I've long been into sports photography and have always found that I need seriously good telephoto lenses for capturing fast action on the pitch or on the track. Whether you're photographing athletics, ball games or motor sports, the principles of what makes a good lens are the same – so this guide should prove handy for sports shooters of all stripes.
Using one of the best lenses for sports will benefit you if you're shooting from the peanut gallery or you're lucky enough to have a media pass. The main thing it will give you is telephoto reach, with a versatile zoom range that enables you to react to the action. Other things to look out for are a fast aperture, weather sealing and image stabilization – which can compensate for a lack of stabilization in your camera body or even work in sync with it.
Remember that some third-party glass is compatible with multiple systems and that many DSLR lenses work with mirrorless cameras via mount adapters, often with full functionality of autofocus and stabilization. If you need a new camera, too, check out our guide to the best cameras for sports photography.
I'm Digital Camera World's principal lens reviewer, having personally tested hundreds of lenses over the last 20 years, along with using and reviewing all manner of camera gear. In my spare time I love visiting racing tracks to photograph motorbikes, so I've put these lenses through their paces in the real world of sports shooting!
The best lenses for sports photography
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Best Canon lens for sport photography
The Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM has long been a favorite with Canon DSLR shooters, with the Mk II edition having a twist-ring zoom mechanism, rather than a push-pull arrangement. The RF 100-500mm for EOS R-series mirrorless cameras follows suit, also inheriting the smooth control ring.
Handling is refined, with a triple-mode, five-stop image stabilizer, a customizable control ring, and an autofocus-range limiter switch.
Helped by the inclusion of six UD (Ultra-low Dispersion) elements, one Super UD element, and Air Sphere Coating, image quality is excellent. The image stabilizer lives up to its claims on EOS R and RP cameras, and its effectiveness is further boosted when combined with the in-body stabilizers of newer EOS R-series cameras.
Read my full Canon RF 100-500mm review
Features ★★★★★ | There’s a smorgasbord of features packed into this lens with optical stabilization, dual Nano USM autofocus motors and a very high-end optical path. |
Design ★★★★★ | Flourishes include a zoom ring torque adjustment, carried forward from the EF lens, and robust weather-sealed build quality. |
Performance ★★★★★ | Autofocus performance needs one of the more recent than original EOS R bodies to get the most out of the lens, but image quality is fabulous. |
Value ★★★★☆ | It’s pretty good value for what it is, but this lens will nevertheless make a sizeable dent in your bank balance. |
Best Nikon Z-mount lens for sport photography
Nikon very much sees this as the Z-mount successor to the popular AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens. It's an ultra-telephoto lens that's highly capable, but also reasonably affordable to amateurs and enthusiasts as well as professionals. The extra-long zoom range delivers real versatility.
In my review, I was blown away by this absolute cracker of a lens. It's razor-sharp right the way through that big focal range, and the build makes it sufficiently lightweight for prolonged handheld use. Autofocus is lightning-fast and pinpoint accurate – which is the gold standard where for sports photography.
Even when the conditions are challenging, this lens delivers the goods, building on the success of its DSLR-based forebear.
Read my full Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR review
Features ★★★★★ | Compared with Nikon’s F-mount 200-500mm zoom, this one has longer telephoto reach and more effective 5.5-stop optical stabilization. |
Design ★★★★★ | The lens is impeccably built with extensive weather-seals and is noticeably lighter than Nikon’s 200-500mm lens. |
Performance ★★★★★ | Sharpness and clarity are exceptional, even at the longest zoom setting, backed up by super-fast autofocus and highly effective stabilization. |
Value ★★★★☆ | It’s pricier than the F-mount 200-500mm lens but well worth the extra outlay. |
Best Sony lens for sport photography
I’ve been impressed by the Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master OSS super-tele zoom for E-mount mirrorless cameras, but the newer 200-600mm really boosts telephoto reach, with only a minimal narrowing of the aperture rating. It’s also considerably less expensive, has similarly refined handling, and delivers superb performance and image quality
Handling is excellent, with a switchable triple-mode optical stabilizer, an autofocus range limiter, and customizable AF-on/AF-lock buttons. Unusually for this type of lens, the overall physical length remains fixed throughout the zoom range.
The Direct Drive Super Sonic Motor autofocus system is fast, accurate, and ultra-quiet. The optical stabilizer works best in conjunction with in-body stabilizers featured in recent Sony cameras, and sharpness is both scintillating and consistent.
Read my full Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS review
Features ★★★★★ | There are all the up-market controls, switches and handling extras you could hope for. |
Design ★★★★★ | It’s a necessarily big lens but less of a heavyweight than some, along with robust build quality. |
Performance ★★★★★ | Image quality is great throughout the entire zoom range, with effective stabilization and fast autofocus. |
Value ★★★★☆ | It’s pricier than the alternative Sigma lens but not bad value for an own-brand Sony G zoom. |
Best L-mount lens for sport photography
Despite being a full-frame compatible super-tele zoom, the Panasonic 100-500mm is relatively compact and lightweight, even if it does tip the scales at well over a kilogram. That puts handheld shooting firmly on the agenda, rather than necessitating the use of a monopod or tripod, and to help keep things steady, there’s an outstanding 7-stop optical stabilization system built into the lens.
Build quality feels super-tough and the lens is designed to survive rain, sea spray and dusty conditions, as well as freezing temperatures down to -10ºC (14ºF). Handling extras include an AF/MF switch, focus limiter switch, stabilization mode with static and panning options. Further along, there’s a hybrid zoom function switch which is customizable for alternative options.
Image quality and all-round performance is excellent in all respects and sharpness is boosted in practical terms by that super-duper stabilizer.
Read our full Panasonic Lumix S 100-500mm f/5-7.1 O.I.S. review
Features ★★★★★ | Huge 100–500mm range, 7 stop O.I.S., smooth-tight ring, custom button and weather-sealing make this a very rounded package. |
Design ★★★★☆ | Premium feeling, and more compact and lighter than L-mount rivals, though the smooth-tight zoom ring doesn't deliver. |
Performance ★★★★☆ | Sharp images throughout the range, excellent stabilisation and reliable autofocus for stills and video. |
Value ★★★★☆ | Pricier, but a much lighter and more compact alternative to heavier 150–600mm zooms. |
Best Fujifilm lens for sport photography
Thanks to the X series' crop factor, this lens effectively gives you a 150-600mm focal range, which should easily cover the distance for most sports photography scenarios.
It comes with a string of letters after its name, denoting a physical aperture ring, a linear motor autofocus system, optical image stabilization, and a weather-resistant construction – ticking pretty much all of the boxes on a Fujifilm sports photographer’s wishlist.
The lens is beautifully engineered, with a high-precision feel to all its controls, and no hint of zoom creep. The optical path includes five ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements, plus a Super ED element. The autofocus system’s dual linear stepping motors enable very fast performance, and the five-stop stabilizer is highly effective.
Read my full Fujifilm XF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR review
Features ★★★★★ | The super-telephoto zoom range stretches to an ‘effective’ 600mm, backed up by 5-stop optical stabilization and an aperture control ring. |
Design ★★★★☆ | It’s pretty weighty and lacks AF-on/hold function buttons but does include extensive weather-seals. |
Performance ★★★★☆ | Autofocus is fast and stabilization is highly effective but sharpness drops off towards the long end of the zoom range. |
Value ★★★★☆ | It’s pretty good value for money but is nevertheless an expensive lens and certainly not a bargain buy. |
Best Micro Four Thirds lens for sport photography
The OM System M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro (previously available as an Olympus lens) offers an enviable 80-300mm equivalent focal range, and is the telephoto member of the OM / Olympus trinity family of Pro lenses – which also includes the standard M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro II (a 24-80mm equivalent) and the wide M.Zuiko 7-14mm f/2.8 Pro (14-28mm).
Unless you're working at close quarters, the 40-150mm offers the most versatile focal range for sports shooters. And it's compatible with both 1.4x and 2.0x teleconverters, giving it a maximum effective range of 160-600mm!
It boasts IP53 weather sealing and truly excellent build quality, including a manual focus clutch and an ingeniously designed lens hood that's both integrated and collapsible. It's inescapably a larger lens, though, and will pair better on bigger bodies like the OM System OM-1 Mark II or Olympus OM-D E-M1X.
Optically it's a formidable performer, with good sharpness, negligible fringing and zero distortion, though corner sharpness is a bit mediocre.
Read my full Olympus / OM System M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro review
Features ★★★★☆ | There’s no optical image stabilization but it competes with 70-200mm f/2.8 ‘trinity’ full-frame telephoto zooms, yet with a longer 80-300mm effective zoom range. |
Design ★★★★★ | Weather-proofed build quality and handling are consummately pro-grade, complete with a focus distance scale that’s highly unusual nowadays. |
Performance ★★★★★ | It’s not the ‘sharpest’ lens that’s ever been through out labs but image quality has great clarity and color rendition. |
Value ★★★★★ | If you compare this lens to typical own-brand 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses, it’s exceptional value for money. |
Best Pentax lens for sport photography
This lens is a great option whether you're using full-frame DSLRs like the Pentax K-1 Mark II or APS-C bodies like the Pentax K-3 Mark III (where it gives an effective focal range of 230-690mm).
It has plenty of autofocus tricks, boasting Quick Shift modes with auto and manual priority modes along with an AF preset function, though autofocus speed itself can be a little bit pedestrian.
Other goodies include four customizable buttons around the middle of the lens, tough weather-sealed construction, HD coatings to reduce ghosting and flare, along with a ‘super protect’ coating on the front element.
Sharpness does drop off at the long end, which isn't helped by the absence of stabilization (relying on you having a stabilized body), but otherwise, this is a high-tech and incredibly robust lens for sports shooters.
Read my full HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 ED DC AW review
Features ★★★☆☆ | There’s an autofocus preset and range limiter but no optical image stabilization. |
Design ★★★★☆ | Typical of up-market Pentax kit, the lens feels solid and robust, and features no less than 21 weather-seals. |
Performance ★★★☆☆ | Autofocus is comparatively sluggish and noisy by the latest standards and image quality could be sharper. |
Value ★★★☆☆ | It’s expensive compared with third-party offerings and relatively poor value for money. |
Best Nikon F-mount lens for sport photography
Nikon has long made a Nikkor AF-S 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens – but, while it delivers excellent image quality, the focal length is relatively limited and it’s pretty pricey. This newer 200-500mm zoom is more affordable and packs in smart additional features.
Attractions include a constant-aperture design and an electromagnetically controlled diaphragm that ensures greater exposure consistency in rapid-fire shooting. Uprated VR (Vibration Reduction) is good for 4.5 stops and adds a ‘Sport’ mode for improved stability while tracking moving subjects.
During our lab testing, it showed good levels of sharpness that remain impressively consistent throughout the entire zoom range, and overall image quality is of a high standard. Autofocus and stabilization systems work quickly and effectively. The maximum focal length falls a little short, compared with Nikon-mount Sigma and Tamron 150-600mm zooms, but performance is very good indeed.
Read my full Nikon AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR review
Features ★★★★★ | There’s fast autofocus, 4.5-stop dual-mode stabilization and unusually for a super-telephoto zoom, a constant aperture rating. |
Design ★★★★☆ | Handling is excellent and the lens isn’t overly heavy for its type. It’s also very nicely built but not fully weather-sealed. |
Performance ★★★★★ | Performance is excellent in all respects, from autofocus and stabilization to image quality throughout the whole zoom range. |
Value ★★★★☆ | The Nikon is very good value for money as an own-brand lens, competing with third-party contenders. |
Best independent lens for sport photography
A retooling of the already excellent DSLR lens, the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports is the complete package for L-mount and Sony E-mount shooters. Pairing superb internal optics with an all-around excellent weather-sealed build, this heavy-duty zoom lens is the real deal for both types of camera.
Of course, build quality wouldn't matter much if the lens's performance was sub-standard. Fortunately, it's excellent. The optical path is a little different from the DSLR version, including 25 elements arranged in 15 groups, and it produces impressive sharpness throughout the entirety of the zoom range. There's some inevitable fall-off in the corners, but not enough to worry about, and it's the sort of thing that will be hidden anyway when you're shooting with a shallow depth of field.
Autofocus is fast, accurate and altogether excellent. It's well able to make the most of advanced autofocus modes in high-end cameras, where available. I won't pretend this is a lightweight lens but it sure handles well, with tactile zoom and focus rings and a series of on-body controls for functions like AF speed, stabilization intensity, and in a new addition for the mirrorless version, Zoom Torque control to adjust the resistance of the zoom ring.
The Sigma is an all-around excellent lens that's absolutely worth the money for E-mount and L-mount users.
Read my full Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports review
Features ★★★★★ | The lens inherits the high-end features and handling of the older version for DSLRs, in a smaller, lighter package. |
Design ★★★★★ | The design is very refined, while build quality is excellent and includes extensive weather-seals. |
Performance ★★★★★ | Excellent inherent sharpness is further boosted in real terms by highly effective optical stabilization. |
Value ★★★★★ | It’s a pro-grade super-telephoto zoom with a ‘consumer’ price tag, making it standout value. |
Best constant-aperture lens for sport photography
To my mind, the Sigma 300-600mm f/4 DG OS Sports isn’t a lens to be taken lightly. It weighs the best part of 4kg / 9lb and has a similarly weighty price tag, although it’s still something of a bargain considering the ultra-long zoom range coupled with a relatively fast and constant f/4 aperture rating. Fully pro-grade build quality features a weather-sealed magnesium alloy barrel and both of the zoom and focus mechanisms are fully internal, so the overall length of the lens remain fixed at all settings (ideal if you’re using a gimbal head).
Autofocus is driven by a ‘high-thrust’ HLA (High-response Linear Actuator) motor, geared for maximum speed and accuracy. Handling is high-end, with a rank of four function buttons placed at 90-degree intervals around the lens. A new ‘function ring’ is situated just behind the AF-L buttons, which you can use in Focus Preset mode to return instantly to a preset focus distance, or for ‘Power Focus Mode’ that’s ideal for videography.
Optical stabilization is worth 5.5-stops and the lens features multiple low-dispersion and high refractive index elements, aiming to boost sharpness, clarity and color rendition while minimizing unwanted aberrations. Sigma’s Super Multi-layer Coating and high-tech Nano Porous Coating are applied to minimize ghosting and flare, and there’s a water/oil-repellant coating on the front element. Performance is absolutely top-drawer in all respects.
Read my full Sigma 300-600mm f/4 DG OS | S review
Features ★★★★★ | Top-end features include that relatively fast f/4 constant aperture, super-fast autofocus, 5.5-stop optical stabilization and an autofocus range limiter. |
Design ★★★★★ | The excellent design includes fully internal zoom and focus mechanisms, a tough magnesium alloy, weather-sealed build, great handling extras and a carbon fiber hood. |
Performance ★★★★★ | Pro-grade glass couples with HLA autofocus and highly-effective optical stabilization to deliver superb image quality with a great hit rate. |
Value ★★★★★ | There’s no denying this is a very expensive lens but, in the context of fast super-telephoto prime lenses, it’s an absolute bargain. |
Lab data and comparisons
The graphs below show the comparative performance of the lenses in this guide, based on our in-house lab tests. The Canon RF 100-500mm and Nikon Z 180-600mm both score very highly for sharpness, with the Sony FE 200-600mm and Sigma 150-600mm coming very close behind. There’s not much distortion on show, while the Pentax 150-450mm is technically worst for color fringing.
Scores for sharpness and color fringing are averaged from data taken across the entire image frame, from the center to the edges and corners, throughout the aperture range. For zoom lenses, the scores are also averaged from data measured at all marked focal lengths, and the same applies to distortion.
Bear in mind that these average values don't fully reflect specific areas of performance. For example, a zoom lens might have noticeable barrel and pincushion distortion at its shortest and longest focal lengths respectively, which tends to average out when looking at the data overall. For more detailed graphs of each lens's performance, which give the full picture, check out the graphs in our full standalone lens reviews.
How to choose the best sports photography lens
When picking lenses for sports photography, you're going to need to prioritize a number of things. A decent telephoto focal length is going to be a given, as sports by their nature don't allow you to get close to the action. And at this range, you're going to likely need a capable stabilization system to help keep shots sharp, as you may not always be able to rely on being able to use a tripod. Having as wide a maximum aperture as possible will also be handy; sports photography generally requires fast shutter speeds, so being able to open up the lens will help you ensure enough light gets in without having to amp up the ISO.
Fast focusing is a must – a lens needs a powerful system that'll lock-on quickly. Also, given that many sports take place outdoors, some measure of weatherproofing is highly advisable.
What focal length do professional sports photographers use?
There's no single answer to this – as of course it does depend somewhat on the sport being shot! If you're courtside at a basketball game, for instance, you could probably get away with shooting on a 50mm, but most sports photographers don't have that luxury. As a general rule, having at least 200mm to work with is a good idea, with some leeway in both directions depending on the specifics of your chosen sport.
What lens should I use for sports videography?
In general, the best lenses for sports videography are going to be the same as for photography – you still need to prioritize a long focal length, decent stabilization and fast focusing. There are a few other features you might want to pay attention to – getting something with silent autofocus is a good idea, and you may also want to look for a clickless aperture ring for smooth exposure transitions.
How we test lenses
The lens experts in our testing lab run a range of tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.
We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the centre of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths.
There's more to it than just the technical side, though! Beyond the lab, our reviewers test lenses in real-world environments – and sometimes on professional shoots! We work with lenses both indoors and outdoors, in studio conditions and in natural light, with as many different subjects as is possible (or appropriate – there's no point testing a landscape lens' ability to shoot a portrait!).
We take into account everything from handling and ease of use to speed of autofocus and the overall quality of the images produced.
Find out more about how we test and review on Digital Camera World
