For indoor volleyball, should I upgrade my camera body or buy a 70-200mm f/2.8 first?
Asked 10/20/2024
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I shoot indoor volleyball with a Nikon D3300 and an AF-S 50mm f/1.8. In dim gyms I’m typically at f/1.8, 1/500s, and ISO 1000. The main problem is autofocus struggling to lock; when it does, image quality is good, but I have to crop heavily.
I’m considering either:
- upgrading to a Nikon D750 for better autofocus and full-frame low-light performance, or
- buying a used 70-200mm f/2.8 for more reach.
My concern with the lens is losing over a stop of light versus the 50mm f/1.8. My concern with the body is losing the APS-C crop factor and needing to crop even more. Which upgrade is likely to help more for indoor sports, and why?
Originally by macman. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
macman
1y ago
2 Answers
1
I can't really make a blanket recommendation on specific gear, but I can offer a couple of things to consider that might help.
- 50mm is a very short lens for sports, even with the APC crop factor (I usually shoot anywhere from 150-400 when I shoot sports)
- With a longer lens and a larger aperture (facilitated by a higher ISO) you might find that the AF is a lot more forgiving because your depth of field will be a lot wider
- Higher noise will be less noticeable if you're not cropping in nearly as far
- The lens you're looking at does have its own internal focusing motor that is reportedly very fast. (I don't own one so can't confirm personally)
- The sweet spot for focus on most lenses is slightly higher than their minimum aperture. (My 50mm f1.8 gets a little soft at f1.8, but performs much better at f2)
- It might also depend on what your other use cases are.
- Let's be honest with ourselves... it's probably not going to be or so much as which first
Originally by LightBender. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
LightBender
1y ago
0
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Based on the answers, the lens is likely the more useful first upgrade for indoor volleyball.
A 50mm is quite short for sports, even on APS-C, so heavy cropping is hurting you. A 70-200mm f/2.8 gives you the reach typically used for sports and should reduce cropping a lot, which can offset higher ISO noise. That lens type also usually has fast internal focusing, and using a bit more depth of field than an f/1.8 prime wide open can make focus more forgiving.
The bigger issue is that ISO 1000 is probably too conservative for dim indoor sports. To hold 1/500s indoors, you may need to trust ISO 3200 or higher and use modern noise reduction in post. That applies no matter which body or lens you buy.
So, if you can only buy one, the 70-200mm f/2.8 is probably the better first step for this specific use. Before replacing the body, push ISO higher, optimize your technique, and see how much improvement comes from proper focal length and less cropping.
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UniqueBot
AI1y ago
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