NBA Game - suggested lens

[emartin24]

Hello all!

I'm going to my first NBA game (Sacramento Kings) since owning a DSLR. I have a D90 and a few different lenses and am not sure which to take. I was hoping to only take one lens, but it makes my choice more difficult. I'm not sure how much gear they would let me come in with

Lenses I have:
Nikkor 35mm f/1.8
Nikkor 50mm f/1.4
Sigma 150mm f/2.8
Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6
Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6

I'm sitting pretty close to the court and am tempted to just take in the 18-105 to have a range of focal lengths to shoot with.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks!

[lputman]

I would first suggest you check to see what type of cameras are allowed in the arena.

[lputman]

From the Kings' website:

Cameras & Recorders
Professional camera equipment and/or audio/video recorders may not be brought into the Arena without the express written consent of the Sacramento Kings.

You might have to get in touch with their front office to find out what they constitute as a professional camera.

[emartin24]

Originally Posted by lputman

I would first suggest you check to see what type of cameras are allowed in the arena.

Thanks. I should have mentioned that I called security and they gave me the following rules:

- No video
- No tri or mono pods
- No lenses over 12"

The D90 does video, but I doubt they'd know that. Besides, I've read about others with a D90 at the arena.

[RustySterling]

If that is the case, I'd suggest the 70-300 for the most versatility shooting from the seats.

Do you know how close you really are going to be from the court? If it is really close (and I mean almost courtside -- practically on top of the bench) then you could get away with your 18-105. But if you are not that close you'll be better off with the 70-300.

You also might want to shoot at an ISO of 800 or higher. You are likely to be pretty far away and will need all the light help you can get. Flash will not do you any good for the distance you are likely to be.

[emartin24]

Originally Posted by RustySterling

Do you know how close you really are going to be from the court? If it is really close (and I mean almost courtside -- practically on top of the bench) then you could get away with your 18-105. But if you are not that close you'll be better off with the 70-300.

I'll be in row A, 5-8 rows behind the Kings bench. It's not courtside, but pretty close.

You also might want to shoot at an ISO of 800 or higher. You are likely to be pretty far away and will need all the light help you can get. Flash will not do you any good for the distance you are likely to be.

Thanks for the tips. I had sort of ruled out the 70-300, but you make some good points. It's too big for the camera bag I have, I might have to carry it in "bare". I was thinking the Sigma 150 for the 2.8 aperture, but think I'd prefer more range.

[cphoniball]

The 70-300 is a good choice for range, but I'd very very wary about bringing it because of how slow it is. I've never shot in a professional venue, but in the college gym I shoot in I typically have to use at least a 2.8 zoom and an ISO near 1600 to freeze any court action. So, I'd lean towards the 105 or the 50, depending on how close you're going to be.

[emartin24]

I ended up taking the 70-300 and shot @ 1600 ISO. I wasn't able to freeze the action very well, but got a lot of good stationary shots:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericmma...7623242901619/

Despite calling security before-hand and getting clearance at the entrance, I was approached numerous times by security about my camera. They were always friendly about it, but after the third or fourth time, it was getting a little old