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Best Camera/Lens for <$1000

Dixie777Dixie777 Registered Users Posts: 1 Beginner grinner
edited September 21, 2012 in Cameras
I am an amateur photographer (with computer engineering background) trying to shoot my son's soccer and baseball sporting events with a Canon PowerShot SX10IS in sports mode. Those who view my photos love them and want more, I seem to catch the emotion and excitement of the game, but I am not happy with the quality of the images. I would like crisper images, and I almost always crop them before displaying on my site and team web sites. I would like to get a better camera for shooting sports in low light (at night under stadium lights), and need a better zoom lens. Any suggestions for camera + appropriate zoom lens for $1,000 or less? Please indicate new or used.

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    jmphotocraftjmphotocraft Registered Users Posts: 2,987 Major grins
    edited September 21, 2012
    You can shoot daytime sports for under $1000 with something like a Canon Rebel T3i or a Nikon D3100, with a Canon 55-250 lens or Nikon 55-200 or 55-300 lens. However to shoot night games under the lights and get results that will impress anyone, bare minimum you will need a 70-200 f/2.8 lens. Ideally you would get a better body as well. Check bhphoto.com for prices. Look at Tamron or Sigma for lens alternatives.
    -Jack

    An "accurate" reproduction of a scene and a good photograph are often two different things.
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    ziggy53ziggy53 Super Moderators Posts: 23,904 moderator
    edited September 21, 2012
    Daytime sports/action is one of the most demanding of photographic endeavors, and night sports are even more so. While a $1000, or less, budget might get you a fairly good entry level dSLR and entry level lens, it's going to be sorely lacking for sports.

    If you consider used equipment and if you can shoot from the sidelines you might be happy with a used Canon 1D MKIII* (around $1500USD) or possibly a used Canon 7D (around $1300). For a lens I can recommend a used Canon EF 70-200mm, f2.8L USM for around $1600.

    In Nikon I can recommend a used D300/D300s ($700-$1000, depending on condition). A used Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR should run around $1300-$1600, depending on condition.

    Shooting at smaller fields at night may mean insufficient light for even these cameras and lenses to work very well, but at least you have a fighting chance.
    * (For a Canon 1D MKIII I highly recommend specialized post-processing using Photoshop, FlexNR and Neat Image, for best results.)

    http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=141192
    ziggy53
    Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
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