What lens to buy

[tward88]

I hav a Daughter who plays volleyball in every dark gym she can find. I have a Nikon D80 with an 18-135mm f/3.5 - 5.6 lens on it. Flashes are not allowed at her games.

The lens is just not fast enough to photograph indorrs in poorly lit gyms without a flash.

I am thinking that an 80-200mm f/2.8 might be a good choice but may not be fast enough.
So then I was thinking an 85mm f1.8 or 50mm f/1.8 would be a better choice.

Can anyone enlighten me to which would be the better choice, or if there is something else I should consider.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

[retroactiv]

The lower the "F" the better I'm sure you know, if you can swing it I'd get the 85mm f1.8

[tufcat]

I have all three of those lenses and all are excellent lenses. In the low light you describe, with no flash, you will probably need the f/1.8 and a pretty high ISO to have any real chance of success (all, of course, depending on how dark the gym actually is).

The 50mm f/1.8 is a good and very reasonably priced lens. Even if your gym shots don't work out, the investment is minimal and the 50mm f/1.8 is not a bad lens to have in your bag.

[BFiredup]

I shoot my basketball pics, with the 85mm f/1.8...same gym conditions as you have...and it does a nice job, but you have to adjust for every gym....the one I shot in last night was brighter on one end than the other...UGH....LOL...it was a really HIGH ceiling with some kind of bulb lights hanging down...But still got some really good images...

The pro's here can help you more than I can....so don't worry...

You have to figure in also, how close you are going to be to the action?

Have a great time shooting...

[tward88]

Thanks for the advice!

I think I found a local camera shop that will let me try a couple lenses to see how they work.

[BFiredup]

That is wonderful.....that is the best way to go.

[tward88]

Followup question.

Is it worth the price difference to go from a 50mm f/1.8 to a 50mm f/1.4?

Here is a sample taken with my 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6. It is a bit blurry on her hand and very grainy. I would like to aviod both of those things.