Mondolinni Loc: Long Island, New York

Hello Folks. I'm looking to purchase a 70-200 f2.8 lens to use with my D500 in order to get my G-Kids basketball games photographed.
obviously there is a price difference between Nikon and other brands out there.
If anyone can offer some advice from experience with this lens, I would greatly appreciate your opinions.
I don't currently own any zoom glass suited for indoor school gym lighting.

Thanks, much appreciated.
Frank

krl48 Loc: NY, PA now SC

You might want to post this question in the Sports Photography section. The shooters there will give you excellent advice.

Sidwalkastronomy Loc: New Jersey Shore

I tried the other day to shoot high school hoops. VERY DIFFICULT.
Make sure to change your white balance to the right lighting, probably fluorescent. I had to crank up iso to get a shutter speed to stop action. Focus also difficult as these players move and auto focus can pick up others in the way. I used single point to try to focus on my cousins kid.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

The Tamron lens is a great bargain. I've never seen an image from the lens (Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2) that wasn't excellent.

CliffMcKenzie Loc: Lake Athens Texas

The 70-200 f/2.8 is a member of the Holy Trinity of Nikon lens and is worth the investment. It is great for low light situations such as basketball gyms and indoor rodeos. Since it will be on D500 (crop sensor) you will actually be shooting at what will appear to be a closer zoom (research full frame lens on crop sensor cameras). I mention this as you might try (rent) the 24-70 f/2.8. At the end of any year, this lens is used more often than any other in my collection. It is also lighter in total weight, easier to shoot in the odd environment like a gym and has an overall less foot print. If you really want to be happy…get them both, but it is a large investment.

rcorne001 Loc: Cary, NC

Must give a rousing second to this. I used the Tamron 70-200 f2.8 for years including the entire time I had my D500. My only reason for getting rid of it was along with my desire to move to the mirrorless cameras I picked up a bad case of G.A.S. and decided to switch to the matching Z mount. It is a great lens.

Their 24-70 f2.8 is equally excellent. Depending upon where I was set up, I would use either with no concerns. Under the basket it was the 24-70. From the corners or side, the 70-200.

It can take some acclimation as you will have a lot of bodies in the same spot. Not to mention referees who seemed to be well versed in how to get in line of view! Expect throw aways and use that burst mode!

Mostly have some fun!

Mondolinni Loc: Long Island, New York

Thanks for that suggestion; I just did that.

Mondolinni Loc: Long Island, New York

Thanks for the input and suggestions ! ! !!

Mondolinni Loc: Long Island, New York

I will be renting the Tamron this weekend.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

70-200 is a good range for indoor sports. f/2.8 is probably not useful because it will give you short DOF so the probability of OOF shots is increased (if your focus point is not right on the chosen subject). Use the highest ISO compatible with the image quality you want for best shutter speeds. You might consider Topaz DeNoise for postprocessing since that allows you to mitigate noisy images. Note that DeNoise allows you to adjust the level of noise reduction and you will want to experiment a bit. Too much noise reduction can lead to plastic-looking faces.

I kind of doubt that you will have access to under the basket locations for shooting. You're probably going to be in the stands.

I have the Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 and it's probably my second most-used lens behind the 24-70 f/2.8. I have no experience with the Tamron or any other brand. The Nikon 70-200 f/4 is another possibility, a bit lighter (but, again, I have no experience with it).

If your G-kids get into outdoor sports, the 200-500 is your next step up.

PS: the 70-200 range is good for things other than sports, too, even indoors occasionally. In large indoor areas I even use my 200-500 at times.

rcorne001 Loc: Cary, NC

I would respectfully disagree with this position. If shooting sports, you generally WANT the shallow DOF so you isolate your subject. Yes, you will get OOF images due to the quick, erratic movement of the player(s). But that is part of the expectation when shooting sports.

ELNikkor

So many dramatic shots can be made from behind the basket, if you are allowed to go there, but from that location, you are better off with a wide-angle lens. From the sidelines across the court, 55mm was enough. I took many memorable shots of my son using a D5100 and the 18-55 standard zoom, never needed my telephoto.

mikeroetex Loc: Lafayette, LA

. You may find a 70-200 is too much range in that D500. I’ve had good results with a 24-120 f4 when I owned a D500 that’s less expensive. In really bad gym lighting, the 24-70 f2.8 would easier, but with good positioning on the baseline a 50mm 1.8 might be all you need and also can be bought refurbished fairly cheap.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

The 70-200 VRII was a very good lens. If you buy from Ebay you get 30 days to make sure you get a good one.
Here are several to choose from. Make sure you get the box, hood, and bag if you can.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1311&_nkw=nikon+70-200+2.8+vr+ii&_sacat=0

coolhanduke Loc: Redondo Beach, CA

I used the lens to photograph an indoor girls soccer tournament.
Excellent lens for the event.
However, it is rather heavy and by the end of the event, I was exhausted following the subjects.
Put out an ISO on here. I just recently found a lens I was looking for one on here that was not listed. In fact, 2 surfaced.
Also check eBay or the top camera resellers.