Is it possible to take good indoor pictures?

[ken212]

I have a camera with a 10x optical zoom (Olympus C 770 ultra zoom). I am checking into getting a new digital camera, but can not afford a slr. Is there anyway possible to get good shots indoors using the zoom. Threr are different occasions I try to zoom in. My daugher plays basketball for her school and there are band concerts and plays on stages. The lighting is not the best in these situations and it is hard to get up close to take pictures. Any ideas here?

[John_Reed]

Since you didn't mention budget or size, "possible" is spelled "DSLR," and with that kind of camera that can shoot at high ISOs, and thus high shutter speeds, you can hope to capture some indoor action. Others can make you more detailed recommends; I'm not a DSLR owner.

[SpecialK]

If you want specifics, I'm sure others will provide them. However, be aware "good" indoor sports photography is probably the most expensive subject.

You will need a lens that may not be quite an ultra zoom (10x or so), but it will need to have a large maximum aperture (such as f2.8. Smaller number = bigger diameter = more light) and/or a camera body that has good high-ISO performance (ISO is the sensitivity to light), so if your camera is good at 400 or 800 or more ISO, you can use shorter shutter speeds to freeze action or apertures that are not quite so large to keep the depth of field.

There are probably no compact cameras that will do everything needed for indoor sports photography. Some are good in low light such as the Fuji F-31, but it has a limited range of the lens. The Canon S3 IS has a nice long lens, but suffers at higher ISO settings.

And, compacts normally have some "shutter lag" which is the delay from the time you push the button to the time the image is actually captured. Some cameras are better than others, and some of the lag can be eliminated with good technique, but in most cases you will have a hard time timing the shot. With my otherwise pretty nice former A95, that delay was about as long as it took for Shamu the killer whale to break the surface of the water - press shutter - to capture him/she/it at the top of the arc. It improved with my current A620.

A DSLR on the other hand has a really short shutter lag, so you have a much better chance of getting the timed shot. However, not even counting the body at $500-$1000 perhaps, a decent short telephoto of perhaps 18-50 mm (suitable from near the sidelines or goals of a basketball court) will be at least $400-500, and if you are in the stands it may require a 70-200 mm lens, so expect to pay upward of $750 for that.

There is the option of buying used, but it will still be an investment.