This is a long shot but has anyone on this site ever shot football from the sidelines in a covered dome/stadium? Not an open stadium but a covered one using artificial light. I'm planning a shoot @ the Tacoma Dome in Seattle, WA this next week. Got a lens questions... or more like a lens concern.
@cameronknowlton Thanks for responding. I've been shooting outdoor games with an old Sigma 70-200 2.8/3.2 and getting away with it but the lens is not that high quality - flare issues galore. I have a Sony G 70-300 4.5/5.6 lens which I'm hoping may work indoors @ the Dome. Just not certain I can get 1/500th of a second @ a min of 3200 iso. I guess I'll just have to try and see. I have been debating selling this Sony lens and getting a new Sigma 70-200 2.8 throughout.
ED lenses really are worth the money, you totally forget about shooting into the sun. I rented a Signma 15-30mm, and suffered the same problem. I've never had that problem with my owned or rented Nikons I've been on the fence about buying that otherwise amazing Sigma lens, or dropping double for the Nikon 16-35mm, and dealing with the extra weight and size.
@cameronknowlton understood. I think I'm going to get a new Sigma 70-200 and see how it works out. I'm sure the old one I'm using (20 years old) doesn't have the coatings to help minimize flare. I feel pretty confident my Sony G lens mentioned above will not work that good in with the stadium lighting conditions (not fast enough)...still going to haul it around with me and try.
I agree that the 70-300 is unlikely to be fast enough for what you want. You probably won't suffer too much from flare in indoor lighting conditions, as the lights will be at a fair angle from the direction you're pointing the lens. Do you have a lens hood for your 70-200? If not, I'd honestly consider making one out of black cardboard and gaffer tape!
@brianl I have a Sigma 70-200 2.8 that I've used to shoot college football and lacrosse, both indoors and outside under very poor light conditions, and have had very good experiences with it. No flare at all.
A colleague of mine (not on 365) got his start as one of the photographers for the Seahawks when they played in the Kingdome; he still does quite a bit of sports shooting at roller derbys, and may have some tips - his info is at http://www.flickr.com/people/rs_butner/
@abirkill yes I agree regarding the sony. I may ebay it soon. Still new. The old 70-200 has a hood but it does not help. @jcarrollphoto got a new one on order. Should have it before the game. @dhostick I will check it out.
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http://digital-photography-school.com/forum/general-chit-chat/1142-renting-lenses-seattle-area.html
Don't forget that, as @cameronknowlton has done, renting a lens is always a good option if it's a really important event. If this is a rare opportunity and you want to get great shots, you could rent something like this:
http://www.lensrentals.com/rent/sony/lenses/supertelephoto/sony-300mm-f2.8g-ssm