I am looking for a digital camera to take pictures at my kids hockey games. Low light, action, relative long distances, what are the traits that I should look for when buying a digital camera. Hockey pics are relatively difficult, so you need a better than average camera. Some key characteristics are:
. Strong optical zoom
. Good high ISO performance with low noise
. Fast autofocus
. A "fast" lens that gathers lots of light
. A fast shutter speed
. Manual controls to set adjustments
Get 5 megapixels minimum. More MP's allows bigger enlargements or more extractions (cropping) from the original pics. But it does not make the base image any better.
The best performance would come from a d-SLR camera with high quality telephoto lenses. This is also the most expensive alternative at a range of $1000 to $2000 and up. And carrying around (and changing) lenses can be inconvenient. Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fugi and others make a range of good d-SLR's.
Next best would be one of the "ultra-zoom" digicams. These have image stabilized long telephoto zoom lenses (over 400 mm equivalent), manual controls, and reasonably fast performance. High ISO performance continues to improve with each model year.
Some good examples are the Sony DSC-H series (H1, H2, H5, H7, H9), and the Canon Powershot Sn IS series (S2 IS, S3 IS). These range from $250 to $500, depending on model year and features. There are also some models from Panasonic (FZ50) and Fugi (S9500) at $500 to $600.
All these cameras can also use separate add-on lenses to increase telephoto length (although light is then reduced).
Good Luck You'll want to find a camera that has a high ISO and good optical zoom.
Ideally, you would want a SLR camera with a lens that was something like f2.8 70-200mm. However, that would cost you a couple thousand dollars + and since you're just shooting your kids games I'm assuming you're not wanting professional gear.
I have a Nikon Coolpix that I carry with me everywhere I can't take my SLR, it's a nice little point and shoot, and I got a couple decent pictures when I went to a hockey game about a month ago. I'd recommend that camera to you just from my own experience. |
