Best camera to purchase?

[DScience]

i know you're 16, im 17 and also a serious amateur photographer im just saying that you have to realize sports photography is the most expensive form of photography, especially if you go pro, and fine im not telling you not to expand your portfolio, go ahead, just realize that 1500 bucks will get you a decent body and a decent lens, dont expect shots that will blow your mind

O....M....G

Obviously you know little about photography. ANY modern DSLR on the market is capable of producing images that will blow peoples minds away. The most important aspect to creating a great image is NOT the camera, or lens. It's the person pushing the button, behind the viewfinder.

 

[Sam6644]

I've been shooting college basketball this month with a Nikon D90 and a Nikon 80-200 /2.8 and I gotta tell ya, while the lens is fine, the body leaves a lot to be desired.

The D90 frame rate is too slow, the focusing is too slow too.

For anything else, the D90 is a awesome camera, but if you're shooting sports it's not great.

For the record, on a APS-C camera body, a 200mm lens is plenty long for any sports you're going to be doing. That 200 becomes 300mm, and that's plenty for football and soccer, and more than enough for volleyball, basketball, and baseball. You can look around the multimedia page at The News Record link I have in my signature. We cover every sport at the University of Cincinnati and nobody owns a lens longer than 200mm.

Buy a D300s

 

[robertwsimpson]

I'd get a used canon 50d ($800), a 70-200 f4L (about $600), a 50mm f1.8 (about $100), and a monopod. For $1500, that would be a pretty good start. After that, I'd get the 1.4x teleconverter. That will give your long lens a little more reach.

 

[Derrel]

A lot of sports photography can be done with shorter lenses than a 400mm; in fact, on APS-C, 400mm is far too narrow in angle of view for MANY sports if you have credentials or on-field access. For basketball,volleyball,and wrestling, an 85mm f/1.8 lens is about right for many shots indoors. For track and field, a 400 is too narrow an angle for many events. "Sports" is a wide subject,and plenty of photos can be made from relatively close range. High school gyms usually have relatively poor lighting, and the newest trend is toward lighting indoor sports with balcony-mounted flashes triggered remotely.

I'd look for a used body to save a huge amount of money; high MP count is not needed. One lens I think you want to have is an 85mm 1.8 for its wide aperture and angle of view and focusing speed for indoor use. You can use it for basketball,volleyball,and night football, track and field, whatever. Again, a used on from KEH.com would save some money.

A 70-200 f/2.8 zoom lens would be handy for many sports situations, but it's not a 100 percent necessity. $1500 is a pretty tight budget for a body and 70-200 zoom, so I think a used 40D at $550, an 85/1.8 and a used 135/2 L Canon would form a pretty good kit for "most" sports you'd shoot in an American high school setting. You can shoot looser and crop-in at the camera to compensate for the lack of a long lens when shooting outdoors under decent lighting.

 

[PhotoXopher]

Here's one example:
Sigma SG702002NI - 579306 - Tele Zoom - Sigma Zoom Telephoto 70-200mm f/2.8 II EX DG APO HSM Macro Autofocus Lens for Nikon Digital SLR

 

[BuS_RiDeR]

dcmoody23... Don't get discouraged. It hard to start this hobby/obsession/profession because it can be so expensive.

I am by no means a professional, however, the D90 is a great camera (personally I use Canon).

From the research I've done and what I've taken from this forum and a few others... $1500 (maybe a little more) will get you a good setup to start with.

Look here for Nikon lenses and here for the cameras. Also Have a look at the Canon stuff. If you can, pick them up and hold them. Sometimes a camera/lens will look great on paper... But as soon as you hold it to actually take a shot... Well, lets just say that that some of them are made better than others.

Things to look at IMO... Will it do what you want (within reason), build quality, price/value.

In the end, its up to you. But if this helps... Great.

 

[Sam6644]

High school gyms usually have relatively poor lighting, and the newest trend is toward lighting indoor sports with balcony-mounted flashes triggered remotely.

man... and how.


A guy that works for the media relations department at UC has one of those set-ups and it makes like a lot harder for everyone else not tuned into his rig.

 

[iBats]

Oh my god, i started a flame war.....what have i done ale:

didnt intend on smashing hopes and dreams, and if they really are his hopes and dreams i doubt hes gunna let a pier squash them from the internet...., just giving him a reality check, and a heads up, also if he has a job 1500 bucks isnt that much, i make that in a month and a half working at a grocery store, keep in mind im also 17

 

[Overread]

There is some good info on the 135mm f2 L on the Canon users group on Flickr (well worth checking out for canon related info)

Flickr: Discussing Gallery: Canon EF 135mm f/2 L USM in Canon DSLR User Group
Flickr: Discussing Why do you like the Canon EF 135mm f/2 L lens? in Canon DSLR User Group
Flickr: Discussing Trade Show: Canon EF 135 f2L USM in Canon DSLR User Group

just be very carfull of them (especailly that Boldpuppy member) they have rather and addiction to that lens, but it does show that it can (and is) used well for indoors and outdoors sports.

 

[Sharp Shooter]

haha sports photography with a budget of 1500 bucks ahahahaha

a good fast 400mm lens can run you 6 grand, and if you want something with fast fps 4.5+ then you gotta spend at least 1600 on the camera

and dont forget the monopod hehe

He is 16 and it will be his first camera. I doubt he will be shooting the BoSox for sports illustrated. I would agree with a D90 but I am also Bias towards it.

 

[KmH]

.... That 200 becomes 300mm.....

We wish! But, the 200 mm is still a 200 mm and will appear to give the same field-of-view a 300 mm lens on a full frame camera body would give.

However, being that it's still really just a 200mm lens you won't realize all the benefits of a 300 mm lens, like DOF effects from the lens to subject distance.

 

[Dao]

I also agree with others that a used camera body is a good choice for limited budgets.

And if you are not planning to start shooting sports event right away, you do not need to buy the telephoto lens yet. Just get a regular zoom or prime lens and start learning.

Once you are ready, then look for what options you can have at that time. (You may save up more for a better lens, you never know.)

 

[iBats]

haha sports photography with a budget of 1500 bucks ahahahaha

a good fast 400mm lens can run you 6 grand, and if you want something with fast fps 4.5+ then you gotta spend at least 1600 on the camera

and dont forget the monopod hehe

He is 16 and it will be his first camera. I doubt he will be shooting the BoSox for sports illustrated. I would agree with a D90 but I am also Bias towards it.

yar har

 

[PatrickCheung]

I also agree with others that a used camera body is a good choice for limited budgets.

And if you are not planning to start shooting sports event right away, you do not need to buy the telephoto lens yet. Just get a regular zoom or prime lens and start learning.

Once you are ready, then look for what options you can have at that time. (You may save up more for a better lens, you never know.)

what he said! when i picked up my camera, i was really looking into shooting macro shots and becoming a macro photographer... but now that i've experimented with other styles of photography... i find macro less appealing then... portraiture/people photography, landscapes, street photography... etc. don't limit yourself to only shooting one thing! get a d90 with the 18-105mm kit lens if that's the camera you want... it's got a really broad range which should fit most of your photography needs for now. you might just find another area of photography you like just as much as, or even more than, sports photography! at that point... you can choose what you want to get into and how much you want to spend.

congrats on saving up the $1500... i'm 16 too and i can't seem to be able to save up more than $600... hahaha.

and on what ibats said... money isn't everything, and you never know what you can do with what you have availible. if you're really into sports photography you can make that work with the 70-200 D: what's the point of having a 400mm lens and not knowing how to use it. start off with something you can work with, learn your basics, and build on what you've learned.

 

[robertwsimpson]

you might be able to shoot something like highschool basketball with a 50mm 1.8 something where you're able to get right in on the action to compensate for lack of lens reach... I think the most compelling shots are things like closeups of a face right before shooting the winning freethrow, or jacked up expressions when you're getting dunked over. shooting that with a 50mm is hard if not impossible.

I shot at a dolphins game from really good seats and my 55-250 wasn't enough reach to get the shots that I really wanted. I got ok shots though... you just have to figure out the limitations of your gear and then make it work for you.