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best camera for low light and sports

karen356
Contributor

have the sx200is

looking for a newer camera for sports and low light shots

10 REPLIES 10

cicopo
Elite

Time for a DSLR. Which sports will you need it for? Budget? You'll also need at least 1 high quality lens for low light sports.

 

"A skill is developed through constant practice with a passion to improve, not bought."

I really was thinking more along the lines of the sx50 or sx260

didn't really want to get into the more elaborate cameras...

 

not smart enough for all the detailed workings!!

 

thanks anyway!!


@karen356 wrote:

I really was thinking more along the lines of the sx50 or sx260

didn't really want to get into the more elaborate cameras...

 

not smart enough for all the detailed workings!!

 

thanks anyway!!


Those cameras are really not designed for low light and sports.  If you want to use them that way you're going to struggle with the limitations.  There's no combination of settings on the camera that will let you work around the limits.

Tim Campbell
5D III, 5D IV, 60Da

thanks everyone! have some thinking to do

Ed1715
Contributor

karen356

The above post is spot on.  What are you shooting and what kind of budget.  I bought a 40D to shoot my son's hockey games.  The kit lens, 28-135, didn't cut it for that kind of shooting.  I purchased a 70-200mm L f2.8 and loved it but found the 40D higher ISO noise a problem.  I bought a 1DMKIV (excellent high ISO and 10fps) when they were released and have never looked back although I still have the 40D as a back up. 

So much will depend on your expectations as a photographer.  This can be an almost bottomless money pit when you start factoring in all of the extras.  The 7D( 1.6 crop) or the 60D(full frame) offer very good bodies at a reasonable price but you can't get away from good glass. 

Good luck in your search.  The members on this forum are helpful and have a lot of good advice to offer.

Ed

40D, 1D MKIV, 28-135mm, 24-70mmf2.8L, 70-200mmf2.8L, 500mmf4.0L, 580EXII, Gitzo3530LS w/Wimberly Gimbal, Manfrotto 190XBPROB and a bunch of other stuff.

That should read 6D not 60D.  Sorry.

Ed

40D, 1D MKIV, 28-135mm, 24-70mmf2.8L, 70-200mmf2.8L, 500mmf4.0L, 580EXII, Gitzo3530LS w/Wimberly Gimbal, Manfrotto 190XBPROB and a bunch of other stuff.

You could have edited your original message using the OPTIONS tab.

 

"A skill is developed through constant practice with a passion to improve, not bought."

TCampbell
Elite
Elite

The challenge with sports is that you are REALLY pushing the camera gear to it's limits.  Fast action requires fast shutter speeds.  But fast shutter speeds demand a lot of light and only outdoor games played during the daytime have that.  Indoor games or games played under field lighting at night generally do not have the kind of lighting needed to shoot with fast shutter speeds -- not the kind of shutter speeds needed to freeze action.  So this ends up demanding a camera with excellent ISO performance and lenses with very low focal ratios so they can collect a LOT more light when the shutter is open.  This gear is expensive.

 

You will want to consider a reasonable budget depending on what you can afford and the needs of the specific sports.  

 

Are these indoor or outdoor sports? If outdoors, are these played during the day or are they night games?

 

The "best" camera for sports and low light is the EOS-1D X.  It has phenominal low-light performance, has an amazing focus system,  and can shoot at 12 frames per second.  But it's about $6800 for the "body only" and then you still need lenses.  I'm guessing this is probably not what you had in mind.  But if money were not a constraint... this would be the one to go for.

 

The 5D III is another amazing camera for low light performance and and also has an amazing focusing system (largely the same as the 1D X) can shoot at 6 frames per second, and only costs $3500... again, that's the "body only".  Still probably not what you had in mind.

 

The 70D has an extremely good focus system (though not as good as the 5D III and 1D X), not quite as good as low light (but pretty good and much better than a point & shoot camera) and shoots at 7 frames per second (1 fps faster than  5D III) and it only costs $1200 for the body only.

 

The T5i will be noticeably less expensive than the 70D... a good (but not extremely good) focusing system and 5 frames per second, but the body and 1 kit lens combined is about $850 but that wont a lens suitable for use shooting sports so you'll still need to invest in more appropriate lenses.

 

When shooting action photography in low light, what you _really_ want is a lens that can collect a lot more light than the average lens for that very brief moment when the shutter is open.  Such a lens can allow you to use a faster shutter speed to help freeze those action shots.  But *which* lens you use depends on the sport.  

 

For low-light sports, these would ideally be f/2.8 zoom lenses... but f/2.8 zoom lenses are not cheap.  Canon's EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM (ideal for most indoor sports and outdoor sports IF the action is happening close to you) is about $2500.  Sigma's lens is about half that price.  But if you're covering action on a large athletic field and the players are far away, they'll still be small.  Sigma makes a 120-300mm f/2.8 zoom for sports... for the low low price of only $3600.

 

Scott Kelby does a video to talk about sports photography and he discusses the equipment used and why... and basically says if you want the gear for shooting sports, you basically need a suitcase full of money.

 

 

Tim Campbell
5D III, 5D IV, 60Da

Great answer!  Thank you for the great advice and breakdown of the sports quandry.  I've been trying to take indoor tennis pictures and have had many problems with it.  Outside is fine.  

 

7D

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