Tamron 300mm 2.8 AF IF (canon) for sports?

[arich]

I know this has been covered several years ago (here: 300mm f/2.8. Tamron or Sigma????)
I just wanted to see if there were any opinions about this lens specifically for sports. I know, I know, I KNOW, that the Canon 2.8 will be superior in all aspects but I just don't have that kind of money.

I currently have the Canon 300mm f/4 IS which works but isn't ideal and I have a chance to get an all but perfect Tamron 2.8. I need the fast aperture for low light football, next most important aspect is AF tracking speed.

Any updated thoughts people can share?

[shnitz]

I really like Tamron; I feel like they make an outstanding product. However, given that you have the 7D, I say just turn up the ISO. The optics and autofocus on the Tamron won't be better than on the Canon. I recommend getting a monopod if you don't have one for your 300mm; that's exactly how I used to shoot football and soccer. If people were happy enough with a 30D, 40D, or 50D a few years ago with the 300mm f/2.8, then you should be getting comparably clean exposures at f/4 with one stop higher ISO.

[Jim Victory]

I test drove the Tamron and Sigma before buying a Canon and I found the Sigma to be very close to the Canon in IQ and AF speed. The Tamron had a slower AF and seemed to exhibit more CA.

You may want to look at the Sigma 120-300 f/2.8 too.

[arich]

Originally Posted by Jim Victory

I test drove the Tamron and Sigma before buying a Canon and I found the Sigma to be very close to the Canon in IQ and AF speed. The Tamron had a slower AF and seemed to exhibit more CA.

You may want to look at the Sigma 120-300 f/2.8 too.

The 120-300 was my first choice and I had actually agreed to purchase one from a forum member but he backed out and decided he wanted more money :angry: ive found another one but its the non-HSM version so I don't know if its worth it.