What focal length telephoto lens is best for taking soccer/rugby pictures?

[gundamseed84]

Actually to TS why don't you make a trip down to your neighbourhood sports stadium and take a look at the lighting with your current gear and roughly work out what focal length you need and what aperture you need and what is the max ISO you can go. I think it might give you more information than is giving suggestions and maybe not all of us shoot sports under this situation.

For your budget it would probably be canon 70-200 f2.8 mark i (used), or sigma / tamron's equivalent. Smaller aperture but longer focal length may or may not work out for you as you have to see if you can get sufficient shutter speed at higher iso while having usable IQ.

You may have chance to get a 2nd hand 300 f2.8 by sigma or tamron.

 

[Happyshooter]

Hi Rhino
I checked the prices of the first two lens. They are really too rich. Maybe the third choice. But what about a f4 lens like the EF70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM. Will that work? I won't always be able to get onto the sidelines.

I'd say that with your budget and current needs, that is a mighty good lens already. Remember that your reach is effectively 300x1.6=480 with this lens, and if you are shooting under bright sunlight, F4 is enough. It's a very hardy and sharp lens too.

 

[rhino123]

TS... like I have suggested before (I think), if you cannot afford or don't want to waste that much money all at once, go for 3rd party lenses. Tamron and Sigma both offer excellent 70-200mm f2.8 lenses and recently both have their own version of IS built in (OS for Sigma, VC for Tamron) and both of them are pretty cheap when compared to Canon's own version of the 70-200mm f2.8L II.

Also invest in a good 1.4x TC which will give your lens a reach of maximum 280mm (when multiply by the crop factor, 448mm) which is pretty good already... I would not touch the 2x TC though... read reviews that it degrade the IQ of the image too much.

The good thing about f2.8 is that it is large enough, even with the 1.4x TC, there are still enough light through that make it still good enough and consider a quick lens.

 

[Rashkae]

Or just rent a lens.

 

[Csboi]

Or just rent a lens.

+1 to this. Rent and try it out.