What would you recommend for a camera that's maybe one step up from this? I'd like to get something along the same vein, but maybe just a little bit upgraded.
Posted on 01/06/2011 8:36:09 PM PST by finish9
I am a parent of a 6th grader who wants to take photographs of kids playing indoor basketball and volleyball. I am looking for a camera which will take indoor shots with good white balance and freeze action for these sports. I do not want to go to a DSLR with humongous lens. I do not need professional quality, but also don't want blurry snapshots. I haven't found any point and shoot cameras which will do this; can anyone recommend something perhaps between that and a DSLR? I think that the shutter speed needs to be about 1/300th; what would I require for lens aperture? Any recommendations or help would be appreciated.
I am a Professional Photographer and what you are asking for is impossible with the restrictions that you are imposing on yourself.
If you need help with a DSLR selection and lenses and how to do indoor sports photography, let me know.
My camera is a Panasonic DMC FZ28 it is already outdated but a great digital camera....
Leica S2 37.5 MP and only $27,995.00. I bet the kid will become the photographer for the school paper with that camera. Children deserve the best.
http://www.amazon.com/Leica-Interchangeable-Sapphire-Platinum-Service/dp/B002NPCJ0Y
Sorry, you really need an SLR.
Get a basic SLR like one of the Canon Digital Rebels or the Nikon D3100 or D5000, then get a fast, short telephoto like an 85mm F1.8. Fast lenses and short shutter lag make the difference.
You don’t need to go high-end, but you do need a fast lens that lets in a lot of light. All the superzoom all in one cameras have very slow lenses at the long end of the zoom range. These don’t work for indoor sports.
Olympus EPL-1
http://thephoblographer.com/2010/04/06/hands-on-and-hands-off-olympus-epl-1-review-nyc/
This is the micro 4/3 form factor DSLR. You can get it for $440 at B&H Photo, very reputable shop, by the way.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/674722-REG/Olympus_262861_PEN_E_PL1_Digital_Camera.html
Also shoots 720p HD video.
It comes with a telephoto lens, but you will also want to get this “pancake” telephoto lens.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/651751-REG/Panasonic_H_H020_Lumix_20mm_f_1_7_Aspheric.html
With a pancake lens, it will fit in your shirt pocket! The lens has an f/1.7 rating for excellent light sensitivity.
If you wait until May, you can get the EPL-2
If you just want a point-and-shoot, I can recommend the Nikon CoolPix s8100
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=nikon+coolpix+s8100&N=0&InitialSearch=yes
Oh, the Nikon CoolPix s8100 point-and-shoot also shoots 1080p HD video.
B&H sells them for $299, but I picked one up for $249.
My wife does photography professionally and loves her Canon 7D, but then you stated that you don’t want a digital camera, so that’s down the drain. (Also, the 7D is on the expensive side).
The best advice I would give you is get a really good flash. The problem with most indoor sports pictures is the delay in waiting for the right light conditions. We had a used Canon before the 7D, and we bought a good ($350) flash for indoor sports pictures. It made all the difference in the world.
As a side note, we were taking mainly Wrestling pictures where the action changes very quickly and you need a good flash to catch the action.
In short, if you go cheap, you get cheap results.
Wait for the Nikon 5100 DSLR. it should be out in a few months.
I agree you need an SLR although even the cheapest one out now will do. For a lens, try an 80-200mm f2.8 and one of the cheap 50mm f1.8 lenses. If you can afford it get the f1.4 model.
If money is tight, try one of the Tamron or Sigma models.
I guess one of the new EVF models such as Olympus which take interchangeable lenses would work too but I am not familiar with them.
I bought a Panasonic Lumix ZS7 last summer, 12megapixel resolution. It has, in 35mm equivalence terms, a 25-300mm zoom lens from Leica, some kinda image stabilization and will also take (some) HD video at the push of a single button. It’s also pretty small.
I love it !
What would you recommend for a camera that's maybe one step up from this? I'd like to get something along the same vein, but maybe just a little bit upgraded.
Woops, didn’t catch the indoor requirement, sorry.
Hi...I love photography and bought a Nikon D90 with several lenses and am trying to take great shots at construction site. I love my photos (automatic Mode ;) 35mm lens) but with the zoom lens I find I lose quality (resolution) in my photos.. I have used a tripod and automatic settings—should I always use a tripod when I use the big lens?
Will I always lose sharpness when using zoom? ..does that make sense to you? It has been very overcast and getting darker being winter here, maybe the lighting is hurting the sharpness. I am not that great with a camera yet, but trying.....Thanks! Sue
You will eventually want a 18 - 200 lens as well.
That is a beautiful photograph!!!
Thanks :)
The Canon G-series and probably some other compact digital cameras have the hotshoe on top which can mount the same flashes that are used on the SLRs.
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