Needing a good camera?

I want to take great pictures of my kids in various settings!!! 1)School performances inside gym where light and distance are factors. If they are on the stage adding a flash to the camera doesn't really help unless I get up close to the stage. But if I get too close the flash whitens the image. 2) on the football field. I can't zoom in close enough even though my current camera has 10x zoom. I'd also like to stop the action and get my daughter doing a flip or jump in mid air while cheering for her brother and I'd like to get my son running down the football field without the image getting blurry. 3) When little league ends and school sports start I won't be able to get as close to the action from the stands so a camera with additional lenses would be best. I know I can look up specs online but they aren't really helpful when I don't know what they mean. I know aperature is important but don't know what numbers to look for. I think I need a camera with additional lenses

You need to get closer ... even pros don't have lenses that let them shoot from so far away as you describe.

Sure having a fast lens will allow you to shoot at faster shutter speeds that will eliminate camera movement (blur), but you are fighting some very important physical laws.

Shooting in low light without camera movement, will require you to use high ISO settings which will introduce noise in your images, buying a lens that allows enough light into the sensor for short shutter speeds will cost you a lot of money.

Take some time to watch what the pros use for cameras and lenses, what techniques they use, how close they are to the action and if and when they use flash. After doing that you will be able to decide if you want learn how to shoot "professional" level sports shots and to spend the money necessary to get the shots you want.

Your flash overexposing the shots tells me your flash is not set up correctly.

You may want to take at least one class before you get far too frustrated ... photography is supposed to be fun although is can be a lot of work until you get your technique nailed.

Panasonic DMC-TZ5 takes great shots has a 10x optical zoom. Won't white out faces even if taken inches away from subject, you can also crop the picture right from the camera without messing up the quality. Try this sight to check out the reviews of this camera and others.

http://www.digitalcamera-hq.com/digital-...

Get a D3X for about 5000$ and expensive lenses for long range,up to 10.000 dollar spend as much as you want.Because everything in this world has a price to get ,and if your expectations are that high,you have to spend more money.