Starting out as a sports photographer

[Goalie7322]

Hello, I'm new to these forums and am eager to tap into the vast knowledge here. I'm looking to purchase a Canon 20D to use for sports photography, however, is this the right choice? Initially, I'm not planning to make this a full-time job, as I am a student, however, I want a camera that can pictures that could be sold for a small profit. Is the Canon 20D optimal for sports photography? What lense would be optimal for taking pictures of soccer/football/field hockey/lacrosse? My budget is capped at $2000 for the body and the accessories. Additionally, where should I buy the Canon 20D? I found a website that sells just the body for $900 new, however this price is $500 less than anywhere else. Should I be wary of this website (even though it looks legitimate). Here's the link:

Thanks in advance

[drifter136]

Other people on here will probably be able to give you better advice, but thought I might be able to help a little.

With a $2000 budget...the 20D is probably the best camera for sports you'll be able to get. When I save up enough, that's the camera I'll be getting to photograph wakeboarding.

As far as lenses, The 20D with the 18-55 lens is around $1500-1600 and so for a sports lens with the left over money, I'd get either the Canon 70-200 F/4L (a little over $500) or the Sigma 70-200 F/2.8 EX (a little over $600 and includes tripod mount). That will put you a little over your $2000 limit, but it would be a pretty good sports setup for the the limited budget.

I would be leary with a company selling the 20D for that cheap, but look them up at www.resellerratings.com to see what others have to say about them.

Hope that helps a little

[another view]

Not being a Canon shooter, I can't comment too much on their gear. However, digital camera bodies get updated much faster than the lenses do. What about a used 10D and one of their 80-200 f2.8 lenses? Not being sure of all of the exact advantages and disadvantages between the two bodies, you will want to check that out - but if you're serious, spending money on lenses is usually a good (or better) bet.

Check out the "shop" link at the top of this page. If you buy thru one of the links then this site gets a few dollars as a referral which always helps! Most people here have had good experiences with B&H, Calumet and Adorama and I agree from my own experiences. If someone is selling it for so much less than everyone else then there's a reason for that. You probably won't get a warranty, accessories, instructions, software, etc - if they send you the camera at all!

[Ryguyinlj]

A 20D is an excellent choice. but it may be more than you need. It can shoot 5 frames per second and can shoot 20+ continuous frames. trust me, it makes it a lot easier when catching fast paced action at times.

[Dragonhan]

I just got into sports photography as hobby; my 9 yr old dauthter played soccer and indoor basketball. I started out with 10D and two lenses - 28-135mm IS and 70-300mm IS in early April of this year. You definitely need at least 200mm lens with 1.6x lens cropping factor; you get 320mm with 10D. These two lenses were adequate when you have good lighting; however, they are not fast enough for indoor shooting. I then acquired 1D Mark II, 70-200mm F2.8 L IS, 135mm F2 L and two extenders- 1.4X and 2X. I got the 1D Mark II because I thought I can do better with faster AF body. I finally realized that 10D was more than fast enough for me. The lens is more important because 10D and 20D are both good cameras. Given that you have $2000 cap, I will get 10D and get 70-200 mm F2.8 L lens. It does not need to have an IS feature. It will probably will cost you about $2400 but I think it will be a good investment in long run. I wasted money on lenses because I didn't know any better. Also, if the price is too good to be true, be aware!!!

[jorge velasquez]

I'm considering the 10d versus 20d for sport....My biggest concern is "the follow focus" with these 2 cameras....What do you think? Is the 10d adequate for good sport shots ?


Thanks for your thoughts

[Arctirus]

I'm about to purchase a 20D myself along with a lens for sports. I'm going with this: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...#goto_itemInfo canon 70 to 300 with image stabilization.

I know there is 1.6 magnification on the 20D but I'm still looking for a longer lens than 200mm. I could always use a converter but then I loose the F stop that the 200mm gives me making it pointless. The 70 - 300 also has image stabilization which although making it heavy is great.

[Reminisce]

I'm considering the 10d versus 20d for sport....My biggest concern is "the follow focus" with these 2 cameras....What do you think? Is the 10d adequate for good sport shots ?


Thanks for your thoughts

If by "follow focus" you mean AI Servo, then yes the 10D does a great job at it. Both the 20D and 10D have AI Servo in which the camera will continuously focus on the moving object inside the frame and attempt to keep it in focus. I love using this feature on my 20D

[Photo-John]

I have a Canon 10D and an EOS 1D. While I've shot a lot of great photos with the 10D, I've also been very frustrated with the AF accuracy. The AI Servo is fine, it's getting it to accurately focus on small subjects that's been the problem. It sounds like people shooting team sports haven't had this problem, though. I shoot mostly mountain biking and like big open images with tiny subjects. You probably won't want to shoot like that when you're shooting soccer. As far as the 10D vs the 20D goes, for my purposes, the 20D is definitely a big improvement. I haven't used it, but I've been asking other photographers I know who shoot the same stuff I do, and have used both. The 20D is both faster and more accurate. Understand, I'm not knocking the 10D. For most people it's probably more than enough. But I'm spoiled by the awesome AF on my 1D, and the type of photos I like to shoot are a problem. So if you can afford a 20D, that would be the right thing to do. If not, the 10D is definitely a great camera. I still have mine and am not planning to replace it any time soon.