Compact or SLR for sports photography. What model?

chevalier

Evening, I want to get a new camera. One that I can use particularly for surf events (so really good zoom for when out on the course) and for league (so can get action shots of my kid when they are on the other side of the field).
From what I can gather I am guessing I would need something more than 12MP and more than 30x optical zoom?
This being the case can people give me their suggestions as to cameras? Can be a compact of an SLR. Upper price bracket of say 500 pounds so what new or second hand one would you recommend.
Thanks in advance
chev

googler

You need an SLR with a long telephoto lens or two, not a compact

300mm, 400mm, that kind of thing. Otherwise, you're just going to get a small surfer or football player in a large frame.

Google 'choosing equipment for sports photography' or look at specific photography sites. this guy has the right idea

http://www.manfrottoschoolofxcellence.com/2014/09/monopods-sport-photography/

agrinnall

Your budget is the problem, a single decent lens for sports photography will take all of that and probably more. So whatever you choose is going to be a big compromise I'm afraid.

onomatopoeia99

It does sound like you're looking at a 400mm lens on an DSLR for the sort of distance you want to take pictures from.

So, any of the main manufacturers (Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax - not an exhaustive list) produce good quality DSLR bodies which will be entirely adequate these days. To get a lens of that kind of focal length I suspect the only option in your price range would be to get a 3rd party lens (Sigma, Tamron) in the correct fitting for whatever DSLR you deicde to buy, in something like a 120mm-400mm zoom. You might be able to get inside your budget then, but there will be compromises, such as low light performance. Couple that with a second hand DSLR.

Better still, go over to a dedicated photography forum (e.g. talkphotography) and ask there.

daveyjp

Used dSLR bodies can be had for less than £100 - plenty of used camera stores on line.

The issue is the lens. You will be compromised as long lenses need fast shutter speeds (which you need for sports action), but fast shutter speeds need larger apertures.

Large aperture zoom or telephoto lenses are not cheap, even second hand.

kwikbreaks

Take a look at big zoom bridge cameras. The pictures won't be good but at least you'll have more than 10 pixels to look at.

If you want pictures at the sort of quality level you'd be happy to print of somebody on a surfboard then think of DSLR lens prices in thousands rather than hundreds. You may have problems finding the subject in the viewfinder too.