(camera noob) Camera Lense For Gymnastics

[Nathaniel Vazquez]

So my sisters birthday is coming up and i was thinking about getting her a new lense for the canon Rebel T5i EOS that she just recently got in the last year. Her being a gymnast, likes taking "action shots" during competitions so I'm looking into something with anywhere from 3x-8x zoom and would be decent at capturing those moments for her. Would like to keep the price under $500 US if able. I know next to nothing about cameras, so please feel free to correct me if i just need a basic zoom kit to get what i wish. All help is appreciated!

[bob345]

So my sisters birthday is coming up and i was thinking about getting her a new lense for the canon Rebel T5i EOS that she just recently got in the last year. Her being a gymnast, likes taking "action shots" during competitions so I'm looking into something with anywhere from 3x-8x zoom and would be decent at capturing those moments for her. Would like to keep the price under $500 US if able. I know next to nothing about cameras, so please feel free to correct me if i just need a basic zoom kit to get what i wish. All help is appreciated!

the 55-250 stm is probably one of the only decently usable telephoto lens i would recommend in that budget. You could also go the rout of a used 70-200 f4 non is.

[Dredgy]

A mid-long range telephoto is definitely what you want and there are a few good options from Canon

 

The "best" option is the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM Lens. It has an impressive zoom range and will be able to great close ups even from the sidelines. It is a constant aperture lens, which means it will let in the same amount of light whether you are zoomed out or zoomed all the way in.  It costs about $600 new, but you should be able to find it used for under $500. This is a fantastic lens, one of Canon's best.

 

A cheaper option is the Canon 18-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS or Canon 18-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS STM. The STM version is just the updated version of the former and offers near-silent autofocus. It gives you a great zoom range, at 18mm it allows you to get wide angle shots as well, though you may find 135mm just isn't long enough to always get the close ups you need. Both versions can easily be had for under $350 used. It is a variable aperture which means at full zoom it will let in a lot less light than when it is zoomed out. I've used this lens on both my Canon T2i and Blackmagic URSA and it's a very versatile lens, but it just doesn't always zoom in as far as I need it to.

 

The Canon 55-250mm f/4-5.6 is also a very good option. It will zoom in further than the other lenses I've mentioned and is much cheaper. It is borderline super telephoto. It's image quality should be more than good enough. It's build quality is average, but more than likely fine for your sisters use. It would be a great present without breaking the bank. Like the 18-135, images will be darker when fully zoomed in as opposed to being zoomed out.

 

The other option, but is more aimed for "pro" use is the Canon 200mm f/2.8L II USM. This is not a zoom lens, but a prime lens, which means it's always "stuck" at 200mm (fully zoomed in). It gives fantastic image quality - is razor sharp and not having to zoom means it can let in between 2-4x the amount of light as other lenses mentioned here, making it great for if the gym meets aren't well lit. It's a "L" lens, which means weather sealing and exceptional build quality.

It's also very pricey and finding it under $500 is unlikely, but it is version 2 (II) so you should be able to find the version 1 lens for well under $500.

 

Hope that helps

[Captain_Slow]

what about the tamron 70-200 LD? that should come in at under 500 used and gives you an extra stop of light over the canon 70-200 f4

[ALwin]

Well regardless of lens chosen, make sure the lens has a fast AF motor.  Because the good moments in any sports only last for a short moment and the camera must be fast to capture it.