Lens help ! ?

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taffy047

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Alex james
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hello all,

i currently have a nikon d5000.i am studying A level photography,at christmas i want to upgrade my lens for footy and rugby i was looking at sigma 70-200 f2.8 its about 600 pounds.then last night i saw the sigma 300mm 2.8 ! :love:
i know its almost double the price but then i would have to save up more money.i want to be a photography when im older doing sport . but do you think it would be better for my to get 70-200 then get 300mm at later date or start off with the 300mm???? i just dnot know what to do :/ also dad is upgrading gear in march so he said i could have his d3 but thinking if that would change lens choice ? helpppp ! :/ dnot know what to do ! :(


thanks alex
 
If you are getting a D3 you will want AT LEAST 300mm for sports photography, because it's full frame (FX) compared to your D5000 which is crop sensor (DX). This means:

- a 200mm lens on a D3 is 200mm.
- The same lens on a D5000 will appear the same as a 300mm lens would on a D3 (1.5 times the magnification effectively due to the smaller sensor)!!

I would say go for 300mm if you can. A bit cheaper than the 300mm 2.8 Prime lens is the Sigma 120-300 f2.8, which is worth a look too, or even the Sigma 100-300 f4 is OK for starting out. (thats what I started with). If you start covering night games or very dull days you will soon want f2.8 over f4 though, and that also gives you room to add teleconverters for more reach on brighter days!

(A pro sports shooter will normally have two cameras, one with a long lens, and one with a 70-200 for when the action gets closer. If you are starting out and so only have one lens maybe something like the 120-300 will be good as it has a bit of versatility compared to a prime lens where you are fixed at 300mm all the time.)

Also dont be afraid to buy second hand. Good lenses hold their money well, so if you find one that is in great condition, and keep it that way, buying used you wont usually loose much money when selling it on to upgrade as and when you need to!

Hope i haven't confused things!
 
rogan200 said:
Also dont be afraid to buy second hand. Good lenses hold their money well, so if you find one that is in great condition, and keep it that way, buying used you wont usually loose much money when selling it on to upgrade as and when you need to!
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Got to agree with this, especially when you are still learning. Buy new and you immediately lose 20-30% if you change your mind. Try second hand but buy carefully. For big ticket items get it from a dealer like MPB who offer warranties.

Be careful with the sigma 300mm though. I had one for a while and while it was great when it found the focus I had a load of shots where AF wasn't good enough (and I'm not good enough to MF any more). The 300/2.8 from Canon is just light year's ahead. I've heard the Siggy 120-300 recommended by many as a better budget option and the siggy prime.
 
ianmarsh said:
...The 300/2.8 from Canon is just light year's ahead.....
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:thinking: But wont work on the D5000 nor a D3 (obviously) as what you have is a Nikon body :LOL: :naughty:
 
ianmarsh said:
And at what point did i recommend he get a Canon? I was hoping a reader might be able to infer that even a Nikon ought to be better than a Sigma.
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Oh yeah if he could afford a Nikon 300 2.8 prime (probably to expensive even used?) he'd be laughing! It's a stunning lens. That's what I shoot (though nikon have had it for a fortnight now which isnt so good!) and it is lightning fast and accurate for AF, with brilliant sharpness, colours, and makes lovely OOF backgrounds, and work well with nikon teleconverters. Thats maybe the sort of thing the OP (especially an A-Level student!) should aim for down the line though as id have thought good used ones a few years old will be north of 2 grand.
 
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