Is f/4 is Enough?

[usayit]

Please don't nit pick. the guy needs to understand the entire problem. The main point being that there are other options besides lens Brands and how fast they are.

Exactly! It was a rhetorical question...

The main point is that there are other things involved other than Brands and Max Aperture. It is only 1 stop.. how valuable is that 1 stop on the Aperture ring worth?

Be realistic... how often do you need that 1 aperture stop? Are you being published and the best is required to keep your job? Bumping up the ISO just might be good enough.... flashes too...

 

[Alex_B]

even under floodlight in a stadium, f/4 for fast sports works only with cameras which can deal well with high ISO.

Recently I was shooting under floodlight conditions at 300mm f/4 at the rugby world cup. I had to use ISO 800 and above. It just about worked with a Canon 5D and some Neatimage treatment afterwards.

So I guess indoor light could be a bit better than stadium floodlight, but still f/4 will be at the brink of what is feasible.

 

[RyanLilly]

Well, the difference is a bit more than one stop. If there is not enough light, you either,
1) change you ISO, and get more noise
2)lower your shutter speed and sacrifice sharpness, or ability to "Freeze" action,
3) Use a lens with a wider aperture, you only sacrifice DOF.

The question is, How much any of these sacrifices matter and what will work for you in particular. Shutter speed may not be an option for sports, but a higher ISO could be, depending on the particular situation, but in low light the f/2.8 could mean the difference between shooting at ISO 800 or 1600 and more time spent on noise reduction software and Photo Shop. If you are getting paid for the shots...time is money, and the lens could pay for itself, or if your just shooting for fun, it may not.

Spend $1700 on a computer or a car, and it will be worth $0.50 a few years from now. While that f/2.8L will still be a fantastic lens.

 

[Alex_B]

Be realistic... how often do you need that 1 aperture stop?

If one stop makes the difference between ISO 100 and 200 I agree, but if it makes the difference between 400 and 800, then this could be a large increase in noise. And just going to lower shutter speeds is not an option most of the time.

Are you being published and the best is required to keep your job? Bumping up the ISO just might be good enough.... flashes too...

 

[usayit]

I meant....

How often do you need that 1 stop... in terms of how often does the OP shoot in gyms. What is his/her expectations... good, good enough, publishable. Bumping up the ISO and some post work might be good enough for this fellow.

The OP has a P&S right now... and is considering the Canon 70-200mm f4. I HIGHLY doubt the ORIGINAL POSTER is a professional photographer trying to get into the SPORTS photography business. ALSO... there are some advantages to choosing the f/4 lens over the f/2.8 lens AND those advantages just might be more important to the OP.

Sheesh.. you guys are worse than the annoying camera "upsellers" that I use to deal/work with. New customer = 5d + 24-70 f2.8L + 70-200 f2.8L no matter what their true needs are.... sell it .. sell it.. everything else is garbage... yuk.


So the short is... the 70-200mm f4 lens is a wonderful lens for all the cases the OP mentioned with the exception of the gymnasium. Other options to explore for shooting gemnasium... here's why....

 

[D40]

Hey, I would look at the Sigma 70-200mm HSM f/2.8 lens for the Canon. This is what I have decided to get since I can't spend $1700 on a lens as a studdent. I can pick up the Sigma for $900 and I hear it is still a great lens and is f/2.8. It does not have VR or IS but for the price you are still getting pro glass that will be much better than a lens at f/4

 

[Alex_B]

Sheesh.. you guys are worse than the annoying camera "upsellers" that I use to deal/work with.

lol, some truth here .. but if the question is what is best for the job, the answers are correct... that the final decision also depends on other factors is a different thing then. Weight, money, many things can play a role here, which we cannot judge. so every purchase is a compromise.