Nikon 200-500mm f5.6 zoom Lens: I’m looking to purchase a zoom lens which will give me sufficient reach when photographing my grandkids HS sports. Specifically extra reach when I’m...

pnittoly Loc: Mountainside, New Jersey

I’m looking to purchase a zoom lens which will give me sufficient reach when photographing my grandkids HS sports. Specifically extra reach when I’m confined to the stands at football games. I’m considering the Nikon 200-500mm f5.6zoom lens. Suggestions welcome. Thanks. Paul N.

hj Loc: Florida

Wouldn't that be overkill? Professional photographers appear to be very happy with the 70-200mm and perhaps 300mm lenses for sports. You'll be shooting high school not the super bowl.

ole sarg Loc: south florida

Have you considered asking the school for a field pass? Tell them you will gladly give them a copy of what you shoot.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

hj wrote:

Wouldn't that be overkill? Professional photographers appear to be very happy with the 70-200mm and perhaps 300mm lenses for sports. You'll be shooting high school not the super bowl.

I was reluctant to express the overkill thought and also thought about the lens being too short on the closer shots. The 70-200 works for me on kids basketball and soccer and I can use a 1.4 if I want a little more or if I'm using FF in lieu of the crop camera.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

Any lens, with a maximum aperture of 5.6, is not very useful for sports IMHO. Using such a lens for football under the lights will be near impossible. For football, I use a 400/2.8, in good light I might add a 1.4x TC, AND a 70-200/2.8 on my second camera. As a professional, I shoot from the field. For indoor sports I use a large variety of lenses including the 70-200/2.8 but I also tend to use F1.4 and F1.8 lenses for this purpose. I hope this helps. Best of luck.

Toby

pnittoly wrote:

I’m looking to purchase a zoom lens which will give me sufficient reach when photographing my grandkids HS sports. Specifically extra reach when I’m confined to the stands at football games. I’m considering the Nikon 200-500mm f5.6zoom lens. Suggestions welcome. Thanks. Paul N.

I think that lens would be a mistake if you are talking about night sports. It is not nearly fast enough. I use a 70-200 f2.8 at 3200 ISO which is often barely enough. Also get down on the sidelines. If its a HS they probably wouldn't have a problem. Give the school any files they want for their year book and don't brag about being on the sidelines lest everyone will try to get there.

CPR Loc: Nature Coast of Florida

The problem I've found with a really long lens, like a 200-500, is often the action gets too close for the lens. If I'm going to use the 200-500 I will put the 18-140 on my backup camera and carry both.

pnittoly Loc: Mountainside, New Jersey

Thanks for the comments and suggestions.

btbg

cjc2 wrote:

Any lens, with a maximum aperture of 5.6, is not very useful for sports IMHO. Using such a lens for football under the lights will be near impossible. For football, I use a 400/2.8, in good light I might add a 1.4x TC, AND a 70-200/2.8 on my second camera. As a professional, I shoot from the field. For indoor sports I use a large variety of lenses including the 70-200/2.8 but I also tend to use F1.4 and F1.8 lenses for this purpose. I hope this helps. Best of luck.

Agreed. Can also use a 600 f4. About the only sport that a 200-500 5.6 is good for is baseball, softball, soccer and track provided they are shot in daylight. It is not much use for high school football stadiums at night.

bobbygee

I use my 200-500 for daytime sports only. Tried a night football game one time with the 200-500 and was shooting at ISO 12,500 after the sun went down (1st quarter) on a D500 camera. Not the best results and too much time in LightRoom. The 70-200 at f 2.8 worked just fine for all other night football games. Some of the press photographers were using either 300 or 400 lenses on full frame cameras, so there wasn't much of a trade off using the 70-200 on a crop sensor camera. If you are in the stands you might want the 1.4 extender on the 70-200 and have more reach without sacrificing too many stops. Good luck!

pnittoly Loc: Mountainside, New Jersey

Thanks. The 70-200 is a bit out of my price range right now. I’m a newbie. Hoping to upgrade to a D500 soon and have the 70-200 on my wish list.

Acufine3200 Loc: Texarkana USA

You can pick up a good used 80-200/2.8 without breaking the bank. This, and begging your way onto the sideline will be better than the slower 5.6 on 200-500. At this point I’d be more concerned with timing, lighting, and composition. Please post some of your efforts as the season progresses.

pnittoly Loc: Mountainside, New Jersey

Thanks. Will do.

tshift Loc: Overland Park, KS.

hj wrote:

Wouldn't that be overkill? Professional photographers appear to be very happy with the 70-200mm and perhaps 300mm lenses for sports. You'll be shooting high school not the super bowl.

It's not over kill. Real professionals don't shoot with a 70-200mm very often most probably shoot with 400mm f/2.8. You can use the 200-500mm 5.6 but once it starts to get dark noise will jump very quick as you up the ISO too keep a sharp image. I will use my 200-500mm 5.6 at Freshman, Sophomore, and JV games because they almost always play early games while the sun is still up, and any varsity that my be an early or day game (not very often though). I will shoot Varsity games but will probably stop or switch to my 80-200mm f/2.8 for a little while. Thanks

Tom

jlocke Loc: Austin, TX

pnittoly wrote:

Thanks. The 70-200 is a bit out of my price range right now. I’m a newbie. Hoping to upgrade to a D500 soon and have the 70-200 on my wish list.

Didn't see what body you currently are using, but be aware that the 80-200 f/2.8 needs a camera body with the auto-focus built into the body (screw drive) to be able to utilize auto-focus.

I rented the 70-200 for a weekend shoot, and it is very nice, but out of my budget, so I settled on the 80-200. Still a nice lens.