What lense to use for taking pictures at the track?

dry3210 · Jun 11, 2008

Being part of a sportbike community it'd be great to take my Canon EOS XT and get some good pics of my buddies at the track.

However I know nothing about lenses.

Suggestions? I'm going to assume that they are well out of my price range but still curious...

asfixiate · Jun 11, 2008

What lenses do you have now and what is your budget?
50mm f/1.8
85 f/1.8
100 f/2.0
Are all very good quality lenses as well as fast and all can be purchased under 400...the 50 under 100.

28-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS is a great lense and its often found under 300 as well.

dry3210 · Jun 11, 2008

asfixiate said:
What lenses do you have now and what is your budget?
50mm f/1.8
85 f/1.8
100 f/2.0
Are all very good quality lenses as well as fast and all can be purchased under 400...the 50 under 100.

28-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS is a great lense and its often found under 300 as well.

I have what it came with....18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. And all that means absolutely nothing to me!

So the above lenses would be good for shooting from distance? Most of the tracks are fenced off so you can't get close and I'd like to get some upclose shots of them on their bikes. And obviously something that can handle the fast speeds of the bikes.

As for budget..well for the right lens I'll save up but I can't really see myself spending more then $400 on a lense.

memento · Jun 11, 2008

usually you're pretty far from the track, which requires a telephoto lens.
if you're on a budget, 70-300 would work.
i'm saving for a 70-200.
one of these days i'll have a 100-400.

copy and paste the numbers and 'google image' them..

250Gimp · Jun 11, 2008

Sounds like you will want a zoom lense, like a 70-300mm, but for under $400 you will be looking at a slow lense. This means you will need a good sunny day to get the shutter speeds you will need to freeze the action, or you have to learn to pan well to allow for the slower shutter speeds.

Cheers

asfixiate · Jun 11, 2008

if I was going to a track I'd probably bring 18-55 and my 75-300. Allow me to get wide shots(entire track in the shot) and close shots.

the 28-135 will allow you to get close as well as relatively wide without switching lenses as much...plus its a good lense to have.

Prime lenses are great quality but seem they'd not really work for you.

my recommendations are under 400 recommendations. Obviously 70-200f/4L is great..non IS is under 600.

Mav · Jun 11, 2008

dry3210 said:
As for budget..well for the right lens I'll save up but I can't really see myself spending more then $400 on a lense.

Canon 70-200 f/4L non-IS. Can get these used for about that price. Great lens, faster than the consumer zoom stuff which will work well for sports, and razor sharp everywhere.

dry3210 · Jun 11, 2008

memento said:
usually you're pretty far from the track, which requires a telephoto lens.
if you're on a budget, 70-300 would work.
i'm saving for a 70-200.
one of these days i'll have a 100-400.

copy and paste the numbers and 'google image' them..

How would a Canon 75-300mm Telephoto EF Zoom Lens f/4.0-f/32 compare to the ones above?

What exactly do the numbers mean?

Buszaj · Jun 11, 2008

dry3210 said:
What exactly do the numbers mean?

The numbers are the focal length in millimetres. This is the distance the focusing point of the lens is away from the sensor. Basically, the larger the number, the more "reach"/telephoto you get. If you want wider angled shots, aim for the lower numbers. The f/number means the max amount of light that the lens can let in. Its a ratio between focal length and diameter. The lower the number, the more light let in, better for darker settings. Is the track indoors or outdoors? How far away are you from the cyclists?

memento · Jun 11, 2008

not to sound like a jerk but you should probably learn the limitations of what you already have before you get more stuff.
the answers will come as you learn about photography.
use the sites search feature or 'google'.

i swiped this from Wikipedia....

[edit] Still photography

Effect of different focal lengths on photographs taken from the same place:

28 mm

50 mm

70 mm

210 mm

The above photos were taken using a 35 mm camera, using lenses of the given focal lengths.

dry3210 · Jun 11, 2008

Buszaj said:
The numbers are the focal length in millimetres. This is the distance the focusing point of the lens is away from the sensor. Basically, the larger the number, the more "reach"/telephoto you get. If you want wider angled shots, aim for the lower numbers. The f/number means the max amount of light that the lens can let in. Its a ratio between focal length and diameter. The lower the number, the more light let in, better for darker settings. Is the track indoors or outdoors? How far away are you from the cyclists?

Its motorcycles so all out door tracks. And distance varies depending on the track and the turn I'm at. Anywhere from 30 yards to 100 yards I'd say. Thats just a guess.

memento · Jun 11, 2008

fyi, the 28-135 is too short for what you want.
i have one.
i used it at Summit Point and it just didn't have the reach i wanted.

still got some good pics though..

this is a good thread,
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=141406

Buszaj · Jun 11, 2008

dry3210 said:
Its motorcycles so all out door tracks. And distance varies depending on the track and the turn I'm at. Anywhere from 30 yards to 100 yards I'd say. Thats just a guess.

I see. If you're on a budget then the 75-300 or 70-300 should do. If you have some more money to spend, check out a faster lens such as the Sigma 70-200 f/2.8, or Canon version if you have a load to spend. But before you invest in these expensive toys, learn more.

Dave127 · Jun 11, 2008

Mav said:
Canon 70-200 f/4L non-IS. Can get these used for about that price. Great lens, faster than the consumer zoom stuff which will work well for sports, and razor sharp everywhere.

Thats what I would recommend with your budget. If the budget would allow, the 70-200 2.8 IS is great glass and would stop the action. The 100-400 isnt as fast but does have the reach. I have both and use the 70-200 all the time for sports especially for indoors. I am going to try the 100-400 for out door sports and see how it matchess up.

Mav · Jun 11, 2008

dry3210 said:
How would a Canon 75-300mm Telephoto EF Zoom Lens f/4.0-f/32 compare to the ones above?

What exactly do the numbers mean?

If you check the FAQ thread, there's a link called Canon DSLRs and Lenses 101 that's a good read. :thumbup: Not just for Canon either. General info that applies to all systems.