Girls HS BB (Almost Tournament Time!)

[dhyravy]

Things have been so wild around here lately what with the ice storm a couple of weeks ago which had us without power for 9 days. I've shot a lot of games but just haven't taken the time to upload recently. Anyway, here are a few from tonight's game. The North girls are down slightly after losing 6 seniors last year so they dropped this one by 6 points to the top ranked team in the region.

[vlf123]

Hi, I'm new on here and have struggled with the camera I have to get decent shots of my daughter's basketball games. She's just about done, but will be starting softball and I don't want cruddy pictures like I've gotten so far. I currently use a Kodak Easy Share DX6490. What would you suggest for a non-professional, that wouldn't break the bank, but would give shots that won't frustrate me? I can adjust for speed, quality, lighting, sports, etc. but I am not happy with the quality I'm getting. Most are fuzzy to just plain blurry. Thanks! (by the way, your shots are wonderful!)
vicki@gillgetter.com

[dhyravy]

Outdoor sports in daylight the options are a bit less costly than indoor or night shooting. A DSLR camera will give you more options, better quality, and more flexibility to upgrade as your needs change. You will need to learn manual settings if you want consistent results. To start off in sports you would need at a minimum:

DSLR (Nikon and Canon are the dominant players for these and give you more options if you want to upgrade later)
Lenses: You would probably want to have something on the wide end (say 18-55mm or so) as well as a longer telephoto zoom. (with a zoom range up to 200 or 300mm) For daylight shooting, the slower (i.e. f3.5-f5.6) lenses will work OK. Faster lenses (f2.8 or lower) are preferred by serious sports shooters and are pretty much required for night or indoor sports, but are pretty pricey for most parents/hobbyists. A 70-200mm f2.8 will set you back around $1600.00 for example.

For the record, my shots above were done with f2.8 lenses and remote flashes. This is a pretty sophisticated setup for a beginner and also adds quite a bit to the cost. I would concentrate on the outdoor daylight events to start with.

[vlf123]

Thanks so much for your input! I realize the old saying you get what you pay for!! I believe this really is an investment so paying for quality is definitely worth it. I like the option of upgrading in the future. Since she only has one more weekend of games for basketball, I think you are right on with focusing on the outdoor sports!

Thanks again!

[OldClicker]

I hate to get into gear crap, but I guess I hate this even worse.

"Nikon and Canon are the dominant players for these and give you more options if you want to upgrade later"

What do you have that the others don't offer?

TF

[dhyravy]

Mainly a much larger used equipment market for those looking for quality at lower cost and a far more extensive selection of lenses and accessories. I guess you could also point to a larger selection of bodies as well.

[OldClicker]

Mainly a much larger used equipment market for those looking for quality at lower cost and a far more extensive selection of lenses and accessories. I guess you could also point to a larger selection of bodies as well.

But my question was: In the real world - what YOU have - what don't they offer? - TF

[dhyravy]

It's really not a matter of what they offer, it's more about availability. I have nothing against any of the manufacturers. But the reality is when I'm on the sideline, baseline, etc. shooting for the paper or whoever I can't recall seeing any other pro with anything but those two. Not to mention that between them they hold 77% of the market as of the latest figures.