90mm for sports

Has anyone used the 90mm for shooting sports, particularly marathons and runners? I know the 50-140mm would probably be the better choice but was curious about the 90mm for shooting marathons.  One potential problem using the 90mm is spacing between me and the runners but I would have some ability to move closer or further away. The 90mm would also double as an outdoor portrait lens as well so it would not be solely a marathon lens. Yup, simple solution is purchase both lenses!

thanks for your time, feedback, and ideas

there was a thread on this subject a week or so ago for indoor sports that got a lot of answers.  Wasn’t tagged 90mm when I just looked but had a similar title to your thread.

koiswimmer wrote:

Has anyone used the 90mm for shooting sports, particularly marathons and runners? I know the 50-140mm would probably be the better choice but was curious about the 90mm for shooting marathons. One potential problem using the 90mm is spacing between me and the runners but I would have some ability to move closer or further away. The 90mm would also double as an outdoor portrait lens as well so it would not be solely a marathon lens. Yup, simple solution is purchase both lenses!

thanks for your time, feedback, and ideas

Unless you are trying to get finish line pictures at Berlin or Boston there is plenty of scope choosing your spot at a marathon. It really depends what sort of image you are looking for.

This was the thread.

Since getting my 90mm a couple of weeks ago, I've successfully shot 3 hockey games and have several hundred fantastic pictures to share with the team.  The 90mm is very quick to focus and the f2 sure helps in the poorly lit municipal rinks.

Shooting primes for sports is new to me, but I'm enjoying it.  It's more targeted shooting, requiring more awareness of where the sweet spots/zones are.  I would imagine that hockey/soccer are a bit easier to shoot with a prime than marathons as the subjects are always milling around in a confined area, often changing directions.

For marathons, it sounds more like a security camera application - find the choke point [field of view] that the runner(s) will pass through, facing the direction of the lens.  And then let 'er rip at maximum fps.

The thread I linked at the top had some good examples posted by solamnus.

I think it would be excellent for runners. I've used it for biking pics of my kids. The rendering is beautiful.  Very fast to focus. My favourite lens that I don't use often enough.

Clive

koiswimmer wrote:

Has anyone used the 90mm for shooting sports, particularly marathons and runners? I know the 50-140mm would probably be the better choice but was curious about the 90mm for shooting marathons. One potential problem using the 90mm is spacing between me and the runners but I would have some ability to move closer or further away. The 90mm would also double as an outdoor portrait lens as well so it would not be solely a marathon lens. Yup, simple solution is purchase both lenses!

thanks for your time, feedback, and ideas

X90 - a little faster than a marathoner.  The 90 is an awesome lens for sports if you have the clear shot.