DSLR for kids' sports

Hello, I'm just starting to look for a new camera. I'm looking at the Nikon D60 and Canon Rebel XTi, but I am open to other options. I'm also looking at a 200 or 250mm lens. I'll be using this for everyday things like birthdays but I want something that will get some better close-up shots during baseball, basketball and football games. Baseball and football are during the day and under lights. Basketball and other gymnasium shots have been a challenge. Please point me in the right direction. I'm willing to learn but with 2 toddlers, I don't always have lots of extra time to set up shots.
Thanks for any info and guidance!

 

On the nikon side, I would consider the D60 with the 18-55 VR kit lens for your everyday snapshots, birthdays etc. For outdoor sports, I would consider the 70-300 VR. The basketball and gymnastics will be a challenge because of poor lighting, you may want to consider an external flash like the SB-400 or SB-600.

 

Could you try to sound like much more of a paedophile?

 

That's not very friendly... The guy chose a weird username... so what?! He might be a complete n00b online so the name was perhaps not chosen with the same things that you have in mind?
But I do agree that the name is a bit awkward. And combined with the title it sounds even more odd.

Care to comment 4boys4me?

 

Um, what? I don't suppose you're that crazy woman who flipped out at some guy for taking pictures of his own kids, are you?

Anyways 4boys4me, a) welcome to the forums and enjoy your stay here and b) depending on the location, lighting, and all of that stuff, something that hits the 200mm or so range would definitely be a good start. When you're shooting outdoor sports it's hard to have too much length, but if you're just starting out you probably don't want to spend a fortune and want a relatively versatile lens. Either a 70-300/75-300 or an 18-200 may be a decent choice to start out, or something in that range. If you're unsure price-wise, remember that you get what you pay for with lenses, and of course read reviews

 

Sorry about the wording. My mistake. My mind just doesn't go there and the comment made me nauseous when I realized how I sounded to some. I'm the MOM of 4 boys who just wants to get some pics of them. I'm tired of having to pay $40 for a grainy and badly cropped sports picture. I have never flipped out on anyone taking pics of their kids. This was my first time reading this board.

Thank you to those who offered advice. I think I'll stick to boards that are a little more mom friendly.

 

I do believe this board is mom friendly Welcome aboard and I am sincerely sorry if any comments hurt you. I think you ran into common internet scepticism. Remember people don't know who or what you are besides what they read
The reason I asked you to comment was just so we could clear it out and not having to deal with anyone thinking your chosen username sounded awkward any longer.

I do hope you will stay on this forum which I believe will yield you a great experience and lots of good advice and feedback in regards to photography.

Now to try and answer your question the best I know of: Choosing between the D60 and the 400D (XTi) I would say should be based on what glass you can get for it and how fast it focuses. The Nikon has ISO3200 but whether that is worth even looking at is all up to you.
If you have not yet read through the reviews at dpreview.com I highly recommend you do so first. Secondly I would recommend you try out the cameras in a store to get a feel of each.

When looking for an all-round lens I can highly recommend the Sigma 17-70 which I myself just bought recently. I'm loving it far more than any of my previous lenses. It's a great lense at a low price plus it has a little more length than most kit lenses. I do think you'll be looking for more than just one lens to live up to your demands of both all-round and sporting.
On the other hand I believe it's easy to get caught in the DSLR race having to get several lenses and switching them around all the time. Perhaps it would be more suiting for you to just start out with a very versatile lens like an 18-200 or maybe a bit less and then see how you feel working with a DSLR.
If you're used to a point and shoot I believe you would feel and see a great improvement right away almost no matter which lens you end up buying. Especially if you take time to learn how to use the technicalities of a DSLR. E.g. taking advantage of Ev and Av depending on situation. Utilising over and under-exposure. Or even going fully manual

 

Your going to have trouble with those two bodies if you plan on shooting sports since the auto focus on both tends to be relatively slow and often inaccurate. On the Canon side of things you will be far better off with a 30D and or used 40D...as for lenses, the 85 f/1.8, 100 f/2 are perfect for low light indoor shooting. If you are going to be shooting in decent lighting a 70-200 f/4 (or f/2.8 if you can afford it) may do the trick--the 70-300 IS is also another option, but good lighting is key.

 

may i point out Vers has recommended some great kit, but he is a tad rich, so most of that kit would be far to expensive! lol!

 

...far from rich, actually...I just happen to spend the majority of my money on equipment. Shooting indoor and outdoor sports isn't cheap, I only recommended what will get decent images, or at least a higher percentage of keepers. A used/new 30D shouldn't be all that expensive, and the 85 f/1.8 is a relatively inexpensive lens...specifically when you look at what it can do.

 

While I do agree that the D60 is slow with those lenses, its also not quite as pricey as Vers recommends. A D40 would be cheaper and probably better than the D60 because she can spend more money on lenses, where it actually matters. 85mm and 100mm isn't a far enough reach if she is trying to go for closeups. 200mm would be the minimum, 300mm would be preferred.

My suggestion would be the entry level bodies (D40 or XSi) with the kit lenses 18-55 and 70-300. I still have my vices against VR/IS because I would rather have a faster lens, but you take what you can get I suppose. Although I don't imagine she would like carrying the giant 70-200VR or 100-400L to a game.

I would even venture off into saying maybe a super-zoom type camera would be better for her applications (like the Panasonic Lumix line). They look like DSLRs, just smaller.

 

I'm sorry - that was directed at unrealhippie, who completely misinterpreted your post. That was just some weird combination of tongue-in-cheek humor and accusing unreal of being some sort of paranoid pervert-hunter.

 

eh?
could you sound more like a daily mail reader?

4boys4me - you want a fast lens really, smallest number after the f/ as you can afford, with the right focal range to suit your distance.

 

Accusing someone of being a peado when they have just joined is not the way to go. And considering the member is a female who has 4 kids, well, that's just idiotic.

 

D40? Do you honestly think downgrading a body and spending more money on glass will get you better shots, specifically when speaking of sports? While AF speed and accuracy depends a lot on a lens, it is processed by the body, tossing an extremely quick lens on a beginner body isn't going to get you shots...in fact you are wasting money on a lens the body can't even handle. As for not enough reach, 85mm and 100mm on a crop body indoors is plenty enough reach, specifically when shooting gymnastics (I only know because I often used my 85 for indoor sports). Field sports is another story.

 

Since it also sounds as if she doesn't really know how to use a DSLR, primes might be difficult for her.

You can probably find a used 80-200 f2.8 AFS for around $900 which would be worlds better than the 70-300 in terms of speed and image quality. But the downside is increased size/weight.

 

The D60 is essentially the D40 with a few more bells and whistles. Processing and AF speed is the same because they are the same camera. If she really wants a body that can handle this kind of stuff, she can buy a D80 or a used D200.

Although we are talking about a woman here who seemingly said she'll have to find time to learn it, I don't think a pro/pro ama body would suit her needs for now. Maybe in 3 years when she learns her cameras.

And yes, I have borrowed my friends D40 at times when I would forget to charge my batteries and couple it with the 70-200. Very unbalanced, but I was able to get plenty of shots.

 

Right, since I recommended the 30D ($400+/-), I really don't understand where you are coming from. In fact, I hadn't even recommended the D60 in the first place.

As for learning, that means she needs to start at the bottom to do so? The 30D is an outstanding beginner body, and is even more simplistic than updated models while at the same time both performing and handling better.

 

Well, not only did we accuse her of being a pedophile, we're now arguing about f/stops, IS, and recommending relatively high-dollar/specialist equipment to a mom who wants to shoot a few photos of her kids playing youth sports.

If we were successful in anything, it was scaring her off. GO BIT!

Keeping in mind this is a mom who probably won't be selling her shots to the AP wire of Sports Illustrated, I would have recommended an XSi (or Nikon equivalent) with either the 70-300mm or something close. I've shot sports with similar equipment. I've shot NCAA college football with the old 70-300 (non IS) lens. It's entirely possible to take good photos with somewhat low budget equipment.

-monkey

 

I know you didn't recommend the D60, but the context in which my post was regarding was in relation to the posts prior who suggested the D60.

Obviously you are a Canon user and prefer to voice your opinion on them. That's fine. I own Nikon equipment, and voice my opinion on them as well. But be aware, I don't stick to a brand like some on this forum. I did suggest an XSi or the D40.

Anyways, I agree with monkey. She doesn't need a pro body (as i stated above). And kit lenses (which i also stated prior) are perfectly fine for her usage. If you start a person who knows nothing about SLRs and give them the EOS Mark II/D3/insert your favorite pro camera body, do you expect them to use it? No. They won't understand the majority of the buttons. Give them a simpler DSLR like the D40/XSi, they won't have to know as much but they can still grow and grapple the basics before tackling a more advanced camera body. That was the point of my post.