Which Lens to use for sports shots?

[Cindie Lou]

I have the D3000 with the kit lens and I need to upgrade to a lens I can use to shoot pictures of my son biking. Ideally I would like to have a lens that takes macro shots and telephoto. Please forgive me if I'm not using the right terminology....I'm very new to photography. Let me put this way. With limited funds I want to take shots of my son wizzing by, but far enough away that I'm not in his face. I would also like to take macro shots of flowers with a nice blurred back ground. Is there a lens for my Nikon that will do it all?

[Photowanderer]

I like this lens alot. You might find it a bit slow but the quality is excellent and it is very fairly priced. the AF-S VR version is much better quality than the much cheaper non-VR version.

AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED
AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED from Nikon (Nikon web site)

[Cindie Lou]

Thanks Tim, I looked it up and I agree I like the VR function on my 18-55mm lens. It seems it should take great close up shots with the low f/4.5-6. I'm very new at this so I'm not sure if the speed of my lens will effect my pictures too much. I will give this one a try when I can. It's a bit costly...what do you think about getting a used one? I'm a bit unsure what to look for.
Thanks for your advice,
cindie

[kirbinster]

The Nikon 70-300 VR is a great lens, there are better - but they are much much more money. For the price it is an excellent value. In good outside light the speed should not be an issue, and it will work very nicely on your camera. Here is a shot I took with that lens on my D5000 last week:

[Cindie Lou]

I looked it up and it looks like it doesn't support the Automatic Focus of the D3000. I don't use that feature very often and I would be fine with not using it with this lens. I will be able to shoot from a distance and close up with one single lens and not have to purchase another lens for awhile. I just bought this camera and I thought the kit lens would be enough.Thanks so much for the advice and your picture is wonderful. How far away were you from the hawk? I have many bird species in my area that I would love to photograph but my Point and Shoot digital zoom can get closer than my 18-55mm. What do think about buying the lens used? What should I look for?
Thank you,

[kirbinster]

It is an AF-S lens so it will autofocus perfectly on your D3000. AF-S means it has a focus motor in the lens, so it is not an issue that your camera (like my D5000) lacks a motor in the body.

I was about 100 feet away from the Hawk when I took the shot. It was just an example of how sharp a shot you can get with that lens. It was taken at 300mm hand-held.

[Sime]

Hi Cindie, Kirbinster's shot was taken at 300mm

Camera:	Nikon D5000
Exposure:	0.001 sec (1/1000)
Aperture:	f/6.3
Focal Length:	300 mm
ISO Speed:	200
Exposure Bias:	+1/3 EV
Flash:	No Flash

-- Also, I note up above you said "It seems it should take great close up shots with the low f/4.5-6" -- I just wanted to help you out there, the f/4.5-6 refers to the amount of light the lens would let in - not the distance at which it will focus.. So for example, that lens at f/4.5-6 is not a super fast lens, but a good versatile lens for what you're after, if you wanted a faster lens - the f number would be more like f/2.8 and you would be looking at the 70-200 from Nikon (which is amazing but quite expensive)

so - f number is how much light a lens will allow through, called aperture, and doesn't relate to the distance of focus.

The minimum focus distance for that lens, as stated by Nikon is
"Minimum Focus Distance
4.9ft.(1.5m)"

Hope that helps.

Sime

[Photowanderer]

As to close ups. the maximum reprodution level is 1/4 lifesize. Not a true macro lens but plenty good enough for flower pictures or items of like size. The blurred background might be more of a problem but I'm betting not especially zoomed out to 300mm.

[Cindie Lou]

Originally Posted by kirbinster

It is an AF-S lens so it will autofocus perfectly on your D3000. AF-S means it has a focus motor in the lens, so it is not an issue that your camera (like my D5000) lacks a motor in the body.

I was about 100 feet away from the Hawk when I took the shot. It was just an example of how sharp a shot you can get with that lens. It was taken at 300mm hand-held.

Boy do I have a lot to learn, but I think I understand more about lenses and what I should get. It looks like the 70-300 VR is a good start. I misunderstood what the AF-S meant, so thank you for explaining it in a language I understood. From your example, I should be able to shoot from a safe distance so my son doesn't feel like I'm on top of him while he is riding. Thanks for taking the time to explain again.

[Cindie Lou]

Originally Posted by Sime™

Hi Cindie, Kirbinster's shot was taken at 300mm


-- Also, I note up above you said "It seems it should take great close up shots with the low f/4.5-6" -- I just wanted to help you out there, the f/4.5-6 refers to the amount of light the lens would let in - not the distance at which it will focus.. So for example, that lens at f/4.5-6 is not a super fast lens, but a good versatile lens for what you're after, if you wanted a faster lens - the f number would be more like f/2.8 and you would be looking at the 70-200 from Nikon (which is amazing but quite expensive)

so - f number is how much light a lens will allow through, called aperture, and doesn't relate to the distance of focus.

The minimum focus distance for that lens, as stated by Nikon is
"Minimum Focus Distance
4.9ft.(1.5m)"

Hope that helps.

Sime

I understand what you are saying about the f/4.5-6 refers to the light that the lens lets in and that the f number refers to aperture. But I am confused about the speed of the lens? I have so much to learn and I'm trying to learn it all at once...lol
Thank you so much for taking the time to help.