In a rock and a hard place?

[brmill26]

First of all, thank you for the great resource that is your forum. I've learned volumes over the past few days of reading. Also, you have some great pictures, and you racing guys especially.


I'm looking to upgrade to the prosumer/amatuer DSLR range from my current P&S Minolta Dimage Xt. This camera has been great for what it is- a pocket-sized cam that's amazingly capable for its size. However, I need more zoom and quality. Specifically, I do quite a lot of race photography, especially motocross. That environment is VERY dusty and due to terrain a quick AF system is a must. I also shoot at road races several times a year, and it's here that I really need the long zoom along with high speed, especially for the Superbike races.

Here's the caveat- being that I'm a college student doing this as a hobby, I can't throw down $1,000 for a Rebel XT and a huge lens. My target is around $600; I could go up a little higher, but only if it was really justified. Obviously that's my major limitation, as I would like to get photos good enough for the occasional large print (8X10 +).


So here are the options I think I have at the moment:
1. ~8MP Prosumer cameras:
* Fujifilm FinePix S9500 / 9000 (9MP, 10.7x)
* Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200 (8MP, 7x zoom)
* Nikon Coolpix 8700 (8 MP, 10x zoom)
* Samsung DigiMax PRO 815 (8 MP, 15x zoom)
* Kodak P-880 (8 MP, 5.8x zoom)
* Panasonic DMC-FZ30 (8MP, 12x zoom)

Of those, the FZ30 seems to have the zoom/resolution/speed at the right price point, but every review complains of high noise at ISO 200/400, which I see in their sample photos. That's a huge drawback for me, because unless I'm wrong, I'll need those speeds to capture fast-moving (100mph+) Superbikes at the long end of the zoom. Any experiences/opinions on the cams in this general category? Manual zoom and Image Stabilization are preferred, but I could live w/o them if another camera's imaging is significantly better.


2. Konica Minolta's new Maxxum 5D

With the current $50 rebate, I've found the body-only priced as low as $505. I haven't seen any tests yet, but the motion tracking continuous focus and internal (body) Stabilization are huge pluses. Coming from the P&S world, I know nothing about lenses and have been trying to educate myself, and understand that lower aperture values are better and such, but I still have no clue about compatibility and the risk (??) of buying used lenses. While I would certainly enjoy a flexible lens range, I could deal with a longer one only, as I still have my Xt for close up P&S stuff. Any opinions on this model; has anyone gotten a hold of one yet?


3. Used DSLR

I've seen in several other threads used DSLR's recommended as a way to acheive the quality for a lower price. I haven't explored this route at all, so advice on models and reliable sources from which to purchase would be much appreciated. Bearing in mind the potential for very dusty conditions, how much trouble is this for the camera and how often would I need to clean it- can this even be done by yourself?


I sincerely appreciate any help, tips, guidance, etc as I look forward to taking my photography to the next level.
To give you a better idea of exactly what all I shoot, here's a small gallery of some of my favorite shots. You can see the limitations of the little Xt in most, especially the lack of zoom and resolution.

http://auburn.facebook.com/album.php...801&id=7004397

-Brad

[Grandpaw]

Welcome to the forum Brad! I have had the Kodak P880 for a couple of weeks now and really like it. My sister in law has the Kodak P850 which has 12x optical and stabilization on it. For my needs the P880 works better, but you might want to check out the P850.

One thing that the Kodak's do is they take pretty good video with sound also. I know you did not mention video but it is fun to play with.

[brmill26]

Thanks for the input. Both Kodaks are further on down my list for various reasons, but I greatly appreciate your opinions.

I think I'm starting to lean harder towards the KM Maxxum 5D route, as I'm finding that bodies are just over $500 and I've found a Sigma 28-300 lens which would offer the same or greater flexibility than most of the prosumer cameras for a small premium.

This is the lens: http://www.willoughbys.com/shop/prod...90SIG28300MMM#

I've found it on other sites for about $220. Is that a good choice for what I want to do (dusty environments considered)?

[livin4lax09]

if i didnt need a backup, id offer to sell you my digital rebel. but look for a used drebel. You can get them for about 500 nowadays. SLR's will provide very beneficial in sports photography.

[JSPhoto]

if i didnt need a backup, id offer to sell you my digital rebel. but look for a used drebel. You can get them for about 500 nowadays. SLR's will provide very beneficial in sports photography.

Check the classifieds up top... I have DRebel 300D there....

JS

[brmill26]

Thanks JS, but for the money, I can get the KM Maxxum 5D new, and it has better (speed-wise) performance. That is, I'm assuming that your listing is the body only and not any lenses, batteries, memory, etc.

I appreciate the tip though, as I didn't even know that forum existed.

[JSPhoto]

Thanks JS, but for the money, I can get the KM Maxxum 5D new, and it has better (speed-wise) performance. That is, I'm assuming that your listing is the body only and not any lenses, batteries, memory, etc.

I appreciate the tip though, as I didn't even know that forum existed.

Nope, but it does have batteries. It's got maybe 5000 shots on it while I waited for the 1D to return from the shop.

JS