Need help with Camera and Lens suggestion...

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Bowhuntr11

[H]F Junkie
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Sep 18, 2006
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Alright I think I am going to go with a Canon Rebel...not sure which one yet...and really the only reason is because thats about the only type of camera I have used before and am kinda used to it...

I am in no way a professional but would like to start getting better...

My first use though is for football games...My whole family works in football some way...so I would like to start taking some good pictures from the sidelines...I would love to be able to zoom in to a players face...What camera/lens would I need to reach out that far with good quality? I mean it would be an average of 40-50 yards away usually?

I am trying to stay under $700 for the whole setup...Is it possible? I am sure you will need more information, so just let me know...
 
Rebel XSi + 55-250 lens could be a good combo if you're able to move about the sidelines fairly easily. You'd have a harder time getting players faces, but you'd be in the ballpark for a $700 budget.
 
You are not really going to be able to get a much longer lens then that at that kind of budget.
 
What would I need and how much more? Just to see if I can pull a little more...
 
You could probably get a 300mm lens at a pretty decent price (Sorry not really familiar with canon's lens lineup)


Otherwise you would have to jump up to 400 or 500mm which would run you around $1000 for just the lens (Sigma makes a 50-500mm at around this price that gets some decent reviews)

But yeah 40-50 yards away is kind of far so if you wanted to get in close to their faces id think you would need a pretty long lens.
 
If you have a spare $120K, then you can get a used one of these, :)
http://valiovidiu.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/canon-ef-1200mm-f5-6-l-usm_03.jpg

You can rent lenses, this way you can try a lens before you decide to purchase, or just rent when you need a lens for an event.
http://www.lensrentals.com/for-canon

Of the cheaper zoom lenses I've use, the Canon 70-300is and the Tamron 28-300, the Tamron was sharper and more versatile since it did the wide to telephoto. the Canon had Image Stabilization but the pictures were so soft with or without the IS. these were the older models, about 8 years ago.
 
fugu said:
Rebel XSi + 55-250 lens could be a good combo if you're able to move about the sidelines fairly easily. You'd have a harder time getting players faces, but you'd be in the ballpark for a $700 budget.
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I second this. I actually have this. I bought the XSi + 18-55mm kit, and purchased the 55-250 lens separate. If I remember correctly, stay away from the 70-300mm lens. it is cheaper, but the 55-250mm gives superior images.

I'd also suggest a mono-pod (like a tri-pod, only one leg. helps keep steady.)

What would I need and how much more? Just to see if I can pull a little more...
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don't bother at this point. The 55-250mm lens for ~$275 is about it for 'zoom' lenses in this range. after that, it jumps up significantly.

Sounds like you might want to do some more research. you could calculate the length of the lens to capture an area the size of a face from 'x' feet away, but when you see the lens cost x3 your budget, you may just want to do with something more simple for now.

I HIGHLY suggest reading a book or two. I like:
The Betterphoto Guide to Digital Photography http://www.amazon.com/Betterphoto-G...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274936486&sr=8-1
The Digital Photography Book http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Photography-Book-Scott-Kelby/dp/032147404X/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b


unfortunately, taking great pictures has much less to do with the equipment than the technique. Buy this inexpensive camera ($700 is inexpensive), and play, and learn.

Last point, if you want to take pictures of faces like those shown in SI, without years of experience, and tens of thousands of dollars spent, I'd stop now.
 
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If you planning on going with Canon go here and ask the same question.... www.photography-on-the.net Great community and very helpful. You may even be able to pick up a slightly used XSi for cheap to allow you to spend more on the lens. I definitely second the 55-250 IS which should get you pretty close. If you can stand getting used equipment I might suggest picking up an older Canon 100-300mm lens with a good monopod. You can find the 100-300 on ebay for around $100 and if you shoot at f/8 with decent ISO the monopod should help with the clarity/sharpness of the images, plus you get the extra reach (250*1.6= 400mm v. 300*1.6=480mm effective range at max). With something like that 100-300 you could also invest in a good teleconverter that will give you some extra distance but note you will lose atleast 1 stop.
 
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55-250IS very good image quality for the price. Also IS, IMO, is a requirement if you want to be shooting at 250mm on a crop. I'd really check this lens out first because really, the next step is a huge jump in price. You should be 100% you need more before dropping the money. One good thing with cameras is if you end up wanting something else, you can recover most of the cost selling lenses used.

Other than reach the other thing you might end up wanting is something faster... depending on lighting and amount of movement, it might be difficult to get the shots u want at f/5.6.

Anyways yeah I agree with whoever else said POTN, check out samples for an idea:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=459569

THey allso have a sports subforum to see what people use.
 
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gregnash said:
If you planning on going with Canon go here and ask the same question.... www.photography-on-the.net Great community and very helpful. You may even be able to pick up a slightly used XSi for cheap to allow you to spend more on the lens. I definitely second the 55-250 IS which should get you pretty close. If you can stand getting used equipment I might suggest picking up an older Canon 100-300mm lens with a good monopod. You can find the 100-300 on ebay for around $100 and if you shoot at f/8 with decent ISO the monopod should help with the clarity/sharpness of the images, plus you get the extra reach (250*1.6= 400mm v. 300*1.6=480mm effective range at max). With something like that 100-300 you could also invest in a good teleconverter that will give you some extra distance but note you will lose atleast 1 stop.
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I second the recommendations for an Xsi. The 100-300 is a better sports lens than the 55-250 because it has slightly longer reach, but more importantly, focuses much faster. It does not have IS, but that is of little use for sports anyway. You should be able to get some excellent shots with this combo and a little practice.

Both of those lenses are slow (have an f5.6 minimum aperture at the long end). While the 100-300 will work with a teleconverter, it's effective aperture will be f8 and it will hunt for focus in all but the best light.
 
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Is that POTN has already been suggested but also try FM. You can find some great deals on there if you look.
 
Thanks guys...

Right now I am looking at getting the XSi and both lenses (55-250 and 100-300) ...I think I can pull it together...

botw said:
Both of those lenses are slow (have an f5.6 minimum aperture at the long end). While the 100-300 will work with a teleconverter, it's effective aperture will be f8 and it will hunt for focus in all but the best light.
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I was ready POTN, and they said the minimum need for an outdoor game would probably be f/4.6....So would the 100-300 really not be good then?
 
No real need to get both lenses unless you just plan on trying both and unloading the one you like less. They cover the same range for all practical purposes.

No - you can take fine outdoor shots with f5.6, but you will struggle to maintain faster shutter speeds in poor light. You can get some real gear-head ninnies on POTN and FM (I frequent both) who will always try to upsell you. It's like the folks on here who talk down anything but the fastest graphics card or CPU. The only other alternative is the Canon 70-200 f4L (non-is) but that will set you back 500-550 used. It's a better lens than the two mentioned (better optics, build and faster focusing than the 55-250), but has a shorter focal length and is more than twice as expensive, bigger and white. It's only a stop faster. That can make a real difference, but it's not as dramatic as all that. The bottom line is that you aren't going to get a 2.8 telephoto for anything near your budget so stick with one of the two lenses that have been recommended and enjoy.
 
I wasn't planning on buying anything for a couple weeks but I bought the 55-250 today because Fry's had it on sale for $149.99!!! Crazy good, so I went to the sears first next door to fry's and got the price match + 10% so I got it out the door for $145 including tax!

So now I have to go buy the camera...just looking at the lens for 10 minutes has got me wanting to go buy it...so I think I am going to go price match the fry's price on the XSi at sears again and get it for about $580 out the door...which I think is a decent price since the cheapest one I could find online new was for $560 shipped...and plus sears has the warranty and stuff so good deal imo hopefully.
 
havent read too much of the thread but saw something about sigma, dont get their lenses, especially not the cheap ones...
 
P!rate said:
havent read too much of the thread but saw something about sigma, dont get their lenses, especially not the cheap ones...
Click to expand...

Sigma makes some very fine lenses. They make some duds too, but such broad generalizations aren't terribly helpful.
 
WOW nice price on the nifty two fifty (nickname for the 55-250)... Now just get yourself a body and start shooting. Might even want to check the local craigslist list to see if you can pick something used up cheap from someone trying to offload. Again, I got my Canon 20D in good condition with only 700 actuations on it about 2yrs ago for $300 and would go with that over an XSi but that is my preference.
 
Screw that, get the Pentax K-x kit with the 18-55mm and 70-300mm lenses for $700. Its the best camera on the market in the price range for high ISO and IQ. Can't beat it. Check out reviews on dpreview, it bests the D90 and T1i in the majority of tests. Pretty amazing starter DSLR.
 
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