aquarian_light - you have much to learn young grasshopper, but your base of knowledge is growing.
It is rare that you can have a flash set-up like you stated - very rare.
safyre said:
Topic is getting a little out of hand.Simple answer: Fast Telephoto lens (70-200mm f2.8) is THE standard for Basketball Games on all levels, NBA, College, etc. When I photographed sports in college, this was the #1 lens followed by a 200mm f/2 or 24-70mm 2.8 on a second body.
You need fast lenses because you need atleast 1/500th shutter speed to freeze action. Since these are indoors with low light, having a larger aperture is essential so you can keep you shutter speeds high while maintaining lower ISO (less noise).
Regarding price:
If you can't afford the newer 70-200mm 2.8 VR2, here's some less expensive alternatives that are good for indoor sports (with the going rate for used):
70-200mm 2.8 VR1 ($1300)
80-200mm 2.8 AF-D ($800)
85mm mm f/1.8 AF-D ($350)I would not recommend any slower lenses for indoor sports unless you want super grainy photos (by using very high ISO to compensate for the lower aperture). Even with 2.8, I still had to go up to 3200-6400 ISO to get the right balance of shutter speed and exposure.
+1 on getting way off the mark.
I often wondered what good a 200mm f/2 until I shot a basketball game. If that is what you did for a living, that would be a great tool to have in the bag.
Has anyone used the new 85mm f1.8g for Basket ball or other sports and can speak to the AF performance (lock and tracking) on any body?
How about the Sigma 85mm 1.4?
I used the 85mm D version and it did well but was never as good as my 70-200.
I'm trying to line out my purchases/upgrades/budget for next year any experience towards using those with indoor sports would be welcome.
