what camera to buy

[meliza]

HI. I am a newbie to photography. I want to buy a camera that can be used for fast action sports photography like martial arts as well as holidays and anything else. Any suggestions what to go for that is user friendly and practical and within a reasobale budget? How do I know what lenses to get? Some packages offer a cheaper deal but then the price on the lense is lower. Any help and advice will be greatly appreciated

[Killjoy]

When you say "reasonable budget" what do you mean. "Reasonable" is objective.

[meliza]

Hi Kiljoy,

I'm looking at the $1200 - $2000 range (approx) - hopefully a camera that can last me a few years while I really learn the art of photography. I notice Canon has a few cameras in this range (between the Rebel thru the D7), but then Nikon also offers a few good "learner" models (e.g. the D90). From a lense perspective, many lenses part of the packages are 18-85, but then you get the 18-55, 17-135 etc. To confuse matters, if I look at the D7 package offered by Canon, the price is much more than other packages because they include the "EF lense". Because I'm no expert, the magnitude of options tend to confuse me - for my purpose, I'd love an unbiased opinion on a good, solid camera suitable for learners, but that can offer support for action sports (i.e. good FPS ratio). Thanks.

[A@EPOCH]

I'll preface this by saying I am not an expert on Nikon products, however as you said in your earlier post, there are equal options to be had from both parties in terms of bodies and lenses.

That being said, if your looking into getting a body that will last, I would suggest going into a store that allows you to get them in hand so you can see which camera has better ergonomics... in the Canon line at that price point I would lean towards the 7D with its high fps for shooting sports and because its a newer model you also get the standard upgrades like a better lcd.

For lenses, I would start any body purchase with a 50mm prime of your choice, most like the 1.8 because it only runs $100 or less used and provides great image quality or a 1.4. Then assuming your shooting sports a good zoom would also be a plus.

[A@EPOCH]

I would also take a look at this site if you have questions on how two cameras base stats stack up: Canon 7D

[homank76]

The best thing to do as already stated is go into a store and hold each one in your hand. Some people prefer Nikon and others prefer Canon.

The big thing about shooting indoor sports is the lighting is rather poor when it comes to shooting pictures without the use of flashes. You'll need a camera that has descent ISO capiblitly and then some descent lowlight lenses, IE anything with an aperture of 2.8 or better.

How close will you be to the action? A lot if this will determine what lens to get as well, plus the lens does more for pictures than the body.

[jwmrks]

You might want to look into the new Nikon 1 cameras. I haven't seen them in person myself, but they do claim to have very fast autofocus and high burst rates. The concern I have is that the sensor is small and the current lenses for the camera aren't all that fast so I don't know how it would handle low-light situations. They do have an F-mount adapter so you are not limited to the Nikon1 lenses, but don't know how those lenses would work with the smaller sensor since they weren't designed for it. The upshot of this, though, is the small sensor (2.7 crop factor) does mean that you can get closer to the action without a need for a super telephoto lens. Depending on where/what you shoot, the small sensor could be a big plus rather than a concern.

[Shawn7656]

Alpha Camera Compare Chart | Sony | Sony Store USA

I've been looking at cameras in the same price range as you. For the money, I'm stuck between the A55 and the A65. They both get 10FPS (AMAZING for martial arts and sports) and come with many MANY features as well as new technology and high resolution. They are compatible with all Minolta a-mount lenses, so you aren't limited to JUST Sony glass.

I have an a100 right now, and if it wasn't so outdated and starting to break, I wouldn't even think about upgrading. I love it!

Canon and Nikon are great ways to go, but don't think you need to limit yourself to JUST those two brands. There are many others out there

[meliza]

Thanks all for the imput. Due to circumstances I couldn't get online. I bought the Canon 7D and it is fantastic.