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I have two daughters playing soccer all the time now and need to buy a good affordable camera to capture them on the field. What do y'all recommend!

Your lens will matter more than the camera. There will be 15 people say 15 different cameras but my .02 is find an entry level canon (on eBay around $400-$500) then buy a 300mm is usm lens for around $450-$500. Since you are taking sports pics you will need 300mm lens minimum I would think. If it is all you are using it for that's the path I would take. Unless you are just wanting top of the line then I can give different advice.

I agree with Rice on some things, but disagree with others. An entry level camera (Canon) will be around $300-$400..Also, I shoot my girls with a 70-200 lens and it does great. If you don't have that much money to spend, you can buy the Rebel T3 package deal with the 18-55mm Kit lens..(You can upgrade it later) and the 55-250mm Telephoto lens for about $650-$750. The 55-250 takes great pictures for the Price.

If you want to go a step above that..Get a canon 60D (that's what i shoot) and whatever you can afford in lenses...

It's like a race car..The more you spend the better the performance. I have been wanting to upgrade camera's myself but the next step for me is a full frame 5D and it's very expensive so I understand about being on a budget..

You're welcome to call me anytime. I shop for a living and Ebay or Amazon is the cheapest place to start.

I would suggest you check out this one.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200 12.1MP Digital Camera, 3.0" LCD Display, 25-600mm f/2.8 Leica Optical Zoom Lens, Full HD 60p Video Recording
It is around $600.00

Sid

I also Disagree with Sid...If you stick to the top two..Canon or Nikon...You choices are limitless. Most, if not all lenses fit on the next two steps up and down. Which means if you buy a high dollar lens..you can use it when you decide to upgrade your body at a later time. Which is the point Rice was making. Spend your money on lenses because they will fit whatever camera..In the same brand..that you decide to get

Wow, this all seems so simple and clear now...... Thanks for the input, now I guess I'll do some research and shopping

Most important thing go canon or Nikon no doubt

Most important thing is get ready to drop some shekels if you want good quality.....

mfalkner wrote:Most important thing is get ready to drop some shekels if you want good quality.....

I'm a pretty quick leaner, but thanks for the cliff notes!! Chad, I'll give you a call soon!

RedEyed Duck wrote:

mfalkner wrote:Most important thing is get ready to drop some shekels if you want good quality.....

I'm a pretty quick leaner, but thanks for the cliff notes!! Chad, I'll give you a call soon!

I look forward to chewing the Fat!!!!

I shoot a lot of my kids soccer games with my Nikon and Tamron 70-300 lens. Yes, would love to go Nikon on the lens as well. My problem is my kids play high school soccer and it is played here in MS from Nov thru late January. Many games are at night so my lighting (or lack thereof) is my biggest challenge. Soccer is a very difficult sport to shoot because the action is constant - unlike most other sports. Go Canon or Nikon and don't be afraid to buy a used lens at places like www.keh.com

Although Chad mentioned T3 package, I would suggest no less than the T3i. The "i" gets you sensor cleaning and a overall better camera (body wise). You can also look for a used XTi (which I shoot) or an XSi. Either of those are the same as the T models, they just don't shoot video. Don't buy a "T" model thinking you will use it like a camcorder, because they are limited in the length of record time. Simply put, when the you hit the shutter button to open the shutter, the camera builds up heat the longer the shutter stays open. The limit is based on heat build up from having the shutter open to record video, so the camera doesn't overheat and cause damage. If you shoot still shots in "BULB" (manual shutter open/close and long exposure nighttime shots), you will get the same issue. The lens will likely fog up due to the outside temperature and humidity, so not like you will be making many long exposure shots back to back anyway.

I would also suggest the 70-300 IS USM that Rice mentioned over the 55-250 that Chad mentioned. Simple reason is that the USM stands for Ultrasonic Motor which is part of the focusing system. The USM lenses will focus much quicker than the non-USM lenses. Sports is all action shots, so the quicker focus the better, without being so dependent on f-stop to freeze the action. For sure stick with a lense that has IS (Image Stabilization), which the 55-250 and 70-300 both have IS.


On the 70-300 IS USM lens, don't confuse that one with the 75-300 USM lens. The 75-300 is only USM (no IS) and run about $170. The 70-300 IS USM runs about $600.


Always remember that you can rent lenses if you have a big event you want to shoot. Check out www.lensrental.com for rentals and keep an eye out there as they also sell used lenses that are still excellent quality for good prices.

MudHog wrote:Although Chad mentioned T3 package, I would suggest no less than the T3i. The "i" gets you sensor cleaning and a overall better camera (body wise). You can also look for a used XTi (which I shoot) or an XSi. Either of those are the same as the T models, they just don't shoot video. Don't buy a "T" model thinking you will use it like a camcorder, because they are limited in the length of record time. Simply put, when the you hit the shutter button to open the shutter, the camera builds up heat the longer the shutter stays open. The limit is based on heat build up from having the shutter open to record video, so the camera doesn't overheat and cause damage. If you shoot still shots in "BULB" (manual shutter open/close and long exposure nighttime shots), you will get the same issue. The lens will likely fog up due to the outside temperature and humidity, so not like you will be making many long exposure shots back to back anyway.

I would also suggest the 70-300 IS USM that Rice mentioned over the 55-250 that Chad mentioned. Simple reason is that the USM stands for Ultrasonic Motor which is part of the focusing system. The USM lenses will focus much quicker than the non-USM lenses. Sports is all action shots, so the quicker focus the better, without being so dependent on f-stop to freeze the action. For sure stick with a lense that has IS (Image Stabilization), which the 55-250 and 70-300 both have IS.


On the 70-300 IS USM lens, don't confuse that one with the 75-300 USM lens. The 75-300 is only USM (no IS) and run about $170. The 70-300 IS USM runs about $600.


Always remember that you can rent lenses if you have a big event you want to shoot. Check out http://www.lensrental.com for rentals and keep an eye out there as they also sell used lenses that are still excellent quality for good prices.

The only reason I suggested those things is that he said he was on a Budget so I gave him the Budget Gear that would get him by....But i will say what i said in my previous post...The more money you spend...The better the pictures will be!!

What you really need is a Canon 7D with a 100-400mm...That would be a bad to the bone set up for sports..But would cost you several G's

duckter wrote:I shoot a lot of my kids soccer games with my Nikon and Tamron 70-300 lens. Yes, would love to go Nikon on the lens as well. My problem is my kids play high school soccer and it is played here in MS from Nov thru late January. Many games are at night so my lighting (or lack thereof) is my biggest challenge. Soccer is a very difficult sport to shoot because the action is constant - unlike most other sports. Go Canon or Nikon and don't be afraid to buy a used lens at places like http://www.keh.com

I use the same lens on my old Nikon D50 and while I don't shoot a lot of action scenes, I've gotten some great photos with it. But, my next big bite is a more capable telephoto lens. But I would have no qualms using Tamron or equivalent for something I'm not making a living with. Mine has been to Africa twice, Cambodia, Belize, and China and never given a minutes trouble.

I definitely don't need this camera to shoot video. So, what cannon would be the best choice for simply taking pics and not video? How many mega pixels do I want to have at a minimum for shooting sporting events?