Sports Lens option for D7200?

<p>Very recently upgraded to a D7200 from D90. Main shooting is on HS sports. I have a 70-300 Nikon which is very poor in low light. Can't afford the faster Nikon zooms...recommendation on a good fit? Tamron , Sigma? </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>I use the Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 and I am very happy with the results I get from it. I use it on a D4 or a D300s depending.<br>

If it holds up as well as my Sigma 120-300 has ( 8 years of pro use and counting) I will be very pleased</p>

<p>What kinds of sports do you shoot? Night football, basketball ...?</p>

<p>Indoor/night sports photography is an area that is most demanding on equipment. You may be able to get away with something like a 85mm/f1.8 AF-S for basketball if you are court side. Otherwise, maybe a third-party 70-200mm/f2.8 at around $1000, perhaps used.</p>

<p>And what exactly is your budget?</p>

<p>Look for a used Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 VC, and dial up to ISO 2000. I very rarely buy camera gear when it's new. There's a big savings especially on Sigma or Tamron if bought used. Your current lens is f5.6. An f2.8 will be two stops faster. That means if you are getting 1/60s shutter speed now, an f2.8 lens will let you shoot at 1/250s. The D7200 can be shot at ISO 2000 with no problem, and maybe a bit higher depending on your processing.</p>

<p>Kent in SD</p>

You really can't shoot indoor or night sports

with anything slower than 2.8 in my

experience. I have the older tamron 70-200

not vc. It's great in most situations but it's af is a little slow for indoor sports so I usually

rent the VRII Nikon for indoor. The VC tamron

might be faster af or the sigma. Any of them

including the tamron I have would be better

than what you are currently using.

<p>If you search for a used 70-200 f/2.8 Tamron or Sigma as suggested above, you might run across a used Nikon 70-200mm f/2/8 VR <strong>in the original version</strong> that is within your budget. This is a fine lens on a DX body like the D7200, but many users have sold theirs (and moved to the Nikon 70-200mm VR II) because they are unhappy with its resolution in the corners on FX. If you are not planning to move to FX in the future, this may give you one more choice in addition to the lenses suggested above.</p>

I second what Javkin said. I bought my 70-200 vr1

for 900 and it is in a great shape.

<p>I'll 2nd Hector, I bought a used Nikon 70-200mm 2.8 VR 1 and it's really good.</p>

<p>Jack, I have the D7200 and the 1st generation 70-200 f2.8. I agree with the others who recommend the combination. It has remarkable resolution and the complaint about being soft in the corners won't be an issue for you with DX. Good luck with your search.<br>

Tom</p>

<p>the one you want is really the Nikon 70-200 VR I. not just for image quality but also for focusing speed and accuracy. the tamron VC model with USD may focus faster than the previous model but the build quality isnt on the nikon's level. the nikon also has a focus limiter which means snappier AF from longer distances than 3 meters. you should be able to find the nikon used for less than the new price of the tamron. you could also consider the nikon 80-200/2.8, which is essentially the same as the 70-200 without VR, which you probably dont need for sports shooting anyway.</p>

<p>I have the Nikon 80-200 f/2.8 AF-D as well as the Nikon 80-200 AFS. Bith of them are now door stops. The AFD has suffered the cracked focus switch for the second time and the AFS no longer auto focuses because the motor died and parts are not available. I replaced them with the newest Sigma 70-200. It has VR and is AFS. It focuses faster then either of the 80-200 ever did.</p>

<p>Shooting head to head tests against the Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 VR II the Sigma is a little less contrasty at f/2.8. By f/3.2 there is no difference between the two copies that I can get my hands on. <br>

The testing involved resolution charts, color charts as well as shooting equestrian events. <br>

I just can't see buying a used Nikon lens when for not all that much more you can buy a new Sigma and have the warranty. </p>