Photography football
- Thread starter Yazan
- Start date
Clovishound
Senior Member
My daughter has the Nikon AF-P Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E ED VR lens. She got it as an upgrade from the AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED kit lens that she already had. It is a very good lens IMO.
It has several advantages over the kit lens. It is more robust(should last longer and endure more abuse), sharper, has vibration reduction (this would be important for sports photography) and is an FX mount (meaning it can be used with a full frame camera, if one upgrades down the road). The down side is that it is heavier and more expensive. The 70-300 kit lenses can be had relatively inexpensively. The 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E ED VR runs a good bit more, but is far less expensive than a larger, longer zoom. Those zooms can be rather heavy and more unwieldy as well. Used on your D3000 crop frame body, a 70-300mm lens will be effectively 105-450mm, which is a fair amount of reach.
It has several advantages over the kit lens. It is more robust(should last longer and endure more abuse), sharper, has vibration reduction (this would be important for sports photography) and is an FX mount (meaning it can be used with a full frame camera, if one upgrades down the road). The down side is that it is heavier and more expensive. The 70-300 kit lenses can be had relatively inexpensively. The 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E ED VR runs a good bit more, but is far less expensive than a larger, longer zoom. Those zooms can be rather heavy and more unwieldy as well. Used on your D3000 crop frame body, a 70-300mm lens will be effectively 105-450mm, which is a fair amount of reach.
Just a reminder it is not comparable with a d3000 it need to be a d3300 or newer in the d3000 series.
Last edited:
BF Hammer
Senior Member
For outdoor field sports in general, you will want to get as much telephoto reach as you want to budget for. Consider a 70-300mm zoom lens to be the minimum. There are many out there to choose from. The last one I sold in trade for another lens I think I got a whole $35 in credit for. You should be able to score a good used lens for under $100USD.
If it works with the budget (and I expect it won't if you have a D3000 as your camera body) then I would try to find a used Tamron or Sigma 150-600mm zoom. It really is a better match to photographing the full range of the pitch.
If it works with the budget (and I expect it won't if you have a D3000 as your camera body) then I would try to find a used Tamron or Sigma 150-600mm zoom. It really is a better match to photographing the full range of the pitch.
Clovishound
Senior Member
Thanks, I really didn't think about compatibility. I assumed all the 3000 series were inter compatible.
Gardenfool487
New member
Hey! It’s great that you’re getting into football photography! With your Nikon D3000, a good telephoto lens like the Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 would be ideal for capturing action from a distance.
Look for a lens with a wide aperture (f/2.8 to f/5.6) to let in more light and freeze motion, especially during evening games. Aim for a fast shutter speed, around 1/500th of a second or faster, to capture sharp images.
Try practicing the panning technique to follow players in motion, and position yourself near the sidelines where the action happens. Good luck, and feel free to ask if you need more tips!
Look for a lens with a wide aperture (f/2.8 to f/5.6) to let in more light and freeze motion, especially during evening games. Aim for a fast shutter speed, around 1/500th of a second or faster, to capture sharp images.
Try practicing the panning technique to follow players in motion, and position yourself near the sidelines where the action happens. Good luck, and feel free to ask if you need more tips!