Camera help

[BaseballCoach]

Help me out guys, I know that most of you know more about cameras and photography than I do so here goes. The wife and I are looking for a new family camera. Nothing professional quality or anything like that but the ability to capture action shots at sporting events would be nice. Both boys play baseball, soccer, and basketball. Anything that I should definitely look for? Anything to avoid? Hoping that with your guidance we can get something decent without spending a fortune.

[Buckrub]

https://www.google.com/shopping/product/4210544939418046285?q=canon+sx40&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&sa=X&ei=dOdYUb_9MfON0QGp0YF4&ved=0CJ8BEMMf

Or whatever Len says.

[LJ3]

Even if you reach for the entry level DSLR (digital single lens reflex, you look thru the eyepiece and see your subject thru the actual lens) camera you're going to get WAY more bang for the buck. Baseball and soccer are no problem, indoor sports are more difficult for entry level stuff and nearly impossible for point and shoots.

If you get the latest Nikon of Canon "kits" with an 18-55mm or 50-20mm lenses, you'll have pretty much everything you need to get great photos.

Nikon's stuff at that level are the D3100 and D5100 and it goes up from there.

Cannon's is the Rebel series, T3 and T4.

Lots of people swear by this and that "point and shoot" but they're always compared to what a "real camera" does. Why not spend the extra 200 and get the real camera? You'll find the limits of the point and shoot much faster than a DSLR. Blurry indoor shots of kids running around would be the first day. Then you'll start asking people that know about photography "why are all my pictures blurry inside when the flash is going off? Why are they so grainy? Why doesn't the camera take the picture when I press the button?" Those will be your point & shoot questions within a couple days of getting it. And those are all solvable with a DSLR.

Just sayin' :)

This site has any camera you can dream of and tons of real people reviews of each model. Definitely worth a look.

[LW]

That was going to be my suggestion.....

[LJ3]

Forgot the link

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/

And FWIW, Bucky makes a valid point. There ARE some point and shoots that will do just fine. The problem is you never know which one will do which until you buy it.

I played with a Nikin V1 and it was pretty damn cool. No idea how it would perform for what you need it for. BUT... the price is close enough to a DSLR that it doesnmt make sense to buy.

But if you do get a V1, buy two because I want one :)

[Buckrub]

Len knows 1,000000000000 times more than I do. That's just a fact.

But, Len.........I can set mine to 'manual' (whatever that is) and it takes pictures as fast as I can snap the snapper.......... and I print them off on that little thingamabob that Arty gave me, and they look awesome. I ain't selling them, no. I'm just admiring them. 99.993833098954433% are of dead animals or live grandkids..........so, you know......this works ok.

I actually own three Canons. The little ones are ok, but this SX40 (though bigger and won't fit in a pocket) runs rings around them. It does way more stuff than I know how to do. And I've never even sat the thing on the highest resolution setting..........don't see the need to......

[LJ3]

Totally valid point, Bucky. I'm not a knowitall. Most of my advice comes from people that approach me with their horror stories when they see me shooting and event, or in conversation when they find out what I do. I only hear about the crap that doesn't work. I never get a shining review on a point & shoot that rocks the house :)

[BarryBobPosthole]

We bought a new camera when the grandson was born, and it was the Nikon D3100. My wife uses it mostly and take totally awesome pictures with it. And movies too. I don't know if other brands might be as good, likely they are, but I think you can't go wrong with a DSLR. About the only thing about them you might find you don't like over a point and shoot is the size of the camera itself. I have a little 10mp 'takclebox' camera for my point and shoot and its what I use in a dive housing for underwater stuff as well. It takes great pictures as long as you aren't looking for doing anything serious. But for a camera you can put in your shirt pocket and carry around, they can't be beat.
It probably depends on what you will be using it for.
BKB

[Buckrub]

Len, you got one now. BUT from a novice that takes only a few pictures of the aforementioned variety.

And you are too a 'Spert. I believe that you are. I ain't, for sure.

[Thumper]

As a coinky-dink, I received a "heads-up" via e-mail today (from e-Bay) with this listing. It looks like they're selling pretty fast. I'm clueless when it comes to cameras ... I'm just a simple, no-hassle, point & shoot kinda guy.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nikon-D7000-DSLR-Camera-w-Nikon-18-105mm-DX-VR-AF-S-DX-NIKKOR-Lens/230956054741?pt=Digital_Cameras&hash=item35c60db8d5

[Chicken Dinner]

Len's given some pretty good advice up above. My Mrs. has an entry level Nikon that is an earlier model of the one's mentioned above. It takes great pictures even for sports UNLESS you're inside taking photos of basketball. Then the processing speed just can't keep up.