What DSLR works best for sports & u/w photography

[KyMMie`]

Hi there,

I'm totally new to photography and trying to pick up as much as my brain can process. To get things started, I would first need to get my hands on a suitable camera and there are just so many to choose from!! =(

Since the 'best' camera to purchase pretty much depends on the owner's intended use (apart from good ol' shooting of pictures), I would like to seek the opinions of you pros out there on a suitable buy for myself..

My 'wishlist' for my first DSLR would:
1/ ability to take sharp pictures for sports photography
2/ easy availability and cheap underwater casing
3/ ability to take multiple sequential shots with just one click (ermm.. sorry, don't know what that function is called)
4/ scalability to a wide variety of more advanced add-on gadgets in the future
5/ a flip-up LCD viewer where I can take self-portraits all by myself (hehee)
6/ not too bulky and heavy for me to handle
7/ a not-so-long lag between the time of clicking and the time where picture is actually taken (ermm.. is there a proper term for this?!?! )


That's all I can think of at the moment .. hope its not an impossible list... Thanks for any suggestion you can offer.


Regards,
KyMMie`

 

[wildstallion]

Hi there,

I'm totally new to photography and trying to pick up as much as my brain can process. To get things started, I would first need to get my hands on a suitable camera and there are just so many to choose from!! =(

Since the 'best' camera to purchase pretty much depends on the owner's intended use (apart from good ol' shooting of pictures), I would like to seek the opinions of you pros out there on a suitable buy for myself..

My 'wishlist' for my first DSLR would:
1/ ability to take sharp pictures for sports photography
2/ easy availability and cheap underwater casing
3/ ability to take multiple sequential shots with just one click (ermm.. sorry, don't know what that function is called)
4/ scalability to a wide variety of more advanced add-on gadgets in the future
5/ a flip-up LCD viewer where I can take self-portraits all by myself (hehee)
6/ not too bulky and heavy for me to handle
7/ a not-so-long lag between the time of clicking and the time where picture is actually taken (ermm.. is there a proper term for this?!?! )


That's all I can think of at the moment .. hope its not an impossible list... Thanks for any suggestion you can offer.


Regards,
KyMMie`

Ok:
Number 1- Is lenses not DSLR
Number 3- DSLR UW caseings are never cheap
Number 5- Cannot be done on most DSLR's

For serious sports photography I would suggest a Nikon D2H or a Nikon D2Hs or even a D2Xs if you need the extra MP.

You would be looking at 8 frames a second (8 pictures taken every second) for the above camera's. (D2Xs in HSC Mode (6MP not 12MP)).

The underwater casing would probably cost a bomb though, and also, these cameras arnt light, also, for sports the long fast lenses are also quite heavy.

 

[FilterFunk]

wow. thats quite a bundle of questions to handle. IMO, i think you have an ambitious requirement, but 1st of all, are you well versed in all the different modes in a camera? and the next important thing, your budget? photography is an expensive hobby.

with regards to your questions.. my 2cents..
1. how sharp do you define sharp? and another issue is, if you do not know all the different functions, you can use a high end camera and still get lousy looking photographs.
2. from my understanding, even a small point and shoot camera underwater casing would cost at least a few hundred $, i dare not imagine how much would one for a dslr cost.
3. you are talking about multiple shots per second aka.. FPS (Frames per Sec) for a dslr. most dslrs would have a basic rate of anything between 3FPS to 8FPS.. its up to your requirement (remember, the faster = more exp)
4. getting a more established/popular brand of camera (eg. canon, nikon) would mean a wider range of accessories and lens that you can upgrade in the future. that also means a better chance to resell the item in the future should you give up / upgrade further
5. as mentioned by wildstallion, there isnt any dslr with such a function at the moment.
6. camera size wise, i think a 'small' dslr would be something in the entry level range of cameras such as Canon 350D, Nikon D50, Sony A100.
7. i think you are refering to the shutter speed or the time lag between the pressing of the button and the response of the camera, this is something not to worry as in general, dslrs are much faster in focusing and capturing images than point and shoot cameras.

hoped that help. regards.

 

[glennyong]

actually theres u/w casing for DSLRs... but they will usually cost more den a DSLR, the bigger the more ex.

the only Nikon body that i believe that can shoot sports and have a good size for a "affordable" u/w casing would be either a D100 / D200.

Canon would be a 20D/30D would suffice... shooting sports doesnt mean will realli utilise 8FPS, most of the time, 4-6FPS would suffice actually.

do more research and u will know. but if u want the Best...

-Sports-

Canon
1X 1DsMKii
1X EF 600mm L F/4 IS
1X EF 400mm L F/2.8 IS

Nikon

1X D2Hs / D2Xs
1X AFS 600mm F/4
1X AFS 400mm F/2.8

 

[CYRN]

Before we can give appropriate replies. You need to tell us what kind of sports you are shooting and more importantly your budget.

 

[moriahphotos]

My 'wishlist' for my first DSLR would:
1/ ability to take sharp pictures for sports photography
2/ easy availability and cheap underwater casing
3/ ability to take multiple sequential shots with just one click (ermm.. sorry, don't know what that function is called)
4/ scalability to a wide variety of more advanced add-on gadgets in the future
5/ a flip-up LCD viewer where I can take self-portraits all by myself (hehee)
6/ not too bulky and heavy for me to handle
7/ a not-so-long lag between the time of clicking and the time where picture is actually taken (ermm.. is there a proper term for this?!?! )


hope its not an impossible list...

I think the above features/requirements should be sent to R&D of all the major camera makers... It would be the ULTIMATE system to own!

Anyway, with regards to your request, I can only recommend Olympus E330 - flip/tilt LCD screen with live preview and high quality and sharp Zuiko Digital lens range... A kit set starting from SGD1999!

 

[dr34mc4st3r]

or maybe u can consider a prosumer cam like sony r1 :thumbsup:

 

[fireframe]

Anyway, with regards to your request, I can only recommend Olympus E330 - flip/tilt LCD screen with live preview and high quality and sharp Zuiko Digital lens range...

Can flip up, but cannot turn around to face the front for self-portraits, which is what TS wants.

 

[_espn_]

Can flip up, but cannot turn around to face the front for self-portraits, which is what TS wants.

A u/w DSLR casing will cost the same as the DSLR ... or more...

 

[antacid]

hi kymmie,

to fulfill your wishlist, you probly need 2 cameras.

Here's what i suggest:
Get a Canon A620, which fulfills your items 2, 5, 6, 7 (shutter lag is pretty decent)

Then get the DSLR for your sports shooting, adding lenses, flashes etc.

You probly won't want to bring your DSLR diving, because it costs a bomb. The cheapest housing for a 350D is $2.2k and ranges all the way to $5k. The you'll have to get lens ports: 1 for macro, and 1 for WA ($300-500 each), tray and arms ($300-500), strobes (roughly 1k for single, 2k for dual strobes). And that's not including your macro lens ($600-900) and WA lens ($600-???). Still have money left for diving? haha

i have 2 cameras now..to fulfill the same 'wishlist' that you have. but i think my DSLR wants to learn diving...
((=

 

[mastermind]

there's a 3rd party soft underwater housing for dslr for around $100+ selling @ queensway shopping centre. But don't expect to fit a huge zoom lens or go any deeper than 20m. it's interesting how you can frame with a dslr when you are underwater though...