Looking for a new camera, suggestions?

[Audrita]

I've started to get into photography and have myself an alright camera (Nikon B700), but I'd like to upgrade. I'm looking for something for mainly sports photography that could also do good portrait shots. Preferably something durable, as the sport I mainly photograph is paintball. I've used a friend's camera that I absolutely loved (although I cannot remember what exactly it was), pictures taken with that camera included below. I'm looking a camera (preferably Canon) with a price range of around $1,500, but I'm willing to go a few hundred over to get something I'll really love. Any suggestions?

[njmyers3]

Is that $1500 for just the body or body and lenses? A lot of people make the mistake of buying a body and then lenses, but I would recommend finding a lens or two that you like and then getting a body that it will attach to. Often the lenses are more expensive than the body. For sports you probably want something with a large zoom range, say from 50mm to 300mm, constant aperture is also amazing to have, but it typically makes a lens much more expensive. Since you're shooting outdoors, you can get away with a smaller aperture, like F4 or even F5.6. Faster lenses will have a shallower depth of field, but cost a ton more once you get faster than F3.5. Sorry I don't have any specific recommendation but I hope this helps you pick a lens.

[Audrita]

4 minutes ago, njmyers3 said:

Is that $1500 for just the body or body and lenses? A lot of people make the mistake of buying a body and then lenses, but I would recommend finding a lens or two that you like and then getting a body that it will attach to. Often the lenses are more expensive than the body. For sports you probably want something with a large zoom range, say from 50mm to 300mm, constant aperture is also amazing to have, but it typically makes a lens much more expensive. Since you're shooting outdoors, you can get away with a smaller aperture, like F4 or even F5.6. Faster lenses will have a shallower depth of field, but cost a ton more once you get faster than F3.5. Sorry I don't have any specific recommendation but I hope this helps you pick a lens.

Thanks, very helpful

[Audrita]

To clarify, the $1,500 would be for both camera and lens. Thanks again

[xQubeZx]

Why Canon body? Is it because you can borrow Canon lenses and in that case what lenses can you borrow?

 

Really if shooting paintball you would want a body that is quite durable. So I’d say on the Canon side to look for a 80D or maybe a used 6D as these are quite cheap for what it is, however lacks some in AF. If not going Canon a Sony A6300 is small and relativly durable and on the Nikon side a D610 can be found used for a good price or a D7200 can also be found used for good prices. 

 

For lenses I’d want a 70-200 and a 24-70 (FF equivilent) or an 16-35 for shooting paintball. 

[cc143]

I agree with the durability thing stated above. So I'd probably steer away from a mirrorless body. 

 

The best 2 options I believe in your case are the following combinations: 

 

Tamron 17-50mm F/2.8 VC + 70-200mm f/2.8 VC I'd probably look for the 70-200 first since its more suitable for the sort of photography you seem to be doing, the reason I recommend you also get a 17-50 is that given you probably are going for a crop sensor, a 70-200 on a crop camera gives an equivalent of 105-300mm which is pretty long and you'll probably need the 17-50mm when you use your camera for anything else. Both lenses are actually pretty cheap used and available in both Canon and Nikon mounts.  The 70-200mm is also great for general portraiture, and so is the 17-50, so cant go wrong really. 

 

Then for bodies, 7d2 or d7200. Of the 2 the 7d2 is probably the better option, but if you are going to be locked in  a system the d500 is currently the best sports camera around imo, so the d7200 may make some sense with upgradeablity in mind. They also have that amazing 200-500mm lens, which I could see someone using for some sports stuff.  

 

Another option, since paintballing is an extreme environment, even though those cameras will be fine even if they are shot at some point, you could get a 7dmk1, which is now cheap enough used to not care about replacing it if it comes to it. I would stick with cheaper older APS-C cameras for that reason in general too. 

 

Those look great, can't wait to see what you can do with a proper setup. (environment is pretty sick as well). 

 

EDIT: At some point, if you can get your hands (rent, borrow etc.) on it if you go Canon, try the 135mm f/2 for paintaball photography, but be prepared to spend the money on it 2 days after.