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Hi guys, this might sound a little to general so I apologise in advance, but I have been a user of DSLR for just over a year now and primarily shoot motorsports another passion of mine. My camera is a 400D and my current lenses are the 18-55mm IS and the 55-250mm IS...which to begin with have been very good to me, but I am on the lookout for a new lens or to upgrade I guess. I tried at 70-300mm USM at the grand prix which was very handy and have considered going that way as the extra length is what I need...any suggestions??? I'm a bit of a newbie, just would like some advice...

It is a bit of a tough one for you at the moment. Depending on how serious you are taking your motosport photography you may want to acquire something longer (70-300IS, 100-400L, BIGMA) but at the same time you may also be feeling the need to move up in terms of the body (7D, 50D for better AF and more fps).

What you really need to ask yourself is:
-What am I not happy with? (frame rate, focal length, AF etc)
-What can I do to improve my photos? (depends on the answer to the first question)
-What is the future plan? (go pro? sell images?)

When you work this out for yourself you will be able to better judge what you should do, it may not fulfil your desires but it will mean you wont regret your choices.

In truth, the difference between the 70-300 USM IS and the 55-250 IS is probably not great enough to justify the expense as you are very likely upgrade this lens once more if you are to take motorsport photography seriously. A new body?? which one? what do you need?

Sorry if I have confused you...

ivision, Cameron has given you many a perls of wisdom.

Could we have a look at some of your shots. Perhaps some of the motoGP experts on the forum can tell you what's wrong with your images (if any) and then you can decide if you need any extra hardware.

Do you take alot of panning shots?

I'm in the same boat as you.

I think the biggest drawback with the current lenses we use is the speed and aperture you're forced to use zoomed right in.

I've been thinking a 70-200 f/2.8 with the 1.4x TC would be a good motorsport lens while having a wide variety of other uses.

Ahhh, the old 'what lens' chestnut....

It's a difficult choice, based on your ambitions, skill levels and budget.

My advice is always go the 2.8 option. Simply because these lenses are typically of a higher standard. Using 2.8 in motorsports is not all that useful due to DOF issues, but it does give you an extra few strops of light in low light. This isnt so much of an issue with D700 or D3 bodies in the Nikon world, as high ISO (around 3200) still produces usable images. Dont know the specifics in the Canon world.

Focal length wise I would definitely have the 70-200 2.8, and a 24-70 2.8, or there abouts. If the budget is tight, then I recommend the sigma varieties of these. They are super sharp and will produce images on par with 'brand' name versions (in particular the Sigma 70-200).

If you can afford a 300 2.8, then try to pick up either a second hand prime, or go the 120-300 2.8 Sigma. It's probably one of the best lenses (IMHO) for motorsports as it give you super sharp images, quick focus and is as sharp as the primes, with the added bonus of the zoom. The lens rates around the 95% on FM forums.

I would avoid 80-400's or 50-500's as they tend to be slower focussing, especially for head on shots. Thats not to say it's impossible though.

With regards to bodies, if you want to go down the sports path, then FPS becomes important, as do MP. That being said, I have 2x D2h's for back up bodies and they still produce quality images, although I do prefer my D700's!

Depending on what you have budget wise, and if you want to chase the pro dream, then maybe look at purchasing used pro bodies, it's a good way to gain experience with high end bodies, and typically they have better AF, tracking, and FPS rates.

Really, like has been said above, it boils down to your ambition, budget and willingness to learn.

Thanks for the feedback guys. Yeh I'd like to go pro one day, but unfortunately have only exposed myself at 4 events this year due to work commitments...but am very eager to learn. The plan is to update the body, but that might not happen for another 12months so in the interim I was going to look at a new lens - preferably more focal length. However I am taking into consideration a lens that I can use for now and will be advantageous when I upgrade the body...I might have a look into a Sigma 120-300....