Canisdirus

But we are constrained for the best option at a grand or less...
Which still leaves us with a good used FF camera body as the very best bang for buck option.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

I have the 135 f2 and the 85 f1.8 as well as the 70-200 f2.8, and the fact is that the DOF is so shallow at the 20-30 feet that you are typically from the subject, that you end up shooting the 135 or 85 @ f2.8 anyway. I’m all for subject isolation (which is especially important in a gym full of spectators, refs, etc), but you generally need a bit more than 6-8” DOF. The only downside of the 70-200 f2.8 is the weight - about 3 lbs. Because of that, I occasionally use the 135 and sometimes with a matching Canon 1.4EX, but I’m generally at f2.8 anyway. It’s fine to theorize on the subject, but what are you using when you shoot indoor sports?

BTW, I rarely shoot a burst of more than 2-3 shots. My FF 5D4 is 7 fps and my crop Fuji is 11 fps with the grip (and I have all the lenses we’re discussing for both bodies), and I always pick up the Canon for indoor sports regardless of the weight because I’m almost always at very high ISOs. Indoor sports in HS gyms is a corner case in that it does demand the most from equipment, but the other key has already been mentioned - get as close as possible (at the edge of the court at floor level) and move to where the action is. And be ready to move in a hurry if a pair of 250Lb wrestlers or 6’6” basketball players come hurtling at you.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

That does 10FPS ?? - which is what the OP already has ! Plus, the OP's question is about LENSES

The OP seems to be MIA.....

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Well, if you are on crop frame, you can get away with a shorter focal length and thereby get more DOF vs FF. But you seem to ignore the better AF possible with a faster lens ! You CAN still shoot a f2 lens @ 2,8 IF you feel you need the DOF.
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imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

There are plenty of f2 lenses for less than $1K used....just NOT @ 200MM 8-)
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Canisdirus

FPS is secondary if your shots are blurred anyway...
He wants LIGHT.
FF gets him there the cheapest.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

Although I stand by my earlier statement that my 70-200 is my most used sports lens (perhaps most used overall), when I move indoors it just depends on many factors. If I've been to the location before I usually bring fewer rather than more choices, but the sport I'm going to shoot is also important. I absolutely love my 200/F2 and it is my prefered lens for wrestling. For basketball I normally use my shorter, but faster and lighter lenses (35, 50, 85 and 24-70 sometimes) but the 70-200 is used for some shots, so it's a combination most likely. When on a paid job I rarely use less than two cameras and sometimes use three, or possibly more. It depends upon the shots I'm expected to get and many other factors. I will say that I prefer not to use flash for sports action and sometimes I'm not allowed to anyway. A good example of that is gymnastics. There is no one lens, or one camera body, which fits all situations, which is the reason for my plethora of gear built up over my career. Personal preference, budget and experience are all important. Sorry for the rant. Best of luck

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

I do low light wildlife/birds which, for all practical purposes is the SAME .....

When I want speed and DOF, it is shorter focal lengths and CROP FRAME for me. Yes, I have FF stuff too - but I cannot afford the SPEED and give up DOF.
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TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

I doubt very seriously if there’s any noticeable difference in AF speed between an f2.8 and an f2 lens - it’s more likely a function of the particular lens. If you have evidence, please post it - I’m always ready to learn

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

I’ll bet you rarely shoot faster action at lower light than in a HS gym. You likely favor crop because the “crop factor” gives you the extra “equivalent FL/FOV” without costing you lens speed, and that’s a good decision for BIF, but it’s not applicable for indoor sports. I invite you to go to the next available indoor HS wrestling match (the season is right now) and test your theories.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

Indoor shooting is almost always with mixed lighting and is COMPLETELY different than BIF which is (mostly) totally outdoors. The lenses used are also, most likely, completely different. Camera bodies can be the same, but the gear advice or shooting advice for BIF and indoor sports is not even slightly the same. Best of luck my friend.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

That was definitely a clueless answer!

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Well, I am not here to argue with any of you.....
Just keep in mind that more light, = better (faster/more accurate) AF - and faster lenses provide more light - this is common knowledge (or should be)
Crop frame has more DOF for equal fields of view - again common knowledge (or should be)
My experience confirms this. I'm done. You figure it out.

Oh yea, I forgot, OEM lenses have better AF than third parties' - in general - more common knowledge.
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Wags Loc: Mequon, WI

Well, that was certainly a wide variety of responses, a full 5 pages worth. Thank you so much for your input and ideas. I’ve read through all of them, and this is how I’m going to proceed: I’m going to save the $1,000 ish and use the 2 really good lenses I have now-the 24-70 and 70-200. At games where I can be close to the action, the 24-70 should be great, and for times when I have to be further away, the 70-200 will also work great.

Again, thanks for the help.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

What you said above, in this post, is true. What you said in your previous post @ BIF being the same as indoor sports, isn't even close. Trix and I are not arguing with you, just pointing out. Your perspective is valuable. Best of luck my friend.