70-200mm AF-S VR Lens?

Question

Hello I'm very interested in buying the Nikon 70 - 200 1:2.8 lens AF-S VR...................I'm looking to use it in sports such as Football under the lights and basketball. Would this be a good choice? I love to take pictures, but I'm no pro, just a great hobby.


As the night went on and it got darker the pictures got really burred. I have a lens that reads......1:3.5 - 6.3 macro..............this is what came with the camera which is a D70 Nikon. So what would you recommend for me. I hope that you don't mind me asking these questions. I hope that you can give me some advice.

Thanks so much,
Berta

Answer 1

Action stopping sports photography needs fast glass. When your shot doesn't have enough light, your shutter speed lowers to compensate, in combo with hand movement, equals blurred pictures.

Recommendations:
Fast Glass can be costly, but that's what the pros use.
A flash only works if you're close enough.
Use a monopod to steady yourself.
Avoid use of digital zoom.
Image stabalization can help at times.

Answer 2

The 70-200 f/2.8 is one of the best lenses that Nikon has ever made. That's saying a lot.
It's two drawbacks are the range (200mm, effectively 300mm on a Nikon dSLR might not be long enough to cover a football field), and it's price. You'll have a hard time finding a used copy and they retail for $1600.
You can find a used Nikon 80-200 f/2.8 ED-IF for about half that price. The 80-200 has the same low light sensitivity but it lacks vibration reduction and the optics and AF speed are marginally less (ie. great as opposed to phenomenal).
If money is no object, get a 70-200. If 200mm is too short, add a tele-converter.

Answer 3

If you want to use the camera after you lose your lighting. but you don't want to use a flash, just remember to use a tripod or steady the camera on something solid. Without a flash, if the camera is moved at all, you're going to get some blur. Anytime I use my camera (manual) and go BELOW an aperture of 60, I use a tripod.