$1400 budget, need camera+lens for sports

[Destin]

Alright so all of my camera gear has been sold, with the exception of my 50 1.8 AF-D (Still for sale btw, $110 shipped anywhere in the CONUS). Once it sells and I get my tax refunds, I'll have about $1400 to spend to get a camera and a lens. I could possibly save up a couple hundred more I guess, because the season doesn't technically start until 5-12. There are events before that I'd like to shoot, but not at the expense of having drastically worse camera gear for the whole season. So my current budget is $1400, expandable to *POSSIBLY* $1700 if it was really going to make that much of a difference. I'm a Nikon guy and would REALLY prefer to stick with Nikon equipment, but if I could get something that would perform alot better on Canon or Pentax, Id think about it for sure since I have pretty much no Nikon gear left other than a broken sb-600 and my nifty 50.

That being said, $1400-1700 to spend to go shoot sports and do what I need to do:

What's important to me:
#1- Good high iso performance.
#2- Frame rate - I'd like at least 5 fps if possible
#3 2.8 or faster lens for shooting sports in low light. Likely going to be a 70/80-200 of some sort I'm sure.

So with that being said, I know whats on the market in my price range, and I know what I'm thinking of, but I want to see if you guys suggest anything different than I'm thinking before I give you ideas as to what I have in mind.

Shoot.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

Well, you say you're buying a D7000 and a grip, but then you'd just have the 50....

Unless you can make up another 1,000-2,500 for a 70-200 2.8 than I think your budget is already whacked. You already had the sigma 70-200, why did you sell it if you need it?

 

[mjhoward]

Used D90 for ~$600 and used Nikon 80-200 f/2.8 for ~800... thats right at your $1400 budget.

 

[IgsEMT]

I'm with Sw1tch. If you want quality gear, your budget is tight.
D7000 isn't a bad camera, I know few pros who put there S5(s) over it but sport-glass will kill you $-wise. UNLESS you'll look into ebay/craigslist or other used gear arenas where you can get used gear BUT still 1700 might not be possible.
70-200 either vr1 or vr2 is about 1800 used and up
80-200 might be a bit cheaper to 1500 and up.
3rd party lenses are like apples/oranges - you might be lucky and a good unit or unlucky and get stock w/ a bad one.
Look into D90 (you can probably find one for about $800 and then spend the rest on the glass. or D200/80- maybe?
With your budget and specs, look into used gear.

Good Luck

 

[mjhoward]

80-200 might be a bit cheaper to 1500 and up.

Look into D90 (you can probably find one for about $800 and then spend the rest on the glass.

You need to shop somewhere else!

Nikon 80-200 f/2.8 AF-S (asking $800) - FS: Nikon 80-200mm F/2.8 AF-S ED lens - FM Forums

Nikon D90 w/ Grip (asking $675) - FS: Nikon D70, D90, Tokina 12-24 f/, 80-400 f/4.5-5.6 - FM Forums

 

[Dillard]

^^ i agree. Or try to save a little more and get a D7000 with the 80-200. Thats what I'm shooting now and love it

 

[MLeeK]

This is my opinion and my opinion is always a bit warped, so... take it fwiw.
Adorama has a used D90 in stock for $649.
The 80-200 if you can find it. Otherwise the non OS version of the lens you had seems pretty OK. I shoot with a girl who has it and uses it for sports. She has no complaints, but she's also pretty new to sports. The images she publishes are beautiful if that's any help.

 

[Derrel]

Dude...I shot a lot of sports gigs with a 70-200 f/2.8 VR Nikkor, and the old Nikon D1h, with its huge pixels...those sell for like $189 these days...

and yes, I am SERIOUS about this...$1400 and you can have that set-up!!! With a second body! (again, not kidding...)

 

[EIngerson]

HOW ABOUT GETTING YOUR NOSE BACK IN THE BOOKS DESTIN THE FUTURE EMT GUY!!!!!!

 

[IgsEMT]

80-200 might be a bit cheaper to 1500 and up.

Look into D90 (you can probably find one for about $800 and then spend the rest on the glass.

You need to shop somewhere else!

Nikon 80-200 f/2.8 AF-S (asking $800) - FS: Nikon 80-200mm F/2.8 AF-S ED lens - FM Forums

Nikon D90 w/ Grip (asking $675) - FS: Nikon D70, D90, Tokina 12-24 f/, 80-400 f/4.5-5.6 - FM Forums

I didn't say it was impossible but prices I'm saying are average prices I've seen in my area based on some specs that OP mentioned. Second, I wouldn't buy anything used from someone I don't know so I rather spend a bit more but purchase it from a store w/ at least some sort of warranty that this gear won't crap out on my in the 1st month of use. It still cheaper then buying new.

 

[IgsEMT]

HOW ABOUT GETTING YOUR NOSE BACK IN THE BOOKS EMT GUY!!!!!!

?
Screaming? really? What are you talking about?

 

[EIngerson]

HOW ABOUT GETTING YOUR NOSE BACK IN THE BOOKS EMT GUY!!!!!!

wow,
that was uncalled for.

Sorry, not you. The OP is studying to be an EMT and has tests coming up. I didn't realize you were going to post and have EMT in your name.

 

[Bossy]

^ Made me laugh

​

 

[Destin]

Sorry, not you. The OP is studying to be an EMT and has tests coming up. It was I didn't realize you were going to post and have EMT in your name.

Haha priceless.

I actually asked to be yelled at for this in another thread.

 

[EIngerson]

^ Made me laugh

Yeah, that caught me off gaurd too.