camera question

[help]

I hope you can help. I am looking for a digital camera with at least 10x optical zoom or higher, ISO rating of 3200 or higher, high speed between snapping, great camera to take pictures of action shots such as sports, also usable at night for baseball and football games, takes good pictures in gyms, and under $300. I know if I want the best I should spend more money, but I can't. Thanks for all your help.

[dhyravy]

I can't say I've ever heard of such an animal. What you're really asking for is $5000 worth of capability in a $300 P&S. Best of luck.

[GlenHumphries]

Hi
I first got into photography with a Fuji S-9500, it was a great camera and sets you up well if you want to go further into the technical stuff. It's newer sibling, the S-100 FS seems pretty similar to what I remember was good about the 9500, and to address your criteria:
- 28-400 equiv. zoom (approx 13x)
- iso past 3200
- 3 shots per second (10fps with 3MP)
- I never had any worries with the shutter lag with the 9500, I can only assume this will be even faster

For night/gym sports you really need a big, fast lens costing big $, but it think the fuji will be no less capable than any other P&S.

http://www.fujifilm.com/products/dig...pecifications/

In terms of cost it's a bit above your specified range but to be honest I'm not sure what wont be. Hopefully you can push the budget and join us in this great hobby.

Cheers
Glen

[help]

Ok, I know I am asking for a lot. But for an amateur, who will be doing some high school sports, what would you recommend? I now have a Fugi A700. It has a 7.3 megapixels,
3x optical zoom, and a slow flash speed. Also, for use in gyms or once it gets dark on football or baseball fields with lighting and is not that great since it turns out dark. I am looking to upgrade. Any ideas?

[Photo-John]

You're definitely very limited by the $300 budget. There's a reason you see pro sports photographers with big DSLRs and big lenses. That equipment works better when you need speed. It's not just about chnaging lenses, it's also about image quality. Digital SLRs have much larger sensors and even with less resolution their bigger pixels produce better image quality.

But your budget is what it is and we all have to start somewhere. I just wanted you know that you aren't going to get magazine-quality images from a $300 camera. But you can get a compromise that will keep you shooting, albeit with reduced performance. As long as you understand that, you shouldn't be too disappointed.

So what you should look at are superzoom compact digital cameras like the Sony Cybershot H50, the Canon PowerShot S5 IS, the Olympus SP-570, or the Fujifilm Finepix S8100fd. Those cameras all have a lot of zoom, image stabilization, good resolution, and great performance for a compact camera. They will still be pretty poor shooting in the evening or for indoor sports, though. Maybe we can help you imrpove your photos with some better technique, though. No matter what, you'll probably have to adjust your expectations.

Your other alternative is to buy a used digital SLR with a kit lens. You won't have the kind of zoom reach you want but you'll have better image quality and you will have begun the investment in a real performance camera system. Even a digital SLR with the same number of pixels as your current camera will blow it away in low light and in terms of speed. Digital SLRs are just plain better.

I hope that helps. Let us know if you have more questions. Shooting sports is tough. Like I said, there's a reason serious sports photographers invest thousands of dollars in their cameras and lenses. I understand that you don't have that kind of money. Most people don't. But if you're serious about sports photography, making a compromise now for a long term gain might be the better decision

[help]

Thanks for the info. I have thought about this, and now, I think I wil buy a SLR. What is the best one spending about $500 with my needs stated above? Would a Nikon D40 be a good choice? Would I have to buy the extra long lens? Is there a better choice? Thanks for your help.

[jetrim]

Your best bet is to start shopping ebay and find something used. I've bought several used cameras and have always gotten more than my money's worth out of them. Probably best to look at Cannons and Nikons as there are just more out there. I would caution against the D-40 though as the cheap body price requires expensive AFS lenses to make it work correctly. I'd also stay away from older Fujifilm slr's - I own 2 fuji's, love them to death but they are absolutely not sports cameras as they are slow (2fps) and only hold 7 frames in cashe (after you shoot 7 you must wait for it to write them to the card before shooting any more). If you get above a D60 the Nikons are fine and you can get away with a Tamron 70-300mm lens that would work great for your intended use at under $100 (barely) - most of the shots in the "pit pass" thread were taken with this lens.