I've been shooting high school football and track for years with my trusty 7D Mark II, but I finally made the jump to the R5. The autofocus tracking on the R5 is mind-blowing, though my old EF glass with the adapter is starting to feel like a bottleneck for burst rates and tracking speed.
I need a dedicated RF lens that can keep up with the R5's sensor. I'm mostly shooting outdoor field sports under decent light, but I occasionally hit the indoor basketball court too.
Here are my constraints:
- Budget: Under $3,000 (used is fine).
- Focal length: Needs to be at least 200mm, ideally 300mm+.
- Weight: I walk the sidelines for 3 hours at a time, so something that won't kill my back.
- Aperture: f/2.8 is preferred, but I could live with f/4 if the sharpness is top-tier.
Should I hunt down a used RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 or stick to the RF 70-200mm f/2.8 and just accept that I'll need to crop a bit more? Is there something else in the RF lineup I'm missing for high-speed stuff?
Look, stop overthinking the glass. If you're hauling that gear for three hours, don't kill your back. Get the Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM. It’s light, sharp as a rusted bolt, and handles action better than anything else.
- Forget the f/7.1 variable aperture.
- Stick to the f/2.8 for indoor courts.
- Save your cash for a teleconverter. Listen, you don't need more reach—you need more light. Get the 70-200 and learn to move.
Regarding what #1 said about not overthinking the glass—tbh, I get the back pain struggle, but have you considered the Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM?
- It's way more versatile for track meets.
- The reach is insane compared to the 70-200. Are you shooting from the sidelines or mostly from the bleachers? That’ll change how much reach you actually need for those tight field shots.
No way, I literally just dealt with this yesterday. Small world.