High speed digital camera needed!

[rmbrewer1]

First off I own the following cameras.

Sony DSC-F828 8mp
Sony DVC-SR7 high definition camcorder with 6.1mp digital camera
Sony DVC-403 camcorder with 3.1mp digital camera

These have been great for shooting car shows, plays, get togethers, soccer games and etc. My 7 year old daughter is now playing Basketball and I have tried to take pictures for us and her school but just to many blurry shots. Either hand movement, head movement or leg movement. I have experimented with the F828 on fast shutter mode and auto mode and it made no difference in getting rid of the blur. I even shot pics with the SR-7 and still had some blurring just not quite as much but it really isn't a still picture camera that is easy to use. The 403 has produced some great on the road travelling pics without blurring.

My question is does anyone have a good recommendation for a fast/high speed shuttered digital camera for use in B'ball shooting. The MPs really don't matter but I would like at least 8 - 10 mp. Price should be kept at under $1,200.00 or so. Otherwise than that most anything else goes. I have a 35mm Canon AE-1 with many accessories that I may have to go back to using but I hate to because of the expense of getting them developed and then scanned to digital.

I did see and Olympus in a CDW catalog today that shoots 13.5 frames per second in 3mp mode. I do not know if that would be sufficient enough to stop the blurring or not.

Thanks for any type of input on this matter.

[SpecialK]

Assuming you are not too far from the sidelines, a Pentax 20D ($750) and a Tamron 24-75 f 2.8 lens ($360). This is based on what another person in your situation ended up with after about 5 tries of swapping lenses and bodies.

FPS (frames per second) has no effect on stopping action. A fast shutter speed does. The trade off with a fast shutter is a large aperture (f2.8 or f4) and higher ISO (800 or higher).

[rmbrewer1]

Thanks. I am usually right on the floor or either right under the baskets. So being close is not to much of a problem.

I tried shooting in 800 ISO and still got some blurring. That is the fastest speed my F828 has. I have tried to play with several of the settings to see if it would help but I have not found any yet. Plus with the technological advances in the past 4 - 5 years since I bought mine, digital camers have come leaps and bounds. It is really hard trying to find a camera that is good at everything. I wish some of the new cameras could use the older type 35mm lenses. I have a few for my Canon AE-1. I guess that would make it way to easy. HA HA.

[David Metsky]

You need a camera that takes quality images in low light. For this you're probably going to need DSLR. Your problem is light, not speed. Well, it's both. Your current camera can't gather enough light to take the shots with a fast enough shutter speed. Unfortunately, camera technology hasn't improved leaps and bounds in the past 4-5 years. We're still limited by the same physics. All cameras can freeze the action in good light. Inside, in a gym, isn't very good light. As mentioned, taking many shots per second won't help your problem which is not enough light.

You're real answer is a DSLR, which are the only cameras that will perform at high ISO and still take quality images. Modern cameras have 1600, 3200, and even higher ISO settings, but they pretty much suck, and certainly won't be good for taking sports shots. Pretty much any setup will do if you're close enough to the action. I'll let other who are more familiar with DSLR kits recommend setups for you.

[rmbrewer1]

David, I appreciate your explanation also. Yeah I agree with the lighting issue. Even though they have more than enough lighting the camera has to be able to use what is available. My F828 goes only up to 800 speed so it is best used outdoors. I have some really beautiful shots of my 2004 Mystichrome Cobra that people can not believe came from a digital camera. But that is in day light and almost all my outdoor pics look great as long as I am not rushed. HA HA. I have been looking at the DSLR cameras for the last 3 months or so and the prices have come down but they are still a big expense. Especially when you have to figure buying additional lenses just to get started. When I started pricing Zeiss lenses and seen a starting price of almost $1,500.00 for a good all around lens about about died. I know prices will come down but I have always bought the best available but with the choices out there it is really hard to decide. Thanks again.

Thought I would post up a few of the pics I have took with the F828, if it's alright.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y183/rmbrewer/forum-2.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y183/rmbrewer/forum-3.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y183/rmbrewer/DSC01967.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y183/rmbrewer/DSC02124.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y183/rmbrewer/DSC06476.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y183/rmbrewer/carshow2008/DSC00350.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y183/rmbrewer/carshow2008/DSC00355.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y183/rmbrewer/ffw-bristol-2008/DSC00143.jpg

[David Metsky]

My F828 goes only up to 800 speed so it is best used outdoors.
Newer cameras can go up beyond ISO 800 but their image quality at those settings are awful. In many ways, you're better off not even having some of those 3200 ISO settings since any picture taken at that ISO will be useless.

And you can take lower light shots with your F828 if you have a subject that isn't moving, and a tripod or simple way to keep the camera stable (set the camera on a table and use the 2 second timer). But for sports shots indoors a DSLR is really going to be the only thing that gives consistently good results. This is one of the hardest conditions to shoot. You need fast glass and good high ISO performance.

You don't need a $1500 Zeiss lens. Let some folks here recommend a setup that will do what you want for a set price point. I think you'll find that you can do pretty well for under $1000 total.

[rmbrewer1]

Just got this email today from Sony. I'm wondering if anyone has any experience or knows of anyone with experience on any of these cameras. These are the ones that Sony suggests to use to shoot my daughter's b'ball games.

DSC-W300
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921665309162

DSC-W170/N
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921665339358

DSC-T77
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921665495060


They said either of these will take high speed, low light action shots without blurring. Reading up on them they have the Sony proprietary anti-blur, no flash technology. I would like to know if anyone knows anything about them.

Thanks

[David Metsky]

I wouldn't go for any of the cameras Sony recommended; I'd get a DSLR. What they say is true in theory but in practice they fall short.

[cdifoto]

Sony's not out to help you. They're out to sell you a camera. Any camera. Why? Because they make money when you buy their cameras...not when you get good images.

Get a good digital SLR and a fast lens. You cannot do what you want to do with anything less.

Budget about $850 if you're willing to buy used (my low end budget recommendation is a Canon 20D and 85mm f/1.8) - ~$400 for the 20D body and ~$350 for the 85mm lens plus batteries & memory cards. Budget MUCH more if you MUST have new (ie if you have a thing for warranties).

I don't recommend an entry level digital SLR, as their focus accuracy/reliability tends to be crippled compared to better models.

[SpecialK]

Just got this email today from Sony. <snip>

They said either of these will take high speed, low light action shots without blurring.

All manufacturers say that...