Wife needs new sports lens...means I need help.

akins525 · Jun 1, 2018

My wife had/has the 70-200mm f2.8 lens, uses it for football and marching band photos. Back in October she started noticing it wasn't focusing like it should but since we were in football season (we're in TX) and she had to wait till January to send it off for repair. They said the focus ring or something like that, was the issue. She paid for the repairs and picked it up expecting it to be fixed. I got an angry text from a soccer game that is was still having the same issues as before. To sum it up, sent off the lens 2 times, both times the company said it was repaired and after not having it for almost 4 months, wife isn't happy...still does not work properly. She's afraid to purchase another of the same lens, she had this one only 3-4 years. What lens does she need? Oh, and she uses a Nikon D610.
Thanks for any help given, I was given a lot of help last time on here, I hope I can again.

ac12 · Jun 1, 2018

Which brand is the 70-200 f/2.8 that is the problem lens?

Daytime shooting or night under lights?

For daytime shooting, I would pass on the f/2.8, just to save weight, and be more mobile.
I use a Nikon 70-200 f/4.
However, based on shooting football and soccer, on the sidelines, I would now recommend the 24-120 f/4. The way I shoot (Nikon D7200 + 18-140), I found I make a lot of use of the wide end of my lens for when the players come in close. One can always crop into an image, but you can't get more than what you captured.

For shooting under lights, tougher.
Then I would recommend one of the 70-200 f/2.8 lenses, just for the faster speed.

An option is a refurbished Nikon 70-200.
I have no experience with Sigma or Tamron.

coastalconn · Jun 1, 2018

What exactly is the focusing issue? Are you sure it's not the camera? Could be dust in the AF sensor...

akins525 · Jun 1, 2018

The auto focus is not focusing. We're fairly certain it's not the camera body as we have taken to it to a camera store, and they have put one of their 70-200 f/2.8 lenses, and had no issues. There are also no focus issues with any of the other lenses she has. It originally started mainly in low light shooting (football games), but eventually got worse. After the two trips in and out of the repair shops, the issue is still there. So now we're looking over the options of buying a different lens, or getting another of the same lens, and was looking for some advice.

MartinCrabtree · Jun 1, 2018

Have you tried the lens on another body?

ac12 · Jun 2, 2018

Thoughts:

What AF mode is she using? Single point, group/area, dynamic, 3D, . . .
- Area and 3D do not work for me when there are many players in the image, especially when they bunch up and cross paths. The camera cannot keep track of that one player. His team mates are in the same color uniform, so color tracking won't work.
- For most sports I use AF-C, single point, center, dynamic 9.
What is she focusing on, when it does not work?
- The AF won't focus on a solid color uniform/shirt. There is nothing for it to focus on to. She needs to put the AF point onto something with contrast.
- Someone crossing between the camera and subject can cause the AF to loose focus lock on the subject.

Derrel · Jun 2, 2018

Autofocus is complex....there are multiple modes, multiple ways to control the camera; for example, at times back button focus is enabled, and a person can have an "AF problem" when they expect that the shutter release button should control the focus. Or the focus is set to AF-A, which is a horrible,horrible, incredibly stupid thing Nikon created. I dunno...I own a D610...I am not fond of the camera's AF setup or system. it's not what I am used to. I don't like the 39 AF points, I prefer the higher-end 51-point systems; the 39-point system was, I think borrowed from APS-C models, and is not appropriately spaced for a larger frame area.

As a good example of the complexity of AF systems, AC12's post right above this one details "some" of the complexities and foibles that can enter into AF problems. Since the lens has been repaired twice, there's the possibility that the issues lie with either the camera or the shooter, or a little of both.

Another aspect is the use of ONE, single AF point...many people advocate that. I do not. But also, there's two very-basics ways to use Nikon AF, and multiple variations. But, as to the two basic ways: one is to allow the camera to select the AF point/target, the other is for the shooter to initially select the desired target, using the 4-way thumb controller on the back of the camera. The user selects the target, for each series of shots, then the camera can track the subject anywhere across the frame. The issue is that 1) users often do not select the target 2) the focusing is poor.

Because modern d-slrs are so complex, I suggest doing a two-button reset of the D610, and starting from scratch. My gut feeling as a 17-year Nikon d-slr user is that your wife's camera and custom functions and settings are messed up, and secondly: I have a strong suspicion that she's got the camera setup that allows AF-A, which screws up more shots than it has ever saved. Search YouTube for the video that tells you how to get-rid of AF-A on the D610.

I would strongly recommend that she buy Thom Hogan's Complete Guide to the Nikon D610; the AF system is complicated enough that it requires a plain English user manual to navigate.

A link that might be of some help: What is the difference between AF-A, AF-S, AF-C and MF focus modes on Nikon camera's. When should you use AF-A, AF-S, AF-C, MF. - SLR Photography Guide

Here's where I suspect the problem lies: "The default camera setting is AF-A. As mentioned earlier, this mode guesses if the subject you are photographing is stationary or moving, and accordingly sets the focus to either AF-C or AF-S. Photographers don’t always trust the camera to pick the correct setting, preferring to make the choice themselves."