Expert: John Oliverio - 7/3/2009

Question
i am a beginner. i need a camera that can take action shots inside a gym (my son plays college basketball) i would also like to be able to take still pictures outside. price range is 400-700. any suggestions?

Answer
Julie,

Hello and thanks for the question.

What you need is a digital SLR.  It really doesn't matter which one you get (as far as brands go).  Though Nikon and Canon are the most popular and easiest to see in the store.  For your price range I would suggest you look at the Canon Rebel.  The XS version would be a good start.  

Here is the thing though...  for pictures in the gym, the lens is more important than the camera.  Not much light to play with in the gym so if you can get a brighter lens it would make your life easier.  Unfortunately, most bright lenses are very expensive.  However, there is one cheap option.  The Canon 50mm f1.8.  The only problem is that it is not a zoom.  If you can't shoot from the floor and move up and down the court, it won't do you much good.  If you can't do that, and find you have to shoot from the stands with a zoom, then be sure to set the ISO on the camera to a high setting like ISO 800 or ISO 1600.  Image quality won't be quite as good, but at least your pictures will be sharp.  

The 50mm lens also makes a great portrait lens. The sell for about $100 dollars.

John