4 Best Zoom Lenses For Full Frame Sports Photographers

Sports photography is a lovely genre that allows one to see human perfection up close. There are some lenses that perform much better than others, and those interested in this genre will need a good zoom lens. If you are a young or a seasoned photographer, then these four options can be great.

Canon 100-500mm f4.5-7.1 L IS USM

The Canon 100-500mm is an ideal zoom lens for RF users. The lens offers a 3ft minimum focusing distance, 9 aperture blades, and weighs 3lbs. The Canon lens is rugged, weather sealed, and is lightweight despite the size. One can rely on face detection and autofocus to get the person in focus. Given the price, the zoom lens is perfect for many photographers. The photos are sharp, and you also get good colors. The bokeh is soft, and it can offer nice bokeh balls. With cameras like R5, you get high megapixels and amazing results.

Nikon Z 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 

Another zoom lens, the 100-400mm weighs 1435g, has a close focusing distance of 2.5feet, and offers nice image stabilization. Measuring 8.7 inches long, the Nikon 100-400mm has a focus limiter, a removable tripod collar, and a sturdy, weather-sealed build. The lens works well with eye AF, and one can get amazing shots with ease. As we added in our review, “It’s going to serve sports and wildlife photographers well, but it does best finding the subject early, then waiting for that peak moment.” The photos offer nice, blurry background, the colors are rich and deep, and you get some flare.

Tamron 150-500mm f5-6.7 Di III VC VXD

A budget-friendly zoom lens, the Tamron 150-500mm measures 8.3-inch, weighs 1,725g, and has a magnification ratio of 1:3.1 to 1:3.7. The lens is large, but weather sealed, and has a large zoom ring. The lens results in sharp and colorful images, and the bokeh is pretty good. “With careful breathing and bracing my elbows, I could shoot at 1/125 at 500mm,” we added in our review. Similarly, the autofocus is quick, and works well with Sony and Nikon cameras. If used with either company’s cameras, it still results in some amazing photos.

Sony 200-600mm f5.6-6.3 G OSS

The Sony 200-600m is a fantastic zoom lens with a 2.4m close focusing distance, 11 aperture blades, and weighs 2115g. The lens is large, but it also offers a nice build, and it will not result in arm fatigue. The zoom lens offers image stabilization, and the buttons are customized and accessible. Whether used with older or newer Sony cameras, the 200-600mm is no slouch. The lens results in good bokeh, the colors are lovely, and “will deliver tack sharp images with no discernible decrease in sharpness of in-focus objects even as you move towards the periphery of the frame.”