Looking to add a 70-200 f2.8 lens to my arsenal and I have narrowed it down to these three options:
1. Canon 70-200 f2.8 non-IS (New)
2. Canon 70-200 f2.8 IS Mark I (Used)
3. Tamron 70-200 f2.8 VC (New)
The primary reason for buying this lens is shooting sports (lacrosse and football) so I don't think the IS will come into play for that. I'd love to get the Canon 70-200 IS Mark II but it is a bit out of my price range.
Not sure you budget but you can try for "Tamron 150-600mm" if sports is what you want to consider. Canon version is available for shipping.
While I liek the range on that it is high school sports and I am relatively close to the action. The lens would also get some use in my portraiture work as well.
I'd message MattO or Skip for their input. They both do sports specifically. You could also look over at Sportsshooter for some more opinions. My gut feeling is that a 70-200 is largely only useful for looser shots, depending upon what your access is, and that you'll be left needing more reach. Having said that, this then becomes a question of how much of this you'll be doing and how much money you're willing to dedicate, because those long fast lenses get mega pricey super fast.
I'd also personally test the Tamron's to determine if their focus speed is adequate. That's been something I've seen on several Tamron lenses I've used (slow focus compared to other options), and it's not something you want to come into play in sports.
Yeah, a good bit of my kit is used too. There are ways to "ease the pain" such as KEH.com, which has VERY conservative ratings. Overall, I'd say mine is about 50% used, with no bad deals.
Save a few bucks, it'll still be a used lens after the first game anyway.
Not a bad idea... I just need to get over my fear of buying used gear.
i don't think i've ever bought a new lens.
I ordered once from amazon warehouse but it seems like the piece was having some problem. They replaced it with another one otherwise it used lens are good except they never opened and do not have any dust or anything else.
