D50 + Nikon 18-200 for sports?

The new Nikon 18-200 has gotten extatic reviews all over. My question is, can

you use it's whole potential with D50? Is the autofocus speed all in the lens,

or does the camera have any effect? Or more to the point: is the 18-200 really

this good as the review states when taking sports photos __with a D50__?? (and

not a D200 used in the review).

 

Thanks for any clarifications, I'm quite new to this!

 

The review: http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/18200/18200-focus.htm

The camera also has an influence on AF speed. I can't say for sure how much difference there would be between using the lens on a D50 and a D200, but the D50 will not be as good. Perhaps at least as much to the point so far as action sports photography is concerned, the aperture of f/5.6 at the focal lengths you're most likely to be using will limit you to daytime shooting in fairly good light in order to get fast enough shutter speeds to freeze the action unless you are able to use a fairly powerful flash (often frowned on in many sports, though you do have the benefit of a fast 1/500th X sync speed). The useability of the combination will depend on the sports you intend to shoot.

If you can get the 18-200 to 'act' like a f2.8 (or a f2.0) lens, then yes. But with ISO 1600 (fairly good on the D50) _ the all-in-one zoom for action is going to be tough to use. The VR function makes the camera-lens steady, but it does nothing to stop a running football or soccer player under [very often] crappy stadium lights.

Nikon 18-200 is great for sports with D50, but that depends on sport. E.g. chess playing photography would perform well, but not car racing, and other fast object moving sports. Get appropriate lens, and a camera for this, e.g. D2Hs or D2x instead of D200.

You can use that combo for sports (action oriented, I assume,) but most likely won't be very happy with user experience and resulting photos. If the sports you're refering to includes action and requires you to instantaneously freeze the frames, then I think something like 80-200mm f2.8 would be a better lens choice.

Living in Arizona I am lucky enough to have moderate to bright sunshine all year long and I have captured some nice images with a "slower" telephoto (f/5.6 at 300mm) lens at 200-400 ISO. Depending on where you live and the conditions that you are shooting under a slower lens may suit your needs, but sooner or later you'll want something faster. Personally wouldn't purchase anything slower than a f/2.8 for sports photography.

 

I use a D50 for sports photography covering everything from baseball to volleyball. I have never really had any issues with the auto focus and the only real disadvantage has been the slow 2.5fps. When I first started shooting sports I found myself capturing the image right before or right after the one that I wanted. Now that my timing has improved I am able to capture one out of four shots which isn't bad considering the fps of the D50.

 

Just my opinion as a D50 user.

 

Dave<div></div>

Here is one of my basketball shots.<div></div>

First of all remember that Ken Rockwell doesn't shoot sports and even mentions it on his site. So his review of the 18-200 is based more on his needs which is versatility for various candid events.

 

I own one and use it on my D70s. I live in the midwest and used it often for youth football games outdoors. I thought it worked excellent. It focused fast, kept a sharp picture and stopped the action wonderfully, but one has to remember to change the ISO from the default 200 on those overcast or dreery fall days. Many times I just let the camera choose the ISO and everything comes out fine.

 

I have not tried it on indoor sports however, and even though Ken says you can just increase the ISO to compensate for the smaller aperture, others have indicated a faster lens is needed for the indoors.

Thanks a lot everyone for your help. Since sports shooting won't be my primary usage, I've decided to buy a 18-200 and then a cheaper fixed lens for sports shooting that works both for snowboard action on overcast days and indoors volleyball in bad lightning. Tips are appreciated!