K-5 for soccer and baseball + lens recommendation

faworange · 01-04-2012, 01:10 PM

Originally posted by nateinc

I use my K-5 and that Tamron for indoor basketball, indoor volleyball, football, soccer, softball and swimming (US High School). When sitting at indoor events, I shoot handheld; outdoor sports, I use a monopod (with the exception of swimming). It's a heavy piece of glass. The high ISO capabilities of the K-5 make taking photos in high school gyms (poor lighting) pleasant and combined with that glass, improved my keeper rate dramatically. I also tend to move to the baseline and shoot with my 50mm f1.4 and 35 f2.8 about half of the basketball game.

Outdoors shooting softball, it's a great piece of glass, when shooting from center field I do find that 200 isn't enough and do usually have to crop or switch to my Tamron 100-300.

I'm just an amateur but fwiw, the k-5 + tamron help produce some great images for me. The K-5 is a very capable camera.

Thanks for the wealth of information in your Post, especially the indoor sports info and the specific lens you use.

faworange · 01-04-2012, 01:16 PM

Originally posted by psychdoc

If photography is only a hobby, another option is the Pentax DA* 50-135.
Advantage- much smaller, less weight.
Disadvg- less reach than 70-200; AF speed is not that fast.
You could rent both lenses from cameralensrentals.com and try it out yourself.

With soccer, I find games played in mid-day sun and too much contrast.

With basketball, there is too little light. At least in the school gyms. Shooting sports is pretty tough for me, even with a K5. Some amateur 50-135 shots below.

Wow, I think these photos are awesome! I hope I can capture some that have this quality. Thanks for the comment regarding the lens option - I need to understand the pros and cons of choices like that.

faworange · 01-04-2012, 01:26 PM

Originally posted by GvilleRick

For basketball I use my DA* 50-135 a good bit when I want to shoot without a flash. I am considering the Tamron 70-200 to increase the range but I find myself shooting a good bit at the 50mm end of the DA* so 70 is a tighter than I would like. I would like to use it for football and soccer under the lights. I also use my DA 55-300 lens for both basketball and soccer and it works very well. I generally shoot from the side behind the basket and use a AF540 flash. I usually shoot manual and set the flash on Manual to 1/8th or 1/16th power so I can shoot quicker. I also use my Sigma 170-500 lens for soccer and other outdoor sports when it is sunny. Most often I use either the DA 55-300 or Quantaray 70-300 for soccer, baseball, softball and football. I've been using the K20D but just got a K5 and am able to shoot at 3200 easily and even 6400 where with the K20D I hated to go above 1600.

Wow, lot of great information here. Thanks for sharing the various lens you use and the ISO information.

faworange · 01-04-2012, 01:29 PM

Originally posted by klh

I only just got a K5, but have shot a lot of soccer with the K20D and Tamron 70-200/2.8 combo. I can highly recommend it.

Great photo. Was this photo shot with the K-5 or the K20D?

**klh** · 01-04-2012, 01:59 PM

Originally posted by faworange

Great photo. Was this photo shot with the K-5 or the K20D?

It's a shot from my K20D with the Tamron 70-200/2.8. I only got the K5 for Christmas, so I only have swimming and diving photos with it thus far.

This is with the K5 and Tamron 70-200/2.8 combo.

faworange · 01-04-2012, 08:04 PM

Originally posted by klh

It's a shot from my K20D with the Tamron 70-200/2.8. I only got the K5 for Christmas, so I only have swimming and diving photos with it thus far.

This is with the K5 and Tamron 70-200/2.8 combo.

Wow, another great shot. Thanks so much for sharing the photo and info.

**klh** · 01-04-2012, 08:15 PM

Originally posted by faworange

Wow, another great shot. Thanks so much for sharing the photo and info.

You're welcome. It needs a crop and some straightening, but I haven't had the time yet.

Good luck on your lens choice.

SpecialK · 01-04-2012, 08:26 PM

Originally posted by RonHendriks1966

With K-5, that Tamron and a monopod you can start off.

Yes, that. I doubt tripods are allowed unless you have a designated perch off the field. A monopod is handy to at least rest the lens on between shots, as it gets heavier over time.

JamieP · 01-05-2012, 06:58 AM

I'm surprised there has been no mention of the DA* 60-250mm f/4 in this thread. I'd think the extra reach over the 70 - 200s would be valuable. Perhaps nobody wants to give up the speed of the 2.8 for the reach?

**klh** · 01-05-2012, 08:15 AM

Originally posted by JamieP

I'm surprised there has been no mention of the DA* 60-250mm f/4 in this thread. I'd think the extra reach over the 70 - 200s would be valuable. Perhaps nobody wants to give up the speed of the 2.8 for the reach?

Good thought Jamie. In fact, I usually try to use f/4 or higher with the Tamron to help with accurate focusing in a moving sport. Only for diving (which needs very fast shutter speeds) do I go below f/4 (and I manually prefocus). With the high ISO capability of a K-5, the DA* 60-250/4 should be very useful.

However, the OP's stated price range of $1500-2000 for camera and lens would likely rule this out (unless you know of a great deal

).

**andre-mz5** · 01-05-2012, 08:59 AM

Originally posted by JamieP

I'm surprised there has been no mention of the DA* 60-250mm f/4 in this thread. I'd think the extra reach over the 70 - 200s would be valuable. Perhaps nobody wants to give up the speed of the 2.8 for the reach?

For outdoor soccer the DA* 60-250 is an excellent choice and the extra reach is also valuable for shooting baseball. However a number of sports shooters overhere need the F2.8 for indoor sports. I know that Ron Hendriks had a DA* 60-250, but has switched to a Sigma 70-200 F2.8 because he also shoots indoor sports. I'm also using a K5 + Sigma 70-200 just to get the extra stop when shooting indoor sports.

dosdan · 01-05-2012, 04:05 PM

I've shot 3 years of kid's soccer, mainly with a K20D + DA 55-300/F4-F5.8. You can see some of the shots in my gallery. Photos Posted By dosdan - Pentax User Photo Gallery

For the last 2 months of the 2011 session, I had a DA* 60-250/F4. Here is a link to a bigger shot with that lens in very light rain:

Here's a thumbnail to a shot with the same lens, but in drizzling rain:

Here's a thumbnail to a shot with the same lens but in the dry. Distance about 60m

I've now got a K-5, but soccer session starts in March, so I haven't used it for that yet. Here's a link to some jet ski stunt action shots taken at about 125m with the K-5 & the DA 55-300/F4-F5.8. I didn't want to lug around the much heavier DA* 60-250/F4 for this day at Seaworld. Focus seems better than with the K20D. https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-k-5-forum/115277-k-5-sports-photog...ml#post1760638

Finally, here's a link to an article showing subject height on a soccer field in various positions & FLs: www.pentaxforums.com/forums/photography-articles/143778-subject-height-soccer-field-300mm-fl-vs-position.html

Dan.

faworange · 01-05-2012, 07:18 PM

I can't "Thank" everyone enough for all the information, photos, and suggestions regarding soccer photography and the other sports. I feel like there is a wealth of information here and I am looking forward to experimenting with all the various suggestions.
Thanks so much...

faworange · 01-05-2012, 07:21 PM

Originally posted by twitch

You want to go pro in the near future and you want to shoot mainly sport? I'd be looking at a D7000 to be honest. K-5 is an awesome camera, but you've chosen the 2 areas where it's weakest.

twich, would you mind expanding on your suggestion for looking at the D7000 - I want to understand where the D7000 excels versus the K-5. Thanks so much for your comment.

bamaphoto · 01-18-2012, 11:41 AM

Originally posted by nateinc

I use my K-5 and that Tamron for indoor basketball, indoor volleyball, football, soccer, softball and swimming (US High School). When sitting at indoor events, I shoot handheld; outdoor sports, I use a monopod (with the exception of swimming). It's a heavy piece of glass. The high ISO capabilities of the K-5 make taking photos in high school gyms (poor lighting) pleasant and combined with that glass, improved my keeper rate dramatically. I also tend to move to the baseline and shoot with my 50mm f1.4 and 35 f2.8 about half of the basketball game.

Outdoors shooting softball, it's a great piece of glass, when shooting from center field I do find that 200 isn't enough and do usually have to crop or switch to my Tamron 100-300.

I'm just an amateur but fwiw, the k-5 + tamron help produce some great images for me. The K-5 is a very capable camera.

Would love to see some of your indoor shots with both the 200 and the 50mm. I have the DA 55-300 and it's a little slow for indoor shots.

01-04-2012, 01:59 PM	#20
klh Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: May 2009 Location: West Lafayette, Indiana, USA Posts: 827	Originally posted by faworange Great photo. Was this photo shot with the K-5 or the K20D? It's a shot from my K20D with the Tamron 70-200/2.8. I only got the K5 for Christmas, so I only have swimming and diving photos with it thus far. This is with the K5 and Tamron 70-200/2.8 combo. Last edited by klh; 01-04-2012 at 04:14 PM.

01-05-2012, 04:05 PM	#27
dosdan Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Brisbane, Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,741	I've shot 3 years of kid's soccer, mainly with a K20D + DA 55-300/F4-F5.8. You can see some of the shots in my gallery. Photos Posted By dosdan - Pentax User Photo Gallery For the last 2 months of the 2011 session, I had a DA* 60-250/F4. Here is a link to a bigger shot with that lens in very light rain: Here's a thumbnail to a shot with the same lens, but in drizzling rain: Here's a thumbnail to a shot with the same lens but in the dry. Distance about 60m I've now got a K-5, but soccer session starts in March, so I haven't used it for that yet. Here's a link to some jet ski stunt action shots taken at about 125m with the K-5 & the DA 55-300/F4-F5.8. I didn't want to lug around the much heavier DA* 60-250/F4 for this day at Seaworld. Focus seems better than with the K20D. https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-k-5-forum/115277-k-5-sports-photog...ml#post1760638 Finally, here's a link to an article showing subject height on a soccer field in various positions & FLs: www.pentaxforums.com/forums/photography-articles/143778-subject-height-soccer-field-300mm-fl-vs-position.html Dan. Last edited by dosdan; 01-05-2012 at 04:26 PM.

01-05-2012, 07:21 PM	#29
faworange Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 31 Original Poster	D7000 versus K-5 Originally posted by twitch You want to go pro in the near future and you want to shoot mainly sport? I'd be looking at a D7000 to be honest. K-5 is an awesome camera, but you've chosen the 2 areas where it's weakest. twich, would you mind expanding on your suggestion for looking at the D7000 - I want to understand where the D7000 excels versus the K-5. Thanks so much for your comment.

01-18-2012, 11:41 AM	#30
bamaphoto New Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 3	shots Originally posted by nateinc I use my K-5 and that Tamron for indoor basketball, indoor volleyball, football, soccer, softball and swimming (US High School). When sitting at indoor events, I shoot handheld; outdoor sports, I use a monopod (with the exception of swimming). It's a heavy piece of glass. The high ISO capabilities of the K-5 make taking photos in high school gyms (poor lighting) pleasant and combined with that glass, improved my keeper rate dramatically. I also tend to move to the baseline and shoot with my 50mm f1.4 and 35 f2.8 about half of the basketball game. Outdoors shooting softball, it's a great piece of glass, when shooting from center field I do find that 200 isn't enough and do usually have to crop or switch to my Tamron 100-300. I'm just an amateur but fwiw, the k-5 + tamron help produce some great images for me. The K-5 is a very capable camera. Would love to see some of your indoor shots with both the 200 and the 50mm. I have the DA 55-300 and it's a little slow for indoor shots.

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01-04-2012, 01:10 PM	#16
faworange Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 31 Original Poster	Originally posted by nateinc I use my K-5 and that Tamron for indoor basketball, indoor volleyball, football, soccer, softball and swimming (US High School). When sitting at indoor events, I shoot handheld; outdoor sports, I use a monopod (with the exception of swimming). It's a heavy piece of glass. The high ISO capabilities of the K-5 make taking photos in high school gyms (poor lighting) pleasant and combined with that glass, improved my keeper rate dramatically. I also tend to move to the baseline and shoot with my 50mm f1.4 and 35 f2.8 about half of the basketball game. Outdoors shooting softball, it's a great piece of glass, when shooting from center field I do find that 200 isn't enough and do usually have to crop or switch to my Tamron 100-300. I'm just an amateur but fwiw, the k-5 + tamron help produce some great images for me. The K-5 is a very capable camera. Thanks for the wealth of information in your Post, especially the indoor sports info and the specific lens you use.

01-04-2012, 01:16 PM	#17
faworange Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 31 Original Poster	Originally posted by psychdoc If photography is only a hobby, another option is the Pentax DA* 50-135. Advantage- much smaller, less weight. Disadvg- less reach than 70-200; AF speed is not that fast. You could rent both lenses from cameralensrentals.com and try it out yourself. With soccer, I find games played in mid-day sun and too much contrast. With basketball, there is too little light. At least in the school gyms. Shooting sports is pretty tough for me, even with a K5. Some amateur 50-135 shots below. Wow, I think these photos are awesome! I hope I can capture some that have this quality. Thanks for the comment regarding the lens option - I need to understand the pros and cons of choices like that.

01-04-2012, 01:26 PM	#18
faworange Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 31 Original Poster	Originally posted by GvilleRick For basketball I use my DA* 50-135 a good bit when I want to shoot without a flash. I am considering the Tamron 70-200 to increase the range but I find myself shooting a good bit at the 50mm end of the DA* so 70 is a tighter than I would like. I would like to use it for football and soccer under the lights. I also use my DA 55-300 lens for both basketball and soccer and it works very well. I generally shoot from the side behind the basket and use a AF540 flash. I usually shoot manual and set the flash on Manual to 1/8th or 1/16th power so I can shoot quicker. I also use my Sigma 170-500 lens for soccer and other outdoor sports when it is sunny. Most often I use either the DA 55-300 or Quantaray 70-300 for soccer, baseball, softball and football. I've been using the K20D but just got a K5 and am able to shoot at 3200 easily and even 6400 where with the K20D I hated to go above 1600. Wow, lot of great information here. Thanks for sharing the various lens you use and the ISO information.

01-04-2012, 01:29 PM	#19
faworange Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 31 Original Poster	Originally posted by klh I only just got a K5, but have shot a lot of soccer with the K20D and Tamron 70-200/2.8 combo. I can highly recommend it. Great photo. Was this photo shot with the K-5 or the K20D?

01-04-2012, 08:04 PM	#21
faworange Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 31 Original Poster	Originally posted by klh It's a shot from my K20D with the Tamron 70-200/2.8. I only got the K5 for Christmas, so I only have swimming and diving photos with it thus far. This is with the K5 and Tamron 70-200/2.8 combo. Wow, another great shot. Thanks so much for sharing the photo and info.

01-04-2012, 08:15 PM	#22
klh Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: May 2009 Location: West Lafayette, Indiana, USA Posts: 827	Originally posted by faworange Wow, another great shot. Thanks so much for sharing the photo and info. You're welcome. It needs a crop and some straightening, but I haven't had the time yet. Good luck on your lens choice.

01-04-2012, 08:26 PM	#23
SpecialK Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: So California Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,481	Originally posted by RonHendriks1966 With K-5, that Tamron and a monopod you can start off. Yes, that. I doubt tripods are allowed unless you have a designated perch off the field. A monopod is handy to at least rest the lens on between shots, as it gets heavier over time.

01-05-2012, 06:58 AM	#24
JamieP Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Cleveland Posts: 132	I'm surprised there has been no mention of the DA* 60-250mm f/4 in this thread. I'd think the extra reach over the 70 - 200s would be valuable. Perhaps nobody wants to give up the speed of the 2.8 for the reach?

01-05-2012, 08:15 AM	#25
klh Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: May 2009 Location: West Lafayette, Indiana, USA Posts: 827	Originally posted by JamieP I'm surprised there has been no mention of the DA* 60-250mm f/4 in this thread. I'd think the extra reach over the 70 - 200s would be valuable. Perhaps nobody wants to give up the speed of the 2.8 for the reach? Good thought Jamie. In fact, I usually try to use f/4 or higher with the Tamron to help with accurate focusing in a moving sport. Only for diving (which needs very fast shutter speeds) do I go below f/4 (and I manually prefocus). With the high ISO capability of a K-5, the DA* 60-250/4 should be very useful. However, the OP's stated price range of $1500-2000 for camera and lens would likely rule this out (unless you know of a great deal ).

01-05-2012, 08:59 AM	#26
andre-mz5 Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Eindhoven Photos: Gallery Posts: 268	Originally posted by JamieP I'm surprised there has been no mention of the DA* 60-250mm f/4 in this thread. I'd think the extra reach over the 70 - 200s would be valuable. Perhaps nobody wants to give up the speed of the 2.8 for the reach? For outdoor soccer the DA* 60-250 is an excellent choice and the extra reach is also valuable for shooting baseball. However a number of sports shooters overhere need the F2.8 for indoor sports. I know that Ron Hendriks had a DA* 60-250, but has switched to a Sigma 70-200 F2.8 because he also shoots indoor sports. I'm also using a K5 + Sigma 70-200 just to get the extra stop when shooting indoor sports.

01-05-2012, 07:18 PM	#28
faworange Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 31 Original Poster	I can't "Thank" everyone enough for all the information, photos, and suggestions regarding soccer photography and the other sports. I feel like there is a wealth of information here and I am looking forward to experimenting with all the various suggestions. Thanks so much...