many things should be considered when shooting fast moving subject other than just a fast AF lens.


for camera, you should chose better AL SERVO AF system , fast burst rate and short shutter lag, high ISO performance should be considered too.


good Al Servo AF system will help you track and lock the moving subject in focus fast, fast burst rate will give you more chance to hit the keeper, the short shutter lag give you better timing to catch the action, and the better ISO performance will let you get faster shutter speed to freeze the action in lower light condition. XXD, 7D and 1D are designed for that.


fast AF lenses for sports?, there are many of them depend on the focal length you need, like 85 mm 1.8, 100mm 2.0 and 135mm 2.0 are good for indoor sports, of course the 200 2.0 is the best choice if you have the money to burn. 85mm 1.2 has a very slow AF speed, it is designed mainly for studio portrait shot, not for fast moving subject.


for out door, 70-200mm 2.8 II, 200-400mm zooms and 200mm ,300mm ,400mm, and longer primes are the choices. the 7D and the 400mm 5.6 is the fastest combo and my favorite choice for BIF in my gears.


Quote Originally Posted by memostothefuture
I missed with the otherwise excellent 24mm 1.4. it just took a tiny bit too long to lock in focus and I often missed shots with it.

I don't know what kind of situation of sports you shoot require a such short lens like the 24mm. with a short lens like this the DOF usually is very wide, all you need is the fast shutter speed to freeze the action. just my 2 cents.