TennisGuy

On 9/18/2020 at 4:17 PM, BenEricson said:

These are my favorites. 35mm F2 IS, 24-105 4 IS, 70-200 F2.8 or F4 IS, 100mm 2.8 Macro IS.

Awesome, thanks @BenEricson for the recommendations.

On 9/15/2020 at 4:41 PM, markr041 said:

I have the EF S 55-250mm, the EF 24-105mm f4 L lens and the EF S 18-135mm lens. The 18-135mm has much better stabilization and a better range for use on a crop sensor camera than the 24-105. The EF S 18-135mm in fact has a "nano" motor, which is supposed to have the best features of STM and USM, so it is both quiet and fast for AF (better than either STM or USM). It is a unique lens, and you can also make it a variable-power zoom lens, with a Canon attachment (small). That seems ideal for shooting sports action. As a benchmark the 55-250mm STM also has better stabilization than the 24-105 L lens.

Thanks @markr041 I'll be sure to check out the EF S 18-135, it's the right focal length and sounds like it might be good for what I need.

On 9/15/2020 at 1:17 PM, HockeyFan12 said:

I've only use the 24-105mm L IS version 1, which was okay. Haven't used the V2. The 24-105mm is a more complicated design, it goes from wide angle to slight telephoto and it's full frame and a stop faster so it's entirely possible the STM is a better performer except you lose the 24-55mm range. Probably the image quality is really close from both.

I would choose based on what focal lengths you need, the image quality from both will be great. I got the 55-250mm for $99 on Black Friday refurbished from Canon I think so at the very least it's (more than) worth the money...

Lately I've been focusing more on narrative/home movie stuff (well, except for the lockdown making that kind of impossible so just camera tests right now) so others might have better advice. I haven't tried the 24-105mm v2 with DPAF so I really have no idea.

Gotcha, thanks for the feedback- really appreciate it.

On 3/26/2017 at 7:06 PM, HockeyFan12 said:

Congrats on the plastic stuff! I'm impressed by the 55-250mm STM. The L is better, but its ergonomics are annoying. I find the IS on the STM to be the best for video that I've used. The Tamrons (old Tamron lenses, maybe not the new primes) have the strongest IS and lock on hard, but glitch a bit when panning and don't pan smooth. Great IS for stills, but not what I want for video.

The 55-250mm STM has great IS, the best balance between stability and smoothness. The 70-200 II IS has good IS, too, but it's too front heavy for handheld use.

It lacks any IS, but the 18-35mm f1.8 Sigma is a great lens nonetheless. I might sell mine since I'm leaving the business, but it's wonderful. A+. And wide enough you don't really need stabilization.

It's all subjective. The union operators I know would never use an IS lens, but the rigs they carry (Alexas with big Angie zooms and counterweights) are prohibitively expensive and painstaking to operate and cause crippling back pain by the time you're 30. If I can't afford to hire a martyr like that, then I like IS lenses that don't lock on too hard but still smooth the drift, and the plastic EFS Canons are marvels in this regard. But still take a look at the 18-35mm and a shoulder rig or loupe on the LCD that offers a third point of contact, as a balanced rig with three points of contact will be smooth enough to not need IS at wide angles, while remaining light enough to not kill you. The 18-35mm Sigma is just great and a 50mm f1.8 and 85mm f1.8 will fill out your kit nicely if you get it. At 35mm and shorter, IS doesn't seem as necessary to me, anyway. I'd rather be on a Ronin.

I love old Nikkors, but it's a whole different look. I think the older lenses offer almost a stop more DR because they're inherently low contrast but that's an issue, too, when it washes out your image. It's just an entirely different look. More physical. My preference. Not my clients'. So I'm quitting the business and selling everything but my old Nikkors. (And the plastic stuff. It's too good for the money.)

 

I'm obviously late seeing this thread (only about 3 years:)), but thanks for your post @HockeyFan12- very helpful info. I have a Canon C100 mark i and have to shoot some handheld tennis footage and looking for a lens that's relatively light with fairly quiet and fast AF & IS. Are you still a fan of the STMs? Good to hear you especially like the IS on the 55-250 STM since I'm looking at that one, though I'll be shooting some stuff behind players on the court so may need something wider. I'm also looking at the EF 24-105 f/4 L IS II though I'm not sure if the IS & AF are as good/quiet as on the STMs or whether the image is significantly better to justify the higher price. If there's a lens suggestion that springs to mind for what I'm doing, I'd love to hear your thoughts.