camera body or lense?

[Brfive]

I'm a very amateur photographer. Once in a while I can get an OK picture. I have always had problems with taking action shots indoors. (Kids are in karate, basketball, ect) I know part of the problem is my inexperience, but I'm looking to upgrade equipment. I have a 30d camera and my lenses are a 70-300IS and 17-85is. To have a better chance at good pics, would it be better to upgrade the camera body to a 70d or a lens like a 70-200 f/2.8L? Or am I looking in the wrong direction? Thanks for any advice!

[Brfive]

Upon reading my post above, I need to change the 70d to a 7D.

[MN Shutterbug]

The camera will suffice but the lenses won't cut it. Spend the $$$ on the 70-200. Besides, the lens will hold most of it's value where the camera will probably be worth half as much a year from now.

[Dbl]

First of all you are facing one of the more challenging aspects of photography, indoor sports! There are a lot of variables involved but I can give you general advice based on my experiences. Let me start off by telling you I spent a number of years shooting with a 20D/30D and made good money with those cameras. The lenses you have are just not going to cut indoor shooting. They are not fast enough both from a light standpoint and a focusing standpoint.

I don't know how much you are prepared to spend for some photos but my suggestion would be to start out a bit slower. One mistake I often see are folks that have equipment they don't know how to use to their potential. The camera body you have will get you through the upcoming season and allow you to develop your skill set and get a much better idea of what you will need for next season. That will also get you through a couple of new model releases. That becomes important for my next piece of advice, buy used! As the new cameras come out their will always be folks who want the newest equipment. That will put a number of couple year old cameras on the market which will be a large step up from your current equipment.

The sports you are looking to shoot will dictate what lens will do an acceptable job. So what to do about now? My suggestion would be to look at a couple of lenses that every indoor shooter should have in their bag. The first is the Canon 50/1.8, otherwise known as the “plastic fantastic”! For around $100 you will have a lens that has ok focus speed but the aperture of f1.8 will allow you to get enough light to your camera allowing you to get your shutter speed up enough to help stop your action. The lens will work well for close shooting type sports. You mentioned karate and basketball. Shooting basketball ball under the basket and not taking a shot when the players are outside the three point arc will get you some very nice shots.

The other lens I would suggest is the Canon 85/1.8. Another reasonably fast focusing lens for under $400 that will give you a bit more reach. I would not advise buying a 70-200/2.8 at this point unless you have money to burn. If you upgrade your camera next season to one that will allow shooting at higher ISO you could easily use a 70-200/f4 lens that is half the price of the 2.8 version. The newer cameras that allow shooting at a clean ISO of 6400 to 8,000 ISO help reduce the need for expensive f2.8 lenses. In fact the 70-200/4 is one of Canon's best bargains in the lens department. Fast focus and tack sharp! So for about $500 dollars you will get a whole season of experience with equipment that will give you good results.

IF you buy a used $1200 camera body next season along with a 70-200/4 for around $1000 and you will have spent what you would for a 70-200/2.8! Just another avenue to consider. Take your time and spend your money wisely. That usually means shooting a season and see what will meet your shooting requirements. I see many folks buying too soon and spending money on equipment they regret buying because it does not meet their expectations.

If you have more questions feel free to ask.

[Hwood]

Listen to Dan.

[Brfive]

Thanks for the advice. I'll look for an 85 1.8 and shoot some more!

[MN Shutterbug]

Great choice. I had the 85/1.8 at one time and tested it at a basketball game. It did an awesome job. But, I couldn't find a good use for it since I don't really have a reason to shoot sports so it got sold.