D60 at a NFL game?

[Dr_ML]

Hi all!

I am flying from Hawaii to the mainland for the Christmas Holidays and will be taking my D60. I am stopping in Dallas on the 21 and plan to see the Cowboys game while I am there.

I am wondering: Is it possible to take my D60 to the game? I REALLY don't want to leave it in the hotel. If I can take it, are there any lenses that are likely to cause problems? I have heard people say that the 100-400L is frequently a problem. What about the 100-300 USM?

Also, would a press pass help? What is involved in getting one? I know a few people here on the islands and might be able to scrounge one up...

Thanks for the input!

Mark

--
Truly great madness cannot be achieved without significant intelligence.
Henrik Tikkanen

 

[Dan Brown]

good luck getting a press pass, the NFL has really cracked down on the teams to grant access.

Hi all!

I am flying from Hawaii to the mainland for the Christmas Holidays
and will be taking my D60. I am stopping in Dallas on the 21 and
plan to see the Cowboys game while I am there.

I am wondering: Is it possible to take my D60 to the game? I REALLY
don't want to leave it in the hotel. If I can take it, are there
any lenses that are likely to cause problems? I have heard people
say that the 100-400L is frequently a problem. What about the
100-300 USM?

Also, would a press pass help? What is involved in getting one? I
know a few people here on the islands and might be able to scrounge
one up...

Thanks for the input!

Mark

--
Truly great madness cannot be achieved without significant
intelligence.
Henrik Tikkanen

--
Dan Brown
http://www.pbase.com/wheatenman

'If nothing changes, nothing changes'

 

[Dee Sixty]

Is Dallas still considered an NFL team? ; )

Hi all!

I am flying from Hawaii to the mainland for the Christmas Holidays
and will be taking my D60. I am stopping in Dallas on the 21 and
plan to see the Cowboys game while I am there.

I am wondering: Is it possible to take my D60 to the game? I REALLY
don't want to leave it in the hotel. If I can take it, are there
any lenses that are likely to cause problems? I have heard people
say that the 100-400L is frequently a problem. What about the
100-300 USM?

Also, would a press pass help? What is involved in getting one? I
know a few people here on the islands and might be able to scrounge
one up...

Thanks for the input!

Mark

--
Truly great madness cannot be achieved without significant
intelligence.
Henrik Tikkanen

--
D60
Canon 28-135-IS
Canon 75-300
Canon 50-1.8
Sigma 17-35

 

[JohnM31499]

Is Dallas still considered an NFL team? ; )

LOL (I don't know why I'm laughing, unfortunately I'm a Bills fan)

-John

 

[Steve13285]

Hi all!

I am flying from Hawaii to the mainland for the Christmas Holidays
and will be taking my D60. I am stopping in Dallas on the 21 and
plan to see the Cowboys game while I am there.

I am wondering: Is it possible to take my D60 to the game? I REALLY
don't want to leave it in the hotel. If I can take it, are there
any lenses that are likely to cause problems? I have heard people
say that the 100-400L is frequently a problem. What about the
100-300 USM?

Also, would a press pass help? What is involved in getting one? I
know a few people here on the islands and might be able to scrounge
one up...

Thanks for the input!

Mark

--
Truly great madness cannot be achieved without significant
intelligence.
Henrik Tikkanen

--
D60
Canon 28-135-IS
Canon 75-300
Canon 50-1.8
Sigma 17-35

 

[Steve13285]

And I've been known to go to games with my 1D and a 70-200 lens. It's as big as the 100-400 when both are parked, so I know I would have made it through.

I'm in KC so going to Chiefs games. They have a policy against video cameras, but currently they allow any still camera.

I got this information from their web site - you might try http://www.dallascowboys.com/ to check it out.
Regards,
Steve

Hi all!

I am flying from Hawaii to the mainland for the Christmas Holidays
and will be taking my D60. I am stopping in Dallas on the 21 and
plan to see the Cowboys game while I am there.

I am wondering: Is it possible to take my D60 to the game? I REALLY
don't want to leave it in the hotel. If I can take it, are there
any lenses that are likely to cause problems? I have heard people
say that the 100-400L is frequently a problem. What about the
100-300 USM?

Also, would a press pass help? What is involved in getting one? I
know a few people here on the islands and might be able to scrounge
one up...

Thanks for the input!

Mark

--
Truly great madness cannot be achieved without significant
intelligence.
Henrik Tikkanen

 

[Steve13285]

Read it and weep ...

http://www.dallascowboys.com/cgi-bin/Cowboys/cowboys2/stadium_info.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1506044243.1038399493@@@@&BV_EngineID=iadcfkfimfllbedchecjcfe.0

CAMERAS: You may bring a small, still shot camera to Texas Stadium. However, video cameras and cameras with extended or zoom lenses are not allowed at Texas Stadium.

Regards,
Steve

Hi all!

I am flying from Hawaii to the mainland for the Christmas Holidays
and will be taking my D60. I am stopping in Dallas on the 21 and
plan to see the Cowboys game while I am there.

I am wondering: Is it possible to take my D60 to the game? I REALLY
don't want to leave it in the hotel. If I can take it, are there
any lenses that are likely to cause problems? I have heard people
say that the 100-400L is frequently a problem. What about the
100-300 USM?

Also, would a press pass help? What is involved in getting one? I
know a few people here on the islands and might be able to scrounge
one up...

Thanks for the input!

Mark

--
Truly great madness cannot be achieved without significant
intelligence.
Henrik Tikkanen

 

[Dee Sixty]

I'm a Patriots season ticket holder and they won't let us in with any camera that has a detachable lens. They think that someone is going to throw their lens at the players/refs I guess.

Is Dallas still considered an NFL team? ; )

LOL (I don't know why I'm laughing, unfortunately I'm a Bills fan)

-John

--
D60
Canon 28-135-IS
Canon 75-300
Canon 50-1.8
Sigma 17-35

 

[Jason Hutchinson]

I take my D60 into every Cowboys game I go to (going tomorrow), so I know how to do it.

The stadium itself opens up 2 hours before game time. At that time, they set up security. If you go past these gates 2.5 hours before game time, you'll avoid security. But there's a catch!! Don't line up right away at 10am when they start letting you into the stadium. They keep the camera watchers (security) at the actual entrance (where they take your ticket) for about 10 minutes to catch most of the people that were already past security when they setup. So, wait for these security people to return to the main gate at 10:10am.

If you do hit security for some reason, what will they let in? Officially, they say "a 35-80 zoom should be ok." I love the "should" part. The reality is, tons and tons of people have 75-300 lenses. I carry in a 200mm f/2.8 mounted on the D60, because it's fairly short and black. Then, I carry the 1.4x TC in my pocket. I've actually gotten this setup through security, but they may hesitate for a second. It's good to hold the camera by the lens to mask it's size if you have to go through security.

After you're in the stadium, you're not 100% safe. If you get too close to the field (first 10 rows) before the game to snap shots, you may get someone saying "hey, you can't use that lens here." It depends on the person. I just move to a new spot if I hear that and say, "whoops, didn't know that." You're generally pretty safe on the home side of the field due to all the people.

If you use my method above, you can get a 100-400 lens in. If you were many seats back, you'd probably have no problem during the game, but if you got too close to the field I doubt you'd last. I have yet to actually confirm a sighting of a 70-200L or 100-400L at the stadium. Seems like black is the way to go (eg. 200f/2.8)

Here's the shots from my last game. The 200f/2.8L+TC wide open is not at all sharp, but for web photos and 8x10 prints, it works out. The pre-game shots were taken from about row 10, the during game shots were taken from the back of the lower deck. Sorry about the fixation on #7 in the shots, he's my cousin.

http://www.projectrun.com/photos/Dallas_Cowboys/

Jason

Hi all!

I am flying from Hawaii to the mainland for the Christmas Holidays
and will be taking my D60. I am stopping in Dallas on the 21 and
plan to see the Cowboys game while I am there.

I am wondering: Is it possible to take my D60 to the game? I REALLY
don't want to leave it in the hotel. If I can take it, are there
any lenses that are likely to cause problems? I have heard people
say that the 100-400L is frequently a problem. What about the
100-300 USM?

Also, would a press pass help? What is involved in getting one? I
know a few people here on the islands and might be able to scrounge
one up...

Thanks for the input!

Mark

--
Truly great madness cannot be achieved without significant
intelligence.
Henrik Tikkanen

 

[Jason Hutchinson]

My crazy subject got cut off.

 

[mfmartin]

In Cincinnati I have no problem bringing in my D100 with a 70-300, about the same size as a Canon 100-300. But if you bring a camera bag it has to fit into a box about 4" x 8". So I just put the camera around my neck, turn the lens all the way in, and leave the bag at home.
I think the main reason they don't like long lenses is because they bother fans.

Also I only take pictures if I have seats in the lower leval. The middle and upper are just to far. My favorite place to sit is at the five yard line in the front row. One good thing about the Cincinnati Bengals is that the games are usually never sold out. Once I sat behind the Bengals bench for a half, and then in the front row of the enzone for the other half. Got some great shots of despair.

One other point, if you go in as a ticket holder, you don't own the copyright to the photo's you shot. The NFL does. So I do just for the pleasure.

Mike
http://www.pbase.com/mfmartin/bengals_vs_steelers

 

[Steve13285]

Maybe you should use your stealth expertise working for the Dept of Homeland Security!!
Steve

The stadium itself opens up 2 hours before game time. At that
time, they set up security. If you go past these gates 2.5 hours
before game time, you'll avoid security. But there's a catch!!
Don't line up right away at 10am when they start letting you into
the stadium. They keep the camera watchers (security) at the
actual entrance (where they take your ticket) for about 10 minutes
to catch most of the people that were already past security when
they setup. So, wait for these security people to return to the
main gate at 10:10am.

If you do hit security for some reason, what will they let in?
Officially, they say "a 35-80 zoom should be ok." I love the
"should" part. The reality is, tons and tons of people have 75-300
lenses. I carry in a 200mm f/2.8 mounted on the D60, because it's
fairly short and black. Then, I carry the 1.4x TC in my pocket.
I've actually gotten this setup through security, but they may
hesitate for a second. It's good to hold the camera by the lens to
mask it's size if you have to go through security.

After you're in the stadium, you're not 100% safe. If you get too
close to the field (first 10 rows) before the game to snap shots,
you may get someone saying "hey, you can't use that lens here." It
depends on the person. I just move to a new spot if I hear that
and say, "whoops, didn't know that." You're generally pretty safe
on the home side of the field due to all the people.

If you use my method above, you can get a 100-400 lens in. If you
were many seats back, you'd probably have no problem during the
game, but if you got too close to the field I doubt you'd last. I
have yet to actually confirm a sighting of a 70-200L or 100-400L at
the stadium. Seems like black is the way to go (eg. 200f/2.8)

Here's the shots from my last game. The 200f/2.8L+TC wide open is
not at all sharp, but for web photos and 8x10 prints, it works out.
The pre-game shots were taken from about row 10, the during game
shots were taken from the back of the lower deck. Sorry about the
fixation on #7 in the shots, he's my cousin.

http://www.projectrun.com/photos/Dallas_Cowboys/

Jason

Hi all!

I am flying from Hawaii to the mainland for the Christmas Holidays
and will be taking my D60. I am stopping in Dallas on the 21 and
plan to see the Cowboys game while I am there.

I am wondering: Is it possible to take my D60 to the game? I REALLY
don't want to leave it in the hotel. If I can take it, are there
any lenses that are likely to cause problems? I have heard people
say that the 100-400L is frequently a problem. What about the
100-300 USM?

Also, would a press pass help? What is involved in getting one? I
know a few people here on the islands and might be able to scrounge
one up...

Thanks for the input!

Mark

--
Truly great madness cannot be achieved without significant
intelligence.
Henrik Tikkanen

 

[Steve13285]

http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=1136208

Toughest part was keeping myself inconspicuous and at the same time not getting blocked everytime the crowd jumped to it's feet (a major problem!).

Luckily at Arrowhead Stadium they don't seem to care much, the main issue is they don't want you to have a bag - I just carry my camera in on my arm.
Regards,
Steve

The stadium itself opens up 2 hours before game time. At that
time, they set up security. If you go past these gates 2.5 hours
before game time, you'll avoid security. But there's a catch!!
Don't line up right away at 10am when they start letting you into
the stadium. They keep the camera watchers (security) at the
actual entrance (where they take your ticket) for about 10 minutes
to catch most of the people that were already past security when
they setup. So, wait for these security people to return to the
main gate at 10:10am.

If you do hit security for some reason, what will they let in?
Officially, they say "a 35-80 zoom should be ok." I love the
"should" part. The reality is, tons and tons of people have 75-300
lenses. I carry in a 200mm f/2.8 mounted on the D60, because it's
fairly short and black. Then, I carry the 1.4x TC in my pocket.
I've actually gotten this setup through security, but they may
hesitate for a second. It's good to hold the camera by the lens to
mask it's size if you have to go through security.

After you're in the stadium, you're not 100% safe. If you get too
close to the field (first 10 rows) before the game to snap shots,
you may get someone saying "hey, you can't use that lens here." It
depends on the person. I just move to a new spot if I hear that
and say, "whoops, didn't know that." You're generally pretty safe
on the home side of the field due to all the people.

If you use my method above, you can get a 100-400 lens in. If you
were many seats back, you'd probably have no problem during the
game, but if you got too close to the field I doubt you'd last. I
have yet to actually confirm a sighting of a 70-200L or 100-400L at
the stadium. Seems like black is the way to go (eg. 200f/2.8)

Here's the shots from my last game. The 200f/2.8L+TC wide open is
not at all sharp, but for web photos and 8x10 prints, it works out.
The pre-game shots were taken from about row 10, the during game
shots were taken from the back of the lower deck. Sorry about the
fixation on #7 in the shots, he's my cousin.

http://www.projectrun.com/photos/Dallas_Cowboys/

Jason

Hi all!

I am flying from Hawaii to the mainland for the Christmas Holidays
and will be taking my D60. I am stopping in Dallas on the 21 and
plan to see the Cowboys game while I am there.

I am wondering: Is it possible to take my D60 to the game? I REALLY
don't want to leave it in the hotel. If I can take it, are there
any lenses that are likely to cause problems? I have heard people
say that the 100-400L is frequently a problem. What about the
100-300 USM?

Also, would a press pass help? What is involved in getting one? I
know a few people here on the islands and might be able to scrounge
one up...

Thanks for the input!

Mark

--
Truly great madness cannot be achieved without significant
intelligence.
Henrik Tikkanen

 

[Jason Hutchinson]

Is that the 70-200IS? I'd love to use IS there, as I don't have any practice with long lenses without IS outside the NFL games. I own the 100-400IS, and if I could shoot with that, I'd probably use ISO 100. I might have a little motion blur, but I'd rather have that than the camera shake I get with the 200f/2.8+1.4xTC.

Here's a typical shot of the action from the 31st row at Texas Stadium, when it's out in front of the seats. It's a 2364 x 1576 crop from D60 at 280mm actual FL.



Jason

Toughest part was keeping myself inconspicuous and at the same time
not getting blocked everytime the crowd jumped to it's feet (a
major problem!).
Luckily at Arrowhead Stadium they don't seem to care much, the main
issue is they don't want you to have a bag - I just carry my camera
in on my arm.
Regards,
Steve

The stadium itself opens up 2 hours before game time. At that
time, they set up security. If you go past these gates 2.5 hours
before game time, you'll avoid security. But there's a catch!!
Don't line up right away at 10am when they start letting you into
the stadium. They keep the camera watchers (security) at the
actual entrance (where they take your ticket) for about 10 minutes
to catch most of the people that were already past security when
they setup. So, wait for these security people to return to the
main gate at 10:10am.

If you do hit security for some reason, what will they let in?
Officially, they say "a 35-80 zoom should be ok." I love the
"should" part. The reality is, tons and tons of people have 75-300
lenses. I carry in a 200mm f/2.8 mounted on the D60, because it's
fairly short and black. Then, I carry the 1.4x TC in my pocket.
I've actually gotten this setup through security, but they may
hesitate for a second. It's good to hold the camera by the lens to
mask it's size if you have to go through security.

After you're in the stadium, you're not 100% safe. If you get too
close to the field (first 10 rows) before the game to snap shots,
you may get someone saying "hey, you can't use that lens here." It
depends on the person. I just move to a new spot if I hear that
and say, "whoops, didn't know that." You're generally pretty safe
on the home side of the field due to all the people.

If you use my method above, you can get a 100-400 lens in. If you
were many seats back, you'd probably have no problem during the
game, but if you got too close to the field I doubt you'd last. I
have yet to actually confirm a sighting of a 70-200L or 100-400L at
the stadium. Seems like black is the way to go (eg. 200f/2.8)

Here's the shots from my last game. The 200f/2.8L+TC wide open is
not at all sharp, but for web photos and 8x10 prints, it works out.
The pre-game shots were taken from about row 10, the during game
shots were taken from the back of the lower deck. Sorry about the
fixation on #7 in the shots, he's my cousin.

http://www.projectrun.com/photos/Dallas_Cowboys/

Jason

Hi all!

I am flying from Hawaii to the mainland for the Christmas Holidays
and will be taking my D60. I am stopping in Dallas on the 21 and
plan to see the Cowboys game while I am there.

I am wondering: Is it possible to take my D60 to the game? I REALLY
don't want to leave it in the hotel. If I can take it, are there
any lenses that are likely to cause problems? I have heard people
say that the 100-400L is frequently a problem. What about the
100-300 USM?

Also, would a press pass help? What is involved in getting one? I
know a few people here on the islands and might be able to scrounge
one up...

Thanks for the input!

Mark

--
Truly great madness cannot be achieved without significant
intelligence.
Henrik Tikkanen

 

[Steve13285]

This was actually taken with the Sigma 70-200 EX APO. It's probably not quite up to Canon's "L" lens, but it rates very close in reviews and testing on Photodo.

I've got the 100-400L IS but haven't taken that into the stadium to date. I might give it a try this Sunday. I hate to have to walk all the way back to my car if they give me grief!
Regards,
Steve

Here's a typical shot of the action from the 31st row at Texas
Stadium, when it's out in front of the seats. It's a 2364 x 1576
crop from D60 at 280mm actual FL.



Jason

Toughest part was keeping myself inconspicuous and at the same time
not getting blocked everytime the crowd jumped to it's feet (a
major problem!).
Luckily at Arrowhead Stadium they don't seem to care much, the main
issue is they don't want you to have a bag - I just carry my camera
in on my arm.
Regards,
Steve

The stadium itself opens up 2 hours before game time. At that
time, they set up security. If you go past these gates 2.5 hours
before game time, you'll avoid security. But there's a catch!!
Don't line up right away at 10am when they start letting you into
the stadium. They keep the camera watchers (security) at the
actual entrance (where they take your ticket) for about 10 minutes
to catch most of the people that were already past security when
they setup. So, wait for these security people to return to the
main gate at 10:10am.

If you do hit security for some reason, what will they let in?
Officially, they say "a 35-80 zoom should be ok." I love the
"should" part. The reality is, tons and tons of people have 75-300
lenses. I carry in a 200mm f/2.8 mounted on the D60, because it's
fairly short and black. Then, I carry the 1.4x TC in my pocket.
I've actually gotten this setup through security, but they may
hesitate for a second. It's good to hold the camera by the lens to
mask it's size if you have to go through security.

After you're in the stadium, you're not 100% safe. If you get too
close to the field (first 10 rows) before the game to snap shots,
you may get someone saying "hey, you can't use that lens here." It
depends on the person. I just move to a new spot if I hear that
and say, "whoops, didn't know that." You're generally pretty safe
on the home side of the field due to all the people.

If you use my method above, you can get a 100-400 lens in. If you
were many seats back, you'd probably have no problem during the
game, but if you got too close to the field I doubt you'd last. I
have yet to actually confirm a sighting of a 70-200L or 100-400L at
the stadium. Seems like black is the way to go (eg. 200f/2.8)

Here's the shots from my last game. The 200f/2.8L+TC wide open is
not at all sharp, but for web photos and 8x10 prints, it works out.
The pre-game shots were taken from about row 10, the during game
shots were taken from the back of the lower deck. Sorry about the
fixation on #7 in the shots, he's my cousin.

http://www.projectrun.com/photos/Dallas_Cowboys/

Jason

Hi all!

I am flying from Hawaii to the mainland for the Christmas Holidays
and will be taking my D60. I am stopping in Dallas on the 21 and
plan to see the Cowboys game while I am there.

I am wondering: Is it possible to take my D60 to the game? I REALLY
don't want to leave it in the hotel. If I can take it, are there
any lenses that are likely to cause problems? I have heard people
say that the 100-400L is frequently a problem. What about the
100-300 USM?

Also, would a press pass help? What is involved in getting one? I
know a few people here on the islands and might be able to scrounge
one up...

Thanks for the input!

Mark

--
Truly great madness cannot be achieved without significant
intelligence.
Henrik Tikkanen

 

[Jason Hutchinson]

This was actually taken with the Sigma 70-200 EX APO. It's
probably not quite up to Canon's "L" lens, but it rates very close
in reviews and testing on Photodo.
I've got the 100-400L IS but haven't taken that into the stadium to
date. I might give it a try this Sunday. I hate to have to walk
all the way back to my car if they give me grief!
Regards,
Steve

Wow, I can't believe I forgot about the Sigma. I've been struggling to find any lens that fits my requirements for NFL games. I wanted sharp, black, compact, and around 200mm f/2.8. The Canon 70-200 zooms are out due to the their white color. So, I've been using the 200f/2.8.

According to Photodo, the sigma 70-200f/2.8 is sharper at f/2.8 than the Canon prime both at 200mm. This result isn't reflected in the score of the Sigma zoom due to the fact that the score is based on f/4 performance (where the Canon improves considerably.) The prime lovers probably don't believe those numbers, but it wouldn't suprise me in the least if the Sigma zoom is sharper than the Canon prime. I think the Canon prime has sacrificed wide open sharpness for size, and I've never been impressed with it.

Jason

 

[Joe Wilson]

After looking at your pics, I have a question.....how are the Dallas fans dealing with the Emmitt Smith situation? Do most feel he is getting a bum deal? I'm in St. Louis and it's amazing at how many fans are ready to lynch Kurt Warner for the team's poor season.

The stadium itself opens up 2 hours before game time. At that
time, they set up security. If you go past these gates 2.5 hours
before game time, you'll avoid security. But there's a catch!!
Don't line up right away at 10am when they start letting you into
the stadium. They keep the camera watchers (security) at the
actual entrance (where they take your ticket) for about 10 minutes
to catch most of the people that were already past security when
they setup. So, wait for these security people to return to the
main gate at 10:10am.

If you do hit security for some reason, what will they let in?
Officially, they say "a 35-80 zoom should be ok." I love the
"should" part. The reality is, tons and tons of people have 75-300
lenses. I carry in a 200mm f/2.8 mounted on the D60, because it's
fairly short and black. Then, I carry the 1.4x TC in my pocket.
I've actually gotten this setup through security, but they may
hesitate for a second. It's good to hold the camera by the lens to
mask it's size if you have to go through security.

After you're in the stadium, you're not 100% safe. If you get too
close to the field (first 10 rows) before the game to snap shots,
you may get someone saying "hey, you can't use that lens here." It
depends on the person. I just move to a new spot if I hear that
and say, "whoops, didn't know that." You're generally pretty safe
on the home side of the field due to all the people.

If you use my method above, you can get a 100-400 lens in. If you
were many seats back, you'd probably have no problem during the
game, but if you got too close to the field I doubt you'd last. I
have yet to actually confirm a sighting of a 70-200L or 100-400L at
the stadium. Seems like black is the way to go (eg. 200f/2.8)

Here's the shots from my last game. The 200f/2.8L+TC wide open is
not at all sharp, but for web photos and 8x10 prints, it works out.
The pre-game shots were taken from about row 10, the during game
shots were taken from the back of the lower deck. Sorry about the
fixation on #7 in the shots, he's my cousin.

http://www.projectrun.com/photos/Dallas_Cowboys/

Jason

Hi all!

I am flying from Hawaii to the mainland for the Christmas Holidays
and will be taking my D60. I am stopping in Dallas on the 21 and
plan to see the Cowboys game while I am there.

I am wondering: Is it possible to take my D60 to the game? I REALLY
don't want to leave it in the hotel. If I can take it, are there
any lenses that are likely to cause problems? I have heard people
say that the 100-400L is frequently a problem. What about the
100-300 USM?

Also, would a press pass help? What is involved in getting one? I
know a few people here on the islands and might be able to scrounge
one up...

Thanks for the input!

Mark

--
Truly great madness cannot be achieved without significant
intelligence.
Henrik Tikkanen

 

[Steve13285]

I've been tempted to buy the Canon 70-200L but can't see that it's really a significantly better lens than my Sigma. It has faster AF perhaps. If I go to Canon it will have to be for the 70-200L IS, and right now that's out of my reach from a price perspective.

I've so far been quite pleased with the Sigma in terms of performance and image quality. It's also solidly built.
Regards,
Steve

This was actually taken with the Sigma 70-200 EX APO. It's
probably not quite up to Canon's "L" lens, but it rates very close
in reviews and testing on Photodo.
I've got the 100-400L IS but haven't taken that into the stadium to
date. I might give it a try this Sunday. I hate to have to walk
all the way back to my car if they give me grief!
Regards,
Steve

Wow, I can't believe I forgot about the Sigma. I've been
struggling to find any lens that fits my requirements for NFL
games. I wanted sharp, black, compact, and around 200mm f/2.8.
The Canon 70-200 zooms are out due to the their white color. So,
I've been using the 200f/2.8.

According to Photodo, the sigma 70-200f/2.8 is sharper at f/2.8
than the Canon prime both at 200mm. This result isn't reflected in
the score of the Sigma zoom due to the fact that the score is based
on f/4 performance (where the Canon improves considerably.) The
prime lovers probably don't believe those numbers, but it wouldn't
suprise me in the least if the Sigma zoom is sharper than the Canon
prime. I think the Canon prime has sacrificed wide open sharpness
for size, and I've never been impressed with it.

Jason

 

[Jason Hutchinson]

Before I answer your question, I thought I'd toss this photo in, which was taken from way over 100 yards, but is nice in that it's my only photo of the play where he broke the all time rushing record.



I think the fans have mixed emotions. Some feel he performs at a different level in a typical game than he did when he was going for his record. Whether or not that's true, one thing is certain. The guys in charge are (and should be) looking to the future. Obviously, they have no chance this year, and next year looks dim without some major improvement this year. Smith certainly isn't going to be their guy in the future, so I can see why they're cutting his time somewhat to test others. If the Cowboys were doing better this year, Smith certainly would be getting treated differently, that's for sure.

Jason

The stadium itself opens up 2 hours before game time. At that
time, they set up security. If you go past these gates 2.5 hours
before game time, you'll avoid security. But there's a catch!!
Don't line up right away at 10am when they start letting you into
the stadium. They keep the camera watchers (security) at the
actual entrance (where they take your ticket) for about 10 minutes
to catch most of the people that were already past security when
they setup. So, wait for these security people to return to the
main gate at 10:10am.

If you do hit security for some reason, what will they let in?
Officially, they say "a 35-80 zoom should be ok." I love the
"should" part. The reality is, tons and tons of people have 75-300
lenses. I carry in a 200mm f/2.8 mounted on the D60, because it's
fairly short and black. Then, I carry the 1.4x TC in my pocket.
I've actually gotten this setup through security, but they may
hesitate for a second. It's good to hold the camera by the lens to
mask it's size if you have to go through security.

After you're in the stadium, you're not 100% safe. If you get too
close to the field (first 10 rows) before the game to snap shots,
you may get someone saying "hey, you can't use that lens here." It
depends on the person. I just move to a new spot if I hear that
and say, "whoops, didn't know that." You're generally pretty safe
on the home side of the field due to all the people.

If you use my method above, you can get a 100-400 lens in. If you
were many seats back, you'd probably have no problem during the
game, but if you got too close to the field I doubt you'd last. I
have yet to actually confirm a sighting of a 70-200L or 100-400L at
the stadium. Seems like black is the way to go (eg. 200f/2.8)

Here's the shots from my last game. The 200f/2.8L+TC wide open is
not at all sharp, but for web photos and 8x10 prints, it works out.
The pre-game shots were taken from about row 10, the during game
shots were taken from the back of the lower deck. Sorry about the
fixation on #7 in the shots, he's my cousin.

http://www.projectrun.com/photos/Dallas_Cowboys/

Jason

Hi all!

I am flying from Hawaii to the mainland for the Christmas Holidays
and will be taking my D60. I am stopping in Dallas on the 21 and
plan to see the Cowboys game while I am there.

I am wondering: Is it possible to take my D60 to the game? I REALLY
don't want to leave it in the hotel. If I can take it, are there
any lenses that are likely to cause problems? I have heard people
say that the 100-400L is frequently a problem. What about the
100-300 USM?

Also, would a press pass help? What is involved in getting one? I
know a few people here on the islands and might be able to scrounge
one up...

Thanks for the input!

Mark

--
Truly great madness cannot be achieved without significant
intelligence.
Henrik Tikkanen

 

[Juli Valley]

Wow! I'm so grateful I have no need to take such photos if you have to go to these lengths to outsmart the authorities.