Choosing a lens for sports

Reach, a fast aperture and autofocus that keeps up

Sports combines the problems of wildlife — distance and movement — with a venue that is often badly lit. That is why the classic sports lens is a fast telephoto zoom, and why it costs what it does.

Why 150mm equivalent or longer

From the touchline of a football pitch, 150mm frames a player at mid-field and 300mm gets you the far side. Indoor courts need less; athletics needs far more. Set the lower bound and work up from what your venue actually demands.

Why f/4 or faster

Shutter speed is what freezes motion, and indoor and evening sport rarely offers enough light to reach 1/1000s at a slow aperture. f/2.8 is the professional standard for a reason. f/4 works outdoors in daylight and for a fraction of the price and weight.

Autofocus is the real differentiator

More than any other subject, sports separates good autofocus from adequate. Modern lenses with linear motors track far better than older ring-type USM designs, and adapted DSLR lenses are usually a step behind native ones on mirrorless bodies. The specification table cannot show you this — read reviews that test tracking.

Stabilisation helps less than you expect

Stabilisation fights camera shake, not subject movement. At the shutter speeds sports needs, it is doing very little. Do not pay for it here.

Lenses that match

Criteria150mm equiv. or longer / f/4 or faster / autofocus

Focal lengths are judged in 35mm-equivalent terms, so APS-C and Micro Four Thirds lenses appear when their equivalent falls in range. 102 lenses match.