First Sports Camera have $600-1200 To Spend

Buszaj · Jun 10, 2008

Yes, but the OP said that IQ is more important than speed for them. But, I realize that buy upgrading to the 30D/20D you'll get more speed and still excellent IQ. That would be a great setup.

Mav · Jun 10, 2008

Buszaj said:
Yes, but the OP said that IQ is more important than speed for them. But, I realize that buy upgrading to the 30D/20D you'll get more speed and still excellent IQ. That would be a great setup.

A key sports shot captured at THE critical moment with somewhat lesser quality still beats a technically better photo the moment just before or just after. 3 FPS isn't quick enough for serious sports photography.

For sports I'd go with a used 20D/30D and your choice of any one of canon's excellent telephoto lenses. On a budget of $600-1200 USD probably a 70-200 f/4L or 70-200 f/2.8L depending on what the OP can squeeze into their budget. For sports I'd probably skip IS, although it does help with panning shots. For that maybe the 70-200 f/4L IS. All of these are great lenses from what I've seen. I'd pick the lens first and then buy the body based on whatever you have left.

Buszaj · Jun 10, 2008

Overread · Jun 10, 2008

hmm well I will say it;
what about a good tripod and head for that photography? That will help improve shot quality and can make it easier when using a good lens and tracking for long periods of time.

icassell · Jun 10, 2008

I would sink the money into the glass. Find a system you're comfortable with (Canon, Nikon ... whatever) and find a used body and then get the fastest long lens you can afford. You then can keep using that lens when you can afford to upgrade the body later.

Buszaj · Jun 10, 2008

Overread said:
hmm well I will say it;
what about a good tripod and head for that photography? That will help improve shot quality and can make it easier when using a good lens and tracking for long periods of time.

Tripods aren't very good for sports. A monopod is the ideal type of support. Maybe a ball head along with that?

justhermz · Jun 10, 2008

Thanks for all the input I've decided to go with a 20D, as for the lens I think I'll have to decide that on my own leading towards the sigma, thanks again!

reg · Jun 11, 2008

Uh... you could have decided this all on your own.

Mav · Jun 11, 2008

:roll:

reg · Jun 11, 2008

Well he(?) said that they'd decide the lens on their own. But the whole deal could have been found out through independent research.

It's not like we don't see these threads 20 times a day or anything...

icassell · Jun 11, 2008

I dunno. Just about anything you do can be decided on your own but sometimes it helps to talk it out, don't you think?

reg · Jun 11, 2008

I still love you guys.

usayit · Jun 11, 2008

I agree.... it doesn't hurt to ask BUT I do wish more would do a search.

If no one has already mentioned this but Sports photography is one of the most expensive and most demanding (both of equipment and photog) types of photography you can get into. $1200 budget is far far from ideal to get started.

Depending on final print, I personally would even consider the 1DMI in that tight of a budget.

Mav · Jun 11, 2008

reg said:
Well he(?) said that they'd decide the lens on their own. But the whole deal could have been found out through independent research.

It's not like we don't see these threads 20 times a day or anything...

OK so then why don't we just shut down the entire Beginner's Forum? If it bothers you that the same questions tend to come up then simply don't reply to or even bother reading them. Some people are going to need a little more help than others, and the camera companies certainly don't go out of their way to make things easy to understand. In fact they intentionally make things confusing in the hopes that you buy the wrong thing and have to end up buying twice. That's how they make money. I can do my own independent research and figure this stuff out on my own, but I have two engineering degrees behind me and can separate the wheat from the chaff, and also know my way around a camera. Will the typical beginner who's either in high school or early college have the same experience to draw on? Beyond that, some people just have it "in them" to be able to process specs for things and categorize them, and others don't. Everybody is a genius in some areas, but a complete moron in others, myself included. That's why there's a Beginners forum here.