70-200 is a nice lens, pretty damn sharp in spots too, but its focusing is fairly slow compared to everything else, and sadly i have very little cash to play with at the moment so would be wanting to get my moneies worth witha trade if possible
 
MJ Stebbings said:
Anyone know how sharp this bad-boy is?
Click to expand...

As sharp as pretty much anything sub a thousand quid up to about 210mm then it does drop off a little, but given the other choices out there its good enough for sure.

The main difference between this and say a 70-200 2.8 or a 300 2.8 is the constrastyness of the images. Both this lens and the Nikon equivalent produce very contrasty images compared to the really expensive 2.8 glass.

However, bang for buck for outdoors, daytime, sport I don't think you'll find anything better.

If you were doing this for media purposes I'd maybe suggest the more expensive stuff, but for where you are at I think you'll be perfectly happy with the results from this and it won't break the bank.
 
Thanks Mate :)
 
70-200 and move with the game. Each 'down' is a set play. Very hard to know where the ball is. Plenty of off the ball action. Just watch those huge Centers and Guards going at each other. Frenetic bursts of action. It'll really help to have an idea of the way the game is played. It'll look like a mix of Sumo and Chess !
 
Can I come too!! I'm a big NFL fan and would love a crack at shooting the sport. You can have images I take for the team if you like too.

Ryan :)
 
Hey Ryan

I dont see why not bud. As long as i can get the images to pass on to the team.
Just need to sort out my lenses first and wait for the first game.
I'm gunna pop down to their training sessions too for a couple of weeks too, so should be good.

Mike
 
Cheers mate - if you let me know some dates I'll come along.

By the way I've shot sport before - including one FA Cup match so hopefully I'll manage ok ;)
 
Haha, never said you wouldnt buddy.
I have shot Show Jumping and 1 Under 9's football match, so i'm a little out of practice! haha! :D
 
Yeah, to sort the lenses, after i sort the finances :lol:
 
How bizarre - turns out my girlfriend works with one of the lads who plays in the team!! Anthony someone.
 
Randell?
 
Just asked her - no his surname is Amissah. About 20/21 apparently
 
Ahh, was gunna say, i went to school with a guy called Anthony Randell who played for the Saxons last season
 
Hi,

I shot the Staffordshire Surge all of last season, and used a Nikon D90 and the Nikon 70-300 VR (I know you shoot Canon), and found 'that level' of lens to be OK for the subject. So the 70-300 IS if anything like the Nikon should be fine for the cost. I think you don't have to have the latest and greatest lens to achieve good results.

But I agree with some the above comments of trying the 70-200mm you have first, just to see how useful the AF is.

(I do admit for the upcoming season starting in April, I will be getting the Sigma 100-300 f4 - not just for American Football though, and I shall be keeping the Nikon 70-300 VR).

Some galleries are here:

http://www.shaneferguson.co.uk/surge/games/100509/index.html

http://www.shaneferguson.co.uk/surge/games/310509/index.html

http://www.shaneferguson.co.uk/surge/games/240509/index.html

http://www.shaneferguson.co.uk/surge/games/120709/index.html

I found that staying along the sidelines worked best for me, with moving to the endzones when a field goal etc is expected.

I found I had enough time during downs to move to where I thought I'd get the best shot. If you can learn to understand the basics of the game, it helps to anticipate where to be - even the basic rule of having up to 4 attempts (downs) to gain 10 yrds.

Hope this helps.

Have fun.

Shane :-)
 
Me again.

One thing I did find over the coarse of the season is that in American Football - it's not all about following the ball.

Blocking and defending in general is a HUGE part of the game, and the Defensive Line like to be acknowledged as much as the Offensive Line and the people who get the ball into the End Zone.

The D Line will want their pictures taken too. I've had many Defensive players come over to me after the game and ask if I got them blocking a particular play or not, and it's a good feeling for them when the answer is yes.

Coaching staff like my pictures too because I tend to capture the 'whole' game, and not just the touchdowns/catches.

:-)
 
I used to cover the Yeovil Harriers games back in the late 80's using a 80-200 on a film body, cost a fortune in film....
 
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