Sports photography: Digital Camera to buy for $300...

[Ben Schwartz]

I am looking for a digital camera that has NO problem with blur, as I am trying to get the best sports shots possible for my price range.

From what I have gathered, this may be a good option:

(Canon Powershot 8 MP - 10x Optical)

(LINK)

Any advice?

 

[Big Mike]

Blur is not necessarily a problem with any particular camera. Blur is caused by movement when you shutter speed isn't fast enough to freeze it.

An exposure is made with three variables. One is the shutter speed, one is the aperture of the lens and the other is the ISO of the film (or digital camera setting).

When the light isn't ideal, you must adjust the other settings in order to get the fastest shutter speed. First you adjust the aperture to it's biggest (lowest F number). This camera has a range of F2.8-4.3, which isn't too bad...but even when the aperture is at it's max, your shutter speed might not fast enough (dependent on the light). The next thing you can do, is turn up the ISO setting. This camera can be turned up to ISO 1600...which might give you fairly decent shutter speeds to freeze movement. However, there is a trade off. The higher the ISO, the more digital noise you will get in the images.

That's the problem with digital cameras like this, the sensors are very small which means that they have a lot of noise at high ISO settings.

A camera with a bigger sensor (Digital SLR) will have less noise at high ISO, and thus give you better images under these circumstances. However, you would be hard pressed to find a DSLR for $300.

 

[Deadeye008]

I would get a DSLR. You can pick up a Digital Rebel for around that same price. What kind of sports are you going to be shooting?

Here is one for $250

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=471319

Another for $279

http://cgi.ebay.com/Canon-Digital-R...yZ107908QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[Ben Schwartz]

I would get a DSLR. You can pick up a Digital Rebel for around that same price. What kind of sports are you going to be shooting?

Here is one for $250

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=471319

Another for $279

http://cgi.ebay.com/Canon-Digital-R...yZ107908QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I'd be shooting Arena Football and baseball primarily. The rebel is just too big (as are almost all DSLR). I need a more portable camera.