Wide angle for indoor close up sports needed

[Dana C]

As some of you may have heard me say in other posts and reply's, I currently am shooting indoor high school sports. I primarily use my D7000 and my 85mm 1.8 or my 50mm 1.8. The schools around here don't have a lot of room between the under the basket out of bounds marker and the walls. I like to sit or stand under the basket or slightly to one side as I like shooting the emotion, the fierceness etc. which only a fairly close shot from under the basket can show.
However, with a crop sensor, even the 50mm is sometimes not wide enough for me capture all that I want and more so I can in turn crop down to a frame that I like.
The question is, "which lens would give me enough width, (wide enough angle) to do what I want. Zoom? fixed prime, ie 35mm or ??
Thanks for your opinions

 

[480sparky]

Try a 35 or 28mm.

Or a 18-55 kit zoom if there's enough light.

 

[SpikeyJohnson]

There is a nice Sigma 17-55 I think that is f/2.8 That might be perfect if the 35mm isn't wide enough.

 

[Dana C]

I am not sure that the 35 isn't wide enough. I may be ok. As for the 18-55, I always am at a fixed 2.0 - 2.8 which makes the 18-55 too slow. I also am using ISO 3200 - 4000 most nights.

 

[SpikeyJohnson]

That Sigma is an F/2.8 and would keep you near that same ISO.

Edit: here is a link to it on amazon in the Canon mount.

Amazon.com : Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM FLD Large Aperture Standard Zoom Lens for Canon Digital DSLR Camera : Camera Lenses : Camera & Photo

 

[KmH]

I used a Nikon 24-85mm f/2.8-4.0D IF AF Zoom Nikkor Lens @ 24 mm for close in action shots.

I used a 2nd body with an 80-200 mm f/2.8 to shoot the other end of the court.

 

[Dana C]

I am going to check out the 24-85 and hopefully will find one used within my price range. I could sell my new 85 1.8 but it really is a wonderful lens that I don't want to part with.

 

[Gary A.]

When I was shooting news, I'd use a 28mm and sometimes a 20mm on a FF under the basket. The 28mm (14mm on a cropped) is a bit more useful, but with the much larger pro players ... you can get some dramatic images with the 20mm (10mm on a cropped) and the players stretching from basket to floor. I did get an award winning shot of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shooting a "Skyhook" with the 20mm.