Buying first digital camera...HELP!

[bmac]

<font color="blue">What does a person have to jump up to to get good action pics?? </font>

Richard,
While others may disagree with me (and they may very well be right), you may be a good candidate for a digital SLR. For action photos you want a fast shutter speed. And you want to be able to set the shutter speed yourself (i.e. manual settings) If your rodeo activities occur during daylight hours then you can push the shutter speed fast enough to freeze the action. Also, I imagine that you will be photographing them from some distance (outside the arena) in which case you need substantial zoom capability. Now, you may find a non-SLR camera with sufficient zoom which also has manual exposure settings that would meet your needs. However, as you are using these pictures to market your horses, I would think that you would want professional looking pictures. A digital SLR would allow you to select the best lens for your needs with all of the exposure flexibility you need to capture the action. Furthermore, you can add an external flash powerful enough to handle your low-light photographic needs. The downside of the SLRs - cost and size - you don't slip these into your pocket. Regarding the cost, if an excellent photograph resulted in the sale of one horse that may very well pay for the camera (I am assuming that your horses are not inexpensive).

 

[cowboydoc]

What brand would you suggest? I don't mind spending some money on one. Heck right now the pics we buy are from the photographers at the rodeos and they are NOT cheap. I've probably spent $500 just in buying pictures this summer and fall.

 

[PineRidge]

I came off of a first generation Nikon Coolpix which was a good camera and went to a Nikon Coolpix 8700 which is a simply awesome camera. Mine is equipped with a 1gb micro-drive and you would be hard pressed to fill the media drive with pictures. In the basic mode thats over a thousand digital shots. It uses the rechargeable Li-ion batteries that seem to hold up for a long time. I have two so I can rotate and not miss any action while I quickly recharge the other. It will also take the short movie clips with sound although I rarely use it for anything other than good quality digital shots. This one is rated at 8 megapixels.

I got it at eBay brand new, where else! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[BillG_in_TX]

Richard,

If you want to stay in a little smaller size, you should check out the Canon S1 IS. It has a 10x zoom with Image Stabilization, which lets you take full zoom pictures without a tripod. Here's a sample action shot photo (funny looking horses, huh?).

The S1 has the best video clip capability on the market. It takes VGA quality (640x480) 30fps video of up to 9 minutes per clip.

One drawback - it's only 3.2 MP, which is fine for 5x7 and maybe 8x10 prints, but no larger.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Richard, I still like film cameras better than digital and used to have a full darkroom setup with all the equipment (when I had time before having a kid).

Anyway, from the technical standpoint taking action shots is going to require a combination of a fast shutter speed to stop the action and plenty of light.

There are 2 ways to get light.

One way is to buy a flash, the problem with strobe flashes is distance, they are only capable of projecting any useable light to distances of about 20 feet (and that is for a very high quality external flash). A typical flash equipped camera is usually rated for about 8 to 10 feet.

The other way is to get a wide apeture opening on your lens. The bigger the opening the more light that gets into the camera to lower the overall lighting needs be for a good picture. That is where optics come into play and the cost goes up. Personally, I'd rather have a cheap camera and good quality optics than the other way around. There is a reason some lenses cost $200 and others cost $500 and both have the same magnification. Cheap lenses don't deliver the same level of light becuase they have a smaller maximium apeture.

If I was you, I would go to a real camera store and talk to a clerk about an SLR style camera with interchangable lenses. Tell him you need to take action shots, explain the typical distances to your subjects, explain the typical light levels. Ask for his recommendations. I would guess he would recommend Nikon and possibly Canon. Ask for specific recommendations on lenses.

Personally I use Nikon for film. I have a couple bodies and they each serve their purpose. I think you will find Canon to be a good brand, not the choice of pros, but that doesn't mean much because they offer good quality too. There are some exotics like Leica, but while they are like fine swiss watches, they are also harder to find components for.

 

[cowboydoc]

Bob,

Yes I can take still pictures fine and have a really nice Nikon for that. Problem with that is you can a 100 pictures to get one. I like the digital as you can just pic the one you want and the rest you just delete. Plus it's a pain having to take them to get processed. Then the whole scan thing. It's much easier just to point and click and load on the computer. And as far as going into a camera store and asking, LOL. All the camera stores anymore are best buy, circuit city, etc. Those people don't know much more than a post in the field.

Pineridge and Bill. I will go look at those two brands. If you guys say they will do the job I trust you more than the store jockeys. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Richard,

Sorry, I was not clear.

I would go to a REAL camera store and talk to them about a SLR style DIGITAL camera that will use interchangable lenses.

Nikon, Canon, Leica and others all make premium quality digital SLR style cameras. But the key is selecting the correct lens. That is why I suggest you visit the real camera store to talk to a real camera guy.

 

[BillG_in_TX]

Richard,

Follow the links in this post for more action shots from the S1. For video samples, you might search on that forum, but most are reduced and/or converted. It's tough to post or download big MPEG movies. I suggest trying one out in person.

 

[Gatorboy]

The S1 is not a digital SLR (it's SLR-like)

I also frequent a Professional Sports Photographers forum. They all use digital cameras, and over 90% of the members use either a Canon or Nikon with more using Canon. Apparently they are the leaders in Digital cameras.

I'm seriously considering buying the Canon EOS 20D

 

[BillG_in_TX]

<font color="blue"> The S1 is not a digital SLR </font>

I never said it was. Richard asked for recommendations, indicating a desire for action shots and video clip capability. Bob recommended a DSLR. I recommended that he look at the S1, especially for the video capability. DSLR's are going to be better - without a doubt - for actions shots, but none of them have the video capability (to my knowledge).