Lens for Ski Racing and general

[matseski]

I currently have the Sigma 150mm f2.8 as my only telephoto option. It was purchased specifically for macro work where it excels, but when shooting ski races or trying to track any moving subject, the AF system just cannot keep up. I have been saving to purchase a 70-200 f2.8, but am not sure if IS would be valuable for my applications; obviously it would not hurt to have, but it would mean that I would have to wait another 6 months-1 year for a purchase.

That being said, my main interest for the lens is for ski racing and soccer. I have been doing a lot of shooting for my ski team and my brothers' soccer teams. Both events are held during the day and I almost never go below 1/500sec. As suggested by another ski racing photographer I will be trying to shoot 1/1000sec this upcoming weekend. I am thinking that at shutter speeds in this range, IS will not really provide any benefit, but since I have never used a lens with IS, I am not really sure.


I will also be using the lens as a carry around lens when I feel my 17-50 will not be long enough (most of the time, I prefer to shoot with longer focal lengths).


I know that an updated version has recently come out, but I am willing to purchase used or the old model if I can get a significant cost savings. I dont think any of the new features are critical for me.


Currently I have about $1000.


Any suggestions on how to proceed.


Thanks

 

[Big Mike]

For the record, IS doesn't help to freeze moving subjects at all. It only helps to freeze blur from camera shake. So yes, it's nice to have, especially when shooting with longer lenses, but since you need a fast shutter speed anyway, IS won't add anything to your shots at 1/500 or 1/1000 etc.

 

[Derrel]

With a $1,000 budget, I would look for a copy of the Sigma 80-400 OS lens as being the most-portable and best combo of price to quality ratio for a Canon crop-body. I own one of these...it's pretty decent, optically, and easy to hand-hold, or to use on a monopod, and it is "portable" in a way that bigger lenses are not. It is a much sexier, sleeker, newer design than the clunky Canon 100-400 trombone dust-pump.

 

[gsgary]

Or you could look at the Sigma 120-300F2.8, 200mm is not long enough for Football ( what you call soccer)