Friend needs advice on which camera to buy.

[tayl0124]

A friend is looking for a good camera to take photos of her kids playing hockey and Gymnastics. She currently has a canon powershot. She didn't say what model, but complained about there being a long time between being able to take photos, and that when zoomed in there is great image loss( I am guessing from digital zoom). I don't know that she knows what she is really looking for as a faster shutter speed wouldn't necessiarly help to take faster photos. But the kids would be in motion so maybe she does need faster shutter speeds. She is thinking that she needs something a little more advanced that what she has, but not so advanced that she would be too confused to use it. The price range she if looking into would be in the 400-500 range, maybe including an extra battery. What are your suggestions?? Canon g11?? Or do you think that is too advanced for her needs? Or is there something out there with a longer optical zoom that would be better?



This is the e-mail I got:
"Hi,



I was wondering if you had any camera advice for me? I want to get something that has a

faster shutter speed so I can take multiple pictures or like one after another after another.

RIght now I have to wait for the image to load. I also want it to have a clearer picture with

a bigger zoom. Right now my zoom is ok but it distorts the picture when you have it past

a certain point."

[Anbesol]

SX20IS is my bet, is has a lot of advanced features and full manual ability, but, it also has the green button onthe dial to turn the entire thing automatic, which is probably all she wants out of it.

It has a huge optical zoom range and a fast aperture throughout at only 2.8-5.7 (pretty impressive for a 20x zoom). She doesn't need to know how to handle it, just know that it will increase the cameras ability for faster shutter speeds throughout the zoom. With indoor sports, shutter speed matters!

The 'distorting' of the picture 'when you have it past a point' is most likely a problem with its decreased shutter speed due to a narrowing of the aperture, which is a *very* typical problem when people bring point and shoots indoors and try shooting sports.

Dont let her be intimidated by its more than 2 buttons, its green dial makes everything automatic so she doesn't have to think at all when using it. Plus she may look cool to all her soccer mom friends with a fancy new Canon with a big ol' lens.

She could go with something with a simpler 'look' or more pocket sized or whatever, but - for her specific purpose, the optics on this beast really will outshine anything else in its ability to get the pictures she wants.

It also has a very quick buffer and a possible burst rate of 1 frame per second. She wont be waiting a while for the buffer to clear, that problem is one of only antique point and shoots at this point anyway.

This one is also a powershot, in fact, every canon digital that isn't a DSLR is a powershot.

The reason I wouldn't pick a G11 first is because, in the hockey rink and gym where she wants to be using it, the G11 does not zoom in very far at all, it has a lens equivalent to a 28-140mm zoom. The SX20IS has a 28-560mm equivalent, which will be plenty of range to get real close in to the action.

*edit -

She is thinking that she needs something a little more advanced that what she has, but not so advanced that she would be too confused to use it.

This is a silly thing for anybody to say, every camera under the sun and under $4,000 has the green auto mode which automates everything. The sentiment this statement comes from is being falsely intimidated by a variety of buttons. Honestly, once you get accustomed to it, the ones with a lot of buttons are easier to use if anything. Unless she wants a Nikon D3x, she'll get her auto mode.

[tayl0124]

Thank you, any suggestions from anyone else?? Would like to give her maybe more than one suggestion.