Whats the best digital slr camera that shoots 9fps or more for under $2000?

There doesn't exist one in your price range.

In fact, the only DSLR I know of that can do this at all is the new Canon 1D MKIII at around $4500. It can shoot at 10 fps.

You can pick up an older used Canon 1D with a 4.15mp sensor for around $1000 that can go at 8 fps, but I think that this is the closest you're going to come in your price for a digital camera.

If, however, you're willing to get a film camera, a Canon EOS-1n RS would fit the bill for $500 or less used. Basically, it's an EOS-1n with a non-moving pellicle mirror and a few other modifications that allow it to run at 10fps.

Being a professional sports photogapher, I am wondering why you would want 9fps. Are you shooting a film?

When I was shooting Shamu for Sea World, we had a Nikon with a motor drive. It would shoot about 5fps (what the sub $2000 Nikon and Canon DSLR's do today), but it was so hard to capture the exact moment of the classic "747" shot of the whale as it leaped out of the water, we eventually stuck with the single frame mode and let the motor wind the film for us. Manually tripping the shutter was far more accurate.

The same is true now. I can squeeze the shutter release with more accuracy in the single image mode, so I never use the continuous frame setting on my D200's ... period.

While a couple of Canon's DSLR's will fire at 8.5fps, there is only one that meets or excedes your requirement (the Canon EOS-1D Mark III), but it costs around $5,000 which I am sure you already know.

That's it for the pro level cameras.

Fujifilm, Olympus, Pentax and Sony are all sub 3fps cameras.

Bottom line it is all in your timing.

That camera hasn't been invented yet. ;)

However, with rumours (and they are only rumours) that Nikon may announce a new camera this year, it's possible that the Nikon D2HS (8 FPS) might fall in price close to your price budget.

Lots of speculation there. MAYBE Nikon will announce a new camera this year and MAYBE that will drop the price of the D2HS. Maybe.

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Disclosure: I am the owner of www.lenslenders.com lens rentals in Canada.