Sigma 70 - 200 f2.8 with Nikon D5100 body?
I'm a amateur photographer. I have Nikon D5100 body, and I'm looking for a good zoom lens for sports under 1000 $. I will be shooting tennis, motor sports and may be football.
Is Sigma 70 - 200 f2.8 good for my needs? Or is there any better zoom lens out there under 1000 $ for my Nikon D5100?
Added (1). I wanna add that I will be primarily shooting at nights
Some will disagree but I'm not a fan of 3rd party lenses. My recommendation would be a Nikon lens for your camera. Perhaps more expensive but that's only because it's better quality.
The AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II is highly regarded by its owners. Not as fast as the Sigma, but the Nikkor is stabilized, which will make several stops difference.
http://www.nikonusa.com/...VR-II.html
A feature comparison.
http://www.dpreview.com/...70-200_2p8
Personally, I only buy genuine Nikon lenses. You should also consider the 70-300 AF-S VR - it's not as fast as the 70-200, but your D5100 can handle high ISOs…
I shoot a lot of motocross and for shooting it during day events, I find that the Nikkor AF-S 18-200 mm lens is a better lens. There are times that a 70 mm is just too long for shooting from next to the track.
The 18-200 mm is well within your budget and you will have money left over for a few UV filters that you will want to use to protect your lens from flying pebbles and mud.
Sample shots using the 18-200 mm lens
Shooting football during night games, will certainly require using a lens that has a f/2.8 maximum aperture.
Sample of such a game, but notice I had to use a 300 mm lens for that shot.
As you may be starting to see, sports photography depends a lot on expensive, fast lenses when shooting night or indoor games.
Another sample of using a fast 300 mm but indoors.
My suggestion?
Buy the 18-200 mm and shoot all the sports you can, outdoors under bright sun or overcast days. Learn to shoot at the peak of action instead of machine gunning your subjects and start saving for your next lenses.
When I shoot basketball, I have two cameras. One with the 300 mm f/2.8 for cross court shots and one with a 24-70 mm f/2.8 for shots from the baseline
Night football, I use the 300 mm f/2.8 pretty much exclusively.
Dragstrips: 24-70 mm f/2.8
Motocross: 18-200 mm
I think you get what being a sports photographer requires in the way of lenses as well as shooting skills
Enjoy your amazing D5100 and spend some time in a proper camera shop, using both the 70-200 mm and 18-200 mm lenses on your camera. After all, YOU are going to be the one spending the money and using the lens(s)
I shoot with an older Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 and find to work well. If Santa had left a bit more under the tree, I'd love to have the outstanding Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8, but my Sigma has served me well. I use it for professional, NCAA, and high school football.
Here's some sample galleries.
Football:
http://www.sportspagemagazine.com/content/fb/mp-fb/gal-mp-fb/ufl-sacramento-mountain-lions-27-v-virginia-destro.shtml?49464
http://www.sportspagemagazine.com/content/fb/c-fb/gal-c-fb/kraft-fight-hunger-bowl-nevada-20-v-boston-college.shtml?44781
http://www.sportspagemagazine.com/content/fb/hs-fb-min/gal-hs-fb/cif-football-sac-joaquin-division-ll-finals---gran.shtml?44004
Tennis:
http://www.sportspagemagazine.com/content/ts/all-ts/gal-all-ts/2011-bank-of-the-west-classic-final-serena-william.shtml?48028