Camera Noob questions

[mhaertle]

So I pretty much know just a hair over nothing about cameras but I like taking pictures a lot and want to get a nice camera.  A lot of what I like to shoot is fast action type shots like sports.  I don't know really where to start when looking for a nicer camera that excels at this type of shooting or whatever.  So basically I am wondering what are some solid entry level cameras that aren't shit but don't cost $3000 at the same time.  Also my buddy is trying to sell me his Cannon 7D for $800, I know these cameras hold their value well but is he asking for too much for this older camera or is this something I should consider.

[ALwin]

So I pretty much know just a hair over nothing about cameras but I like taking pictures a lot and want to get a nice camera.  A lot of what I like to shoot is fast action type shots like sports.  I don't know really where to start when looking for a nicer camera that excels at this type of shooting or whatever.  So basically I am wondering what are some solid entry level cameras that aren't shit but don't cost $3000 at the same time.  Also my buddy is trying to sell me his Cannon 7D for $800, I know these cameras hold their value well but is he asking for too much for this older camera or is this something I should consider.

 

The Canon 7D is a very good camera for still images (photos) but newer models from Sony, Canon and somewhat Nikon has come out that would give the 7D a run for the money when it comes to video.

Is your friend selling you the Canon 7D just the camera body or does it include lenses and other accessories?

 

For sports or action photography, what kind of sports or action are you talking about?

[mhaertle]

The Canon 7D is a very good camera for still images (photos) but newer models from Sony, Canon and somewhat Nikon has come out that would give the 7D a run for the money when it comes to video.

Is your friend selling you the Canon 7D just the camera body or does it include lenses and other accessories?

 

For sports or action photography, what kind of sports or action are you talking about?

Volleyball would be the main sport.

 

Would $800 be reasonable for the 7D?  I see how old it is and I imagine it has to be worth the few extra dollars to get something that isn't like 6 years old.  But I could be wrong that's why I'm here

[ALwin]

Volleyball would be the main sport.

 

Would $800 be reasonable for the 7D?  I see how old it is and I imagine it has to be worth the few extra dollars to get something that isn't like 6 years old.  But I could be wrong that's why I'm here

 

Here is the price for a refurbished Canon 7D directly from Canon.  Keep in mind that the price has a discount on it and I believe it is only for the camera body, without lenses.

http://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/eos-7d-body-refurbished

 

Volleyball is a nice sport, and a camera like the 7D or any other digital camera is more than capable of capturing the action.  You would have to figure out a few things, learn to use the camera and especially learn how to freeze the action.

 

Choosing a lens is another matter, I cannot tell you which specific lens to use because your position in relation to the players on the volleyball court could vary.  You could either be sitting in the front row of the spectator seats and be as close as the perimeter of the court or be standing high some distance away.  For each position you would have to know which lens, or more specifically which focal lengths/zoom lenses, are suitable for capturing the scene.

 

Because a camera like the 7D is a cropped sensor camera, it will give you a bit more "reach" compared to a larger sensor camera.  Recommended lenses for action sports would be:

• Sigma 18-35 f/1.8 for Canon which is a cropped sensor lens, but is fast.
• A 70-200 f/4 or f/2.8 lens

These lenses have a constant aperture throughout the zoom range and their AF motors are fast at focusing.

 

However even if you had the best camera and lenses, you still need to know and practice the techniques for taking sports/action photos.  Do not expect to get the camera + lenses today and start taking fantastic photos tomorrow.

[mhaertle]

Does it come with anything? Any lenses?

Two 32 GB transcend CF cards, 2 batteries and charger

 

He also says it has under 55,000 actuations.

[ALwin]

Well saying you can buy one from cannon for $200 less, but it doesn't come with the batteries CF cards and the fact you don know how many "actuations" it has had, I would see whether you can get it cheaper and see what is included in the cannon refurbished one. I don't know much about cameras but have heard that CF cards are expensive.

 

CF (compact flash) so as not to confuse with CFast, cards have come down in price over the past year or so.  Though of course good ones from Sandisk can be considered still pricey depending on the buyer.

 

This kind of card, the 95MB/s version, from Sandisk used to cost over $150 when I bought mine.  Now you can get the one in the link for about $50.

http://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/eos-7d-body-refurbished

[mhaertle]

OK so that camera would be in the ballpark of a decent deal..
 

 

 

Would you recommend shooting for this or is there some better bang of my buck that I should also look at?

Thanks for helping me out BTW.  It's nice to have some random people who know what they are talking about to help.

[mhaertle]

CF (compact flash) so as not to confuse with CFast, cards have come down in price over the past year or so.  Though of course good ones from Sandisk can be considered still pricey depending on the buyer.

 

This kind of card, the 95MB/s version, from Sandisk used to cost over $150 when I bought mine.  Now you can get the one in the link for about $50.

http://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/eos-7d-body-refurbished

I just noticed your guide in your signature box.. Maybe I should just read all that hahah

[ALwin]

OK so that camera would be in the ballpark of a decent deal..

 

 

 

Would you recommend shooting for this or is there some better bang of my buck that I should also look at?

Thanks for helping me out BTW.  It's nice to have some random people who know what they are talking about to help.

 

Well if you tell us how much you are willing to spend, for the camera body and lenses... it would help us give you some options.

[ALwin]

I just noticed your guide in your signature box.. Maybe I should just read all that hahah

 

Let me also post you some links to additional tips for taking photos of sports, action and volleyball games.

 

https://photographylife.com/photographing-high-school-volleyball

http://pinolaphoto.com/2014/10/08/10-tips-for-shooting-indoor-volleyball/

http://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-explore/article/h20zbjpj/photographing-sports-indoors-and-out.html

http://www.digitalrev.com/article/10-sports-photography-tips-for/MzA3MzA1NTI_A

 

With this link below, I cannot agree 100% regarding the Tip No. 2.

http://digital-photography-school.com/8-tips-on-how-to-photograph-sports/ 

[mhaertle]

When I first came into this I wanted to spend $500 but that feels like a pointless price point.  It feels like it is right in between shitty cameras and good ones.  I'm willing to swing upwards I'm just trying to figure out if it would be worth it.  I'm about to do research into going mirror less instead of the DSLR.  If you have thoughts on that idea I'd be interested to know.

[ALwin]

When I first came into this I wanted to spend $500 but that feels like a pointless price point.  It feels like it is right in between shitty cameras and good ones.  I'm willing to swing upwards I'm just trying to figure out if it would be worth it.  I'm about to do research into going mirror less instead of the DSLR.  If you have thoughts on that idea I'd be interested to know.

 

Mirrorless would also be a good option, the camera will be lighter to carry around.  For me, there are mainly two downsides to mirrorless when it comes to sports/action photography.

 

1. Battery life, because most mirrorless cameras use the LCD screen in the back and some come with an electronic viewfinder, not an optical one, the drain on the battery is a bit higher.  But if you carry extra batteries it should be fine.

 

2. This is from my own experience and preference, perhaps it could be different for you.  I prefer trying to capture action shots by holding the camera's viewfinder up to my eye and using the optical viewfinder.  Using the LCD screen on the back of the camera can potentially cause me to miss the shot because if my eyes are focused on the LCD screen they are not seeing what is happening in the sports arena/court.  With an optical viewfinder my right eye is looking through it all the time seeing what is happening and all I need to do is aim and press the shutter. At the same time I can choose to keep my left eye open (for me the right eye is my dominant eye) and be aware of what is going on in my peripheral vision.  Basically my reaction time with the LCD screen is slower.

 

Would an EVF work as well as an optical viewfinder.  Yes it can, as long as the camera has a good EVF system and I believe Sony in that aspect has made great improvements.

 

There is a 3rd downside, but again this is personal preference and being used to something:  Large heavy lens + small lightweight camera body.  I personally feel mirrorless cameras are good when the lens mounted on them are proportionally sized and weighted.  But if I had to mount my 200mm Nikon lens to my Fuji X-E2, I would feel awkward using it.  The balance would feel completely off for me.

 

Of course I could go ahead and purchase a 200mm lens designed for my Fuji, but I use the Fuji for casual stuff and I hardly use a 200mm lens in this case anyway.

[mhaertle]

Any thoughts on Sony Alpha a6000?

 

It seems like it would be in my ballpark of what I wanted to spend.  Also the fast continuous shooting seems good for what I intend to use it for.  Any big red flags?

 

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Mirrorless-Digital-Camera-16-50mm/dp/B00I8BICB2/ref=sr_1_1_m?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1451321741&sr=1-1&keywords=sony+alpha&refinements=p_89%3ASony%2Cp_n_feature_ten_browse-bin%3A10705376011%7C10705377011

[ALwin]

snip

 

Read online reviews and see what people have to say.  I've read that the in-camera High ISO Noise reduction algorithms can be lousy and that it's better to keep the setting turned off, but then as I haven't used on myself I can't say for certain.