Best lenses for ML baseball

[ned1]

I may have a job this summer covering a major league baseball team. I

do mostly wedding work now, and I suspect my camera and lenses may not

the ideal. Since this will be a full season job it's worth it for me

to invest in new gear, but I don't want to spend more than $2000 on a

lense.

 

My current gear:

 

cameras: D200 and FG

 

I won't bother to list lenses shorter than 70mm.

 

lenses: 17-200mm 4.5-5.6 VR

85mm 1.8 AF

180mm 2.8 MF (nice, but not much use with fast action)

 

Do a need a longer lense? I'll be in the press area but this is a

major leage park, not little leage. Do I need a VR lense or would I

be better off working off a tripod?

 

And is the D200 up to it? Hate to sell it when I just bought it.

 

 

 

If 200 (which becomes 300 on the D200) is enough, I might upgrade to

the 80-200 2.8 VR, which I could also use for the weddings.

 

Any ideas?

[lex_jenkins]

Your choices might be limited if you want compatibility with your FG. I don't know whether it's fully compatible with G Nikkors.

 

Depending on access I'd want the 200/2 VR, 300/2.8 VR or 200-400/4 VR. The faster lenses would be better for night games. The zoom would be more versatile. They weigh about the same but the zoom is about four inches longer.

 

Some sports photographers go as long as 600mm. Nikon doesn't yet offer VR in a 500mm or 600mm lens.

 

I suspect that some pros using big glass like this are leasing for the season and have good insurance to cover accidents and theft.

[ramon_v__california_]

i'm afraid none of your lenses and the FG will be sufficient. since you will be paid big bucks anyway, i would add some more to your $2,000 and get a D2Hs. lease for one season two fast lenses, (maybe one prime and one zoom) in the 300mm to 600mm range. put one each on the D2Hs and D200. the D2Hs for infield and homeplate action; and the D200 with the longer lens for the outfield.

 

the D200 on a tri- or monopod (or not). one around your neck, the other on your shoulder -- depending on which is your primary camera/lens combo. and depending on how the press area is set up and populated. there are rules and etiquette (sometimes none); and gentlemen's agreements in the press box.

 

after you get paid, you will have enough money to buy a real f/2.8 for yourself and lease just one for the next season :-)

 

i would also practice in local minor league games.

 

good luck.

[rjacksonphoto]

I guess your price range rules out the Nikkor 1200-1700 F/5.6-6.8 ED-IF (at $78,500.00 USD)! I understand this lens was designed specifically for baseball coverage and that most of them are owned by Sports Illustrated.

 

I would think you'll need a lot longer lenses than 200mm. I think you have to cover a lot of ground to shoot home plate from the front.

[paul_sokal___dallas__tx]

R,

 

Haven't seen this 1200-1700 zoom on the NikonUSA web site. Do you have some info on this? Does it have it's own rolling cart?

 

Paul

[rjacksonphoto]

Paul

 

Almost three feet long, weighs 35 pounds, has to be custom ordered. I seem to recall that there was a 6 month wait for delivery and that you could fit all of the owners of such a lens in one small room.

[rjacksonphoto]

Paul

 

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/speciallenses/12001700mm.htm

[armando_roldan]

You are going to need real sports type camera and MUCH bigger lenses.

 

Here a shot with a 70-200mm from about 120 ft away at 200mm on a D2H.I really needed a 300mm f2,8 on Digital or 400mm on film. And I was at 8 frames per second to get this shot.

 

How did you land a job shooting MLB if you are aa wedding shooter?

Just asking.<div></div>

[brad_w]

Edward -

Something sounds amiss here. Someone is paying you to shoot MLB and you have no idea

how to do it? If you've shot HS or little league, you'd realize that $2000 is not even close

to adequate funds for the glass. You'll need at least a 300/2.8 ($2200 at the cheap end,

but you'll want TC's), preferably a 400 or longer.

 

Also, if you're running a business on par with the industry, expenses should be recouped

pretty quickly if you lay out $3500, especially if you will be reselling the lens at the end of

the season. The good news is that high frame rates are not nesessary, baseball

"moments" are reasonably predictable. -b

[lex_jenkins]

I think I've seen that 1200-1700 monster on a program on the National Geographic channel. Interestingly, it looked like a low end body hanging off the end of it.

[ned1]

Long story but the short of it is that this is for a start-up with a limited budget. They loved my portfolio and the fact that I read the Bill James Almanac from cover to cover. Not sure if this job is going to come through but I want to know what I'll need if it does. Life is one damned thing after another.

[lex_jenkins]

The Sigma 120-300/2.8 has been highly praised in the test reports I've read. It doesn't have any sort of optical stabilization but should be manageable from a monopod. There are two versions, the newer "optimized for digital," which I think is Sigmabuzz for improved coating at the rear of the lens to minimize flare reflected off the sensor. You can probably snag one within your budget. Be sure it's fully compatible with the D200, tho'. Sigma reverse engineers its lenses and sometimes they need to update the chips for compatibility with new cameras.

[steakandale]

My son did a lot of bat-boy duty at Spring training. The above matches everything I saw out there, most were the ubiquitous White bazookas.

 

Now my favorite shot of the entire McGuire-Sosa home-run race was the wide angle shot of (I think) number 70 coming in for a landing shot from the back bleachers!

[j_t3]

I have to be totally honest here and I certainly mean no disrespect but this story is a little hard to swallow.

 

Your bio says you split time between Boston and New York so unless you've moved youﾒre talking about covering the Boston Red Sox, the New York Mets or the New York Yankees. Probably the three most heavily media covered teams in major league baseball.

 

The only piece in your equipment list that will work is the D200 but unfortunately, you'll probably need 2 more of them, 3 or 4 pro level lenses and several flashes as well. If you are working for a major league baseball team, not all your images will come from the press photo box at field level. There will be press conferences, locker room shots, team functions, on the field shots during batting practice, etc, etc, etc,

 

Also as a team photographer for a major league baseball team, you will certainly need to back up everything your using on game night so you'll need a minimum of 2 bodies, a minimum of 2 flashes, power packs for the flashes to recycle instantly, back up batteries, etc, etc, For example, if someone is tossing a no hitter or somebody hits 4 homeruns, you certainly can't be missing history being made because you ran out of cards, or your battery died, etc, etc,

 

I've shot a few free lance events for the New York Yankees over the years only because a good buddy of mine worked for them but the level

and the amount of equipment the regular shooters were carrying around was incredible.

 

If you really want to do this correctly and hopefully end up getting the gig long term, you really need to be thinking in the $10,000 and higher range for the equipment budget. Of course leasing to taking out a loan is an option but to buy, that's were you'll need to be at least to be competitive.

 

Again, I don't mean to sound skeptical but it's hard to believe a major league baseball team would hire a wedding photographer on a full time payroll basis to cover a season. Do you have any sports shots you could post?

[geoff_cheshire]

Maybe do some searching and reading on http://www.sportsshooter.com/. Yes, there are prima donnas there.

[briany]

An MLB "start-up with a limited budget"? Hmm.. perhaps you meant Minor league??

[lex_jenkins]

Let's try to concentrate on responses that are helpful rather than trying to determine whether someone is qualified to perform a particular photographic assignment.

 

The sportsshooters site is clearly aimed at the pro and seasoned amateur. Rather than duplicate that role here, perhaps we should try to be as accomodating as possible to those who are interested in learning this part of the craft or honing their skills.

 

That isn't to say that we shouldn't point out the realities of certain situations. But we shouldn't prequalify whether someone is worthy of our advice or of trying to tackle a challenging assignment.

[johnw63]

I don't believe he stated who hired him or who he will be working for, so assuming he's got a

high paying job and can afford all the expensive gear is pure speculation. Sometimes, you get

in the door by knowing somebody who knows sombody..... If it was a BIG outfit, they

wouldn't bother with a guy with no sporting experience, now would they ? If he needs to

stay under $2000 for a lens to try to accomplish his task, why not tell him what would be the

best lens for the money ?

[j_t3]

I was not speculating on whether or not it was a high paying job, I was clearly stating what was needed to shoot at that level.

 

Ed clearly stated it was shooting a major league baseball club and there are only 30 major league baseball teams so I was strictly going by where Ed lists his home at in his bio. The only teams in that area are the Mets, Yankees and Red Sox, maybe throw in Philly. If your budget to shoot this level of baseball is $2000 then the honest answer is you don't have enough to be competitive with the other shooters. It's as simple as that. If you never stood on a major league baseball field and actually saw how fast and how hard those guys are actually throwing the ball, it will shock you the first time. I stood 5 feet behind a catcher in spring training about 10 years ago with Randy Johnson on the mound during a work out. He unloaded a 100 mile an hour fast ball and I think the first time I saw it was when the catcher was throwing it back to him.

 

Ed's going to need at least two bodies and 3 or 4 of the fastest prime lens at very long focal lengths. If you look at any Major League Baseball pics, you can see the seam on the ball as its being thrown 100 MPH from 55 feet after the pitcher follows through. You're not doing that without the best equipment money can buy. At a minimum, you'd need a second D200 body and a 200 F/2 and a 300 F/2.8 and your budget will only allow the body or about half the lens at best.

 

It's just not going to happen for a $2000 budget. It's like saying I want to race the Indy 500 next year and I've got $100,000 to invest in a car tell me the best one to buy.

 

Perhaps if Ed can give us some more details and specifics, as much as he wishes to divulge, we can help him some more but if you plan to shoot a major league baseball team, you're not going to be able to do it on that budget, no offense intended Ed, just trying to be honest with you.

[rick_helmke]

Ed you will need a minimum of 2 bodies, three if you can get them. D200's and maybe a low miles D100 or D1X. Your 180 2.8 is a great lens, a bit short but it has it's uses. Just because it's MF doesn't mean you can't focus. Photographers used to do it all the time and I still think AF isn't quite what it's cracked up to be. Then get a 300 2.8 and a 1.4 converter. If you can somehow finance a fast 500 then get one. I'd worry less about VR lenses for now and get a good tripod.You will need extra batteries and memory but bring a good basic load, see what other shooters are doing and adjust. Determine right now if you will be shooting RAW or JPEG. That will have a lot to do with how many and how big your cards are.

 

Personally I don't care how you got the gig or how much sports experience you have. Weddings require an amount of thinking on your feet as well. When you get under way, see what the other shooters are doing. No need to tell them you are a newbie, it will be clear to them early on and many of them will be glad to help. Keep your mouth shut and learn. Learn as much about the game and the team as possible before the season starts. If you can shoot some college or lower level games, do it. You're going to have one of the best jobs in the world you lucky bastard and I envy you. Do it well and you will keep getting more of it.

 

Rick H.

[j_t3]

Ed,

 

I think Rick and I are right on the same page as we are both basically describing the same system and requirements. The problem though comes right back to the $2000 budget that you've mentioned. I just don't see you being able to get this level of equipment that will be needed to be competitive with the other shooters. All the advice is great but without the proper equipment, you'll struggle. To put it in wedding terms, it would be like someone shooting a wedding with a Pentax K1000 versus you having a Hassy with you.

[Uhooru]

The glass is the big cost. I'd recommend for a 2nd body a D2H. But you may have to start off renting lenses. I know at the local Hocky gaves, I'm seeing the photogs using a monopod and Cannon withlooks to be a 400 with the huge White lens shade. You will probably need longer for baseball depending on where you are positioned. I'm just talking about the game itself. Your wedding stuff should probably work for the after game etc. But you do need to have quality redundant backup. Call up a newspaper sports photographer, see if you can take them to lunch or otherwise pick their brains. Actually, when I go to the pond to see Hocky in Anaheim, I don't see a lot of equipment visible, though I'm sure there's spare stuff somewhere.