what camera is best for sports shots

[rhon]

i am looking for a digital camera that will take good action shots. my son plays 3 sports and i don't even know what to look for. i have read up on camera specs and what they mean but i am still unsure. i need something that will zoom in and will take clear pictures. i currently have the kodak dx3600 and first of all, it don't zoom in very far, and my main problem is that all the pictures that i take of him in action are blurry. i have been looking at the fuji finepix s5100 and the kodak dx7590. are either one of these good for what i need? or am i way off....my price range is up to around $500. thanks.

[PhilR.]

If your previous pics were blurry, then most likely your shutter speed was too low. You would improve your chances if you get a zoom with a fast lens, which will allow you to use higher shutter speeds. The Panasonic FZ series has a 12x zoom that is f2.8 (across the entire zoom range), which is about as fast as you are going to get in your price range. Not only that, but the FZ's also have image stabilisation, which might help a bit when using the zoom.

Keep in mind however that there is a limit as to how low a light level can be and still get good pics, and that goes for any camera. If you are tying to get high shutter speeds in a gym, then even the FZ series may be of limited use.

PhilR.

[speaklightly]

You did not mention which sports your son plays. In the $500 approx range, the Panasonic FZ-20 is your best bet. Hower, as Phil suggests, if you are forced into an artifically lighted gym situation, you may indeed need bigger ISO numbers that only a DSLR can provide.

Sarah Joyce