What lens (or lenses) to use for this kind of sporting event?

[ClarkKent18]

I have a Nikon D5100 (which is a DX body) and I love it, my first DSLR camera, but not my last. I have been asked to come out and shot a roller derby bout. If you have never been to one, they are moving in a circle on a flat track, throwing there weight around (hitting the other team with their body) and have been known to land in the crowed from time to time. Since I do not want a roller skate in my lens or face, I want to be back from the track then they start flying.

I have been looking at the Nikkor 18-200mm (DX/VR) or the 28-300mm (FX/VR II) lenses. I have been reading the reviews about the lenses and almost everyone is writing that they are for amiture that have no clue what they are doing with a DSLR (that is the way I am taking it).

But in my case, having a moving object at varying distances that is moving fast, changing lens on the fly, back and forth, feels like a missed shot and a high risk of scratching the lenses to me. Would you use ether of these lenses or something different? I know that I do not have an FX body, but both lens look to be about the same price is why I am looking at them both. Or maybe something different I have not heard of you might be able to enlighten me about. I do not have thousands of dollars to be just throwing around is why I am doing so much homework for a hobby that is growing.

If you where to go out and shot an event like this, indoors, what lens would you use? I only have the lenses that came with the camera, 18-55mm and 70-300mm lenses for now.

Thank you for your input on what you think might work.

 

[tirediron]

For that type of relatively close sporting event, I would use my 70-200 f2.8; these sorts of venues are usually rather dimly lit, and I doubt very much if flash would be allowed. Since you indicated you don't have a huge budget, I would look to it's cousin, the 80-200 f2.8; this lens can be had used for between and $650 and $850 and is an excellent piece of glass. The main problem with all of the lenses you have listed is that they're 'slow' lenses, that is they have a relatively small maximum aperture (f4 - f5.6) which may not let in enough light to shoot at the required fast shutter speeds in a dimly lit arena.

 

[imagemaker46]

The basic lenses to use shooting the majority of sports indoors or outdoors are 70-200 2.8, 300 2.8 or 400 2.8. Indoors shooting roller derby I would be using the 70-200 2.8 as the backup to the 300 2.8. The bottom line to shooting anywhere is using what you have avaliable to you and trying to work yourself into the right positions to work with those cameras and lenses. As an example, if you only have a wide angle lens to work with, you'd need to be trackside. If you have a longer lens, 300 or 400 sit way back and shoot from a higher angle. It's working with what you have from where you are.