Equipment Advice/tips

[Big Daddy]

I am getting into amature sport photography and would really apreciate your advice/help. I need info on the best equipment needed for my objective. I will be taking action/sport photo's of kids sports starting with soccer ouitside then indoors along with hockey.I am a beginner in regards to this niche but want to start with right equipment with in reason. Photo's will be printed to life scale so quality photo's is needed. So I guess starting with equipment to get started,with capability of upgrading as needed.

[OldClicker]

Budget? - TF

[Big Daddy]

I would like to stay under $1500 to start,I realize thats not a whole lot but would like to start their and add as I grow

[SportsPhotography]

1500 dollar isn't much.
I don't know which body you would prefer, but in my topic about the ice speedway you can see pictures made @ 2000 ISO with a 300mm F2.8 or an 80-200mm F2.8 the body I used is a Nikon D300.
On this moment I've got two of these together with a 400mm af-s ed-if II f2.8, 70-200mm af-s ed-if VR and a 17-55mm af-s ed-if dx.
I would advise to use a body which support high ISO values without a lot of noise because you want to photograph inside and outside and a good lens is also one thing to think about.
I expect a large sale on the old 70-200vr lenses of Nikon due to the new VR II version.

[Big Daddy]

Thank you for your advice,much appreciated!
I realize that $1500 is not a lot , I just want to get started and hopefully build/adding lenses and other equipment as I go along. I guess when it comes to body type everyone has their own preference....anyone else have input regarding type of body?

[SmartWombat]

Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax, Olympus, all have different strengths.
I think you're far more likely to change the body and upgrade than you are to change lenses.
So unless you plan on selling it all and starting again some time, you're buying into a system rather than just buying a camera.

If you have camera stores in your area, use them.
Get you hands on the cameras and see what feels right.

For me, Nikon felt odd.
The wheel on the front of the camera below the shutter button, the lens focussing the wrong way, the menu operation ... despite it fitting my hand like a glove I preferred the way the Canon worked.

Now four years later, I've got 3 canon bodies, 5 lenses, and lots of accessories.
It would be expensive to sell it all and change to Nikon.


When you start out, you're probably not going to be out in the rain.
So you won't need a professional water sealed body and lenses.
But I think you will have to plan to replace the lens and body at some point.
Because what you can afford with your budget is going to have limitations.

[Big Daddy]

Thank You for all the tips/advice!

[fidgety]

$1,500 is a tough budget to start with but my thoughts are something along the lines of a used Canon 50D and a used Canon 70-200 2.8L. Both of those used will still put you over budget but make a good start.