I take pictures of my daughter's gymnastics meets. Flash photography is prohibited, not that I could get close enough for a flash to work anyway. I asked a few questions on another thread and got some good info. SO, I though maybe I should ask what features would be most desired.
I'm looking to get good shots of pretty poses in her routines rather than trying to stop fast action. I'm not usually very close so I like to use a lot of zoom to get her to fill the screen. The gyms are average to low lighting (I think). None ever seem to be really bright. I print the pictures in 4*6, 5*7 or 8*10 and sometimes crop them a little to make them more interesting.
I had an ancient Sony Cybershot (2.1MP) that took great pictures and could zoom all the way and not give me shake warnings. I'd use it today if the battery still worked. Okay and if it could recover faster to take the next shot. Yes, I could replace it but at $60, shouldn't I consider upgrading by now? I now use a Canon A540. It does outside kid pictures great, but even indoors WITH the flash I get shake warning. I have it set to aperature priority. That helps somewhat, but is inadequate for no flash zoom.
ISO - how high should I try to get?
Image stabilization - are they all created equal?
should I look for low fstops? Would that really be useful for what i want?
Any recommendations for a specific camera would be great, older models are fine too. Price is an issue. I'd like to stay under $250, yea, I know, that makes it tough.

Thanks

I went to dpreview.com and selected under 300 with image stabilization.
There were more than I thought there would be. I'd look at the link and then read the reviews in our review section.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp

I really like that website, never even knew it existed. The link didnt save the info you put in, but it got me to where I could. Great point of comparison. Thanks for the info.

Buy a cheap Digital slr and pick up a 50mm 1.8
a bit more $ than you want to spend but....
this is your best bet, don't waste money on a point and shoot for this application.

I am in the same boat. I took pics with a point and shoot for my son's 1st year of gymnastics. Nothing turned out very well. Your right the lighting is bad in the gyms.

I ended up buying a d-slr with some good lenses. It was worth every cent I spent. Not only can I get the poses... But I can now get the "stop action" I really like. I can make posters and the like now.

I suggest that you look at a cheap d-slr and then look at some decent glass. This should last you a few seasons and you will get picture that you never expected to take before.

Good luck...
Phil

image stabilization is not created equally on every camera. MOST of the time the cheaper cameras with IS don't use active IS, just use algorithms to help reduce blur, while the more expensive cameras use a more effective optical image stabilization where the lens elements actually play an active part in the image stabilization while taking the picture. The downside is that manufacturers are not quick to disclose what kind of image stabilization the camera actually is.

but i have to agree with others, if you want to get good photos, you'll be better off to invest in a DSLR. youll be able to stop action better (DSLRs have better noise control at high ISOs) and you will be able to get good lenses that will allow a lot of light to come in, f/2.8 or lower.

Ignore "zoom" since it doesn't mean anything. Look for focal length in millimeters. The higher the number, the better the magnification. Ideally, you want a lens that has a large aperture at those longer focal lengths. Large aperture are SMALLER numbers in the f/stop. For example, f/2.8 is much larger than f/11 and therefore lets in more light.