ronz Loc: Florida

Looking for suggestion from someone who has shot professionally if possible or someone who sells their photos. What are your choices for indoor horse shows. Shows will be a variety of events. I want to make sure I have all bases covered. Thanks much

dasloaf

I do indoor sporting events and use a 70-200mmF2.8. never did horses but it is an awesome lens for indoor sporting events!

Festina Lente Loc: Florida & Missouri

Not sure how far away you will be when shooting, but I agree that a 70-200mm F2.8 would be a good choice. Bring a wide angle if you think you will get closer.

Fkaufman3 Loc: Florida, LA ie lower Alabama

The 70-200 2.8 is good ESP with low light but if inside ring like my rodeo ex the 70-200 4.0 is lighter and more mobile. I do have a problem with covered arenas during the day and light streaming in on all sides causing back lighting any suggestions?
Frannk

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

If you have Canon, 70-200F4 and crank up the ISO if need be and you have good ISO capabilities.

glojo Loc: South Devon, England

How deep are your pockets and how long is a piece of string? :)

If the 70 - 200mm F2.8 lens has the length to get the images you want then it is very nice piece of equipment. For indoor work where you might be reliant on arena lighting then is it worth considering a prime lens with F2.8 fixed focal length? I have never attended any horsing events but would imagine fast focusing would be a must for those fast moving horses although you have not mentioned it being a requirement.
Good luck with the choice.

Festina Lente Loc: Florida & Missouri

While expensive, ($2,200) the new Canon 70-200mm f2.8 IS II has very fast AF, and really great for action shots (fast lens, fast AF, great image stabilization and it is very sharp.) It has quickly become a highly regarded lens favored by pros and enthusiasts alike.

The Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 IS for Canon is not quite as fast and sharp (nuanced differences really) as Canon's lens but it is less expensive and is a quality lens by any definition. It would be a fine alternate for more frugal pockets.

I think a fixed length lens would really limit what you can get and from where and you will find it to be too restrictive for this kind of venue.

Not knowing how close I could get to the action, I would also bring a wide angle tele with me for some more dramatic shots.

Good luck and we hope to see some of your favorite shots here on UHH.

glojo Loc: South Devon, England

Excellent points and I totally agree with you. The balancing of money vs quality is always going to be a very personal decision. Very fast auto focussing does not come cheap :(

A fixed length prime lens will possibly be quite restrictive and if I could only afford one lens then it would have to be the zoom. A horse is a large beast and with the prime lens will you get all of it into the shot? Would that be what you want?

I am thinking here of just a few of the benefits of the prime vs zoom... If you want the look on the riders face, or the looks of the horse as it launches itself or comes into land after jumping a high fence then the prime will shine :) I guess you pays your money and takes your choices. The 200 zoom will get those images I am describing but a jack of all trades is never going to be a master of any (it will be VERY good though) If it were a choice of only having just one decent lens then I guess it would be the zoom.

I am smiling as I type this as I have a 70 - 200mm 2.8 lens but the 500 prime lives on my camera BUT... I mainly take images of wild birds never no further than 20 metres away but horses.... They're BIG beast :)

ronz Loc: Florida

Thanks everyone, I have all those lens and I'm sure they will be needed. Love my 70-200 f2.8 IS. Been shooting a lot of Motocross and Pro Karts and the shorter lens were perfect. I went to a horse show today to see what this photog was using and she had the 70-200 just as I guessed. Some of the events are inside depending on weather and it is definitely dark. I did find out a remote flash can be used from the seating area in those situations so I'm all set. Have an assistant who will be sitting in the stands handling the remote if we need to be inside. A'int life grand, ha.