can you help a gymnast mom out?

[tarheel618]

Both of my girls made the traveling team this year and we had our first meet and it is quite evident that I need a new camera. I have a basic point and shoot and I have been thinking I would need a DSLR that would work for gymnastics but not overly killed the budget. The photos will be for me and family. Can someone point me in the right direction with what type of camera and lens I should look into.

I've heard great things about the cannon rebel series but.... well I have a lot to learn.

thanks

 

[ukcatfan]

Every current DSLR will be capable. The important things are going to be the features, the feel, and the available accessories. The lens is very important for indoor sports. Knowing how close you are to the action has a lot to do with it. You should consider Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Pentax at a minimum but there are even more than that.

 

[photo_chick]

Like already said, any DSLR will do it and lens choice is probably more important than the actual camera when it comes to this type of shooting. But equally important as the camera and lens is the know how to get the shot. Knowledge is the single biggest investment you can make and it costs the least amount of money.

Picking a camera.. list the features you want. Set your budget. Find the cameras that fit there and go to the store and play with them. Then get yourself a nice, fast lens that fits the focal length you need. You mentioned the Rebel line.... The Rebel T2i or T3i will do the job nicely with a fast prime or a zoom like the 70-200 f/2.8. But there's other great options that will do the job just as well.

 

[tarheel618]

thanks for the recommendation on camera and lens, I will be checking into it.

 

[Frantasmic]

Note that the lens listed is a gold standard but also very expensive. If you can ensure you can get closer, a 100m 2.8 or the 200mm fixed 2.8 won't break the bank. But you lose variable zoom w them. Pentax has less expensive cameras but I don't know about their lenses. The lens and good iso is what you are going to need.

 

[kshark]

I agree, make allowances in your budget for a lens for indoor sports photography. The best, most expensive body with a slow lens won't cut it for gymanstics.

My suggestion would be a Canon T1i (or better if the budget allows) and depending how close you can get to the action, an 85mm f/1.8. Invest in an external flash and use that with the kit lens for candid shots and the fast prime for action shots.

If you do go for something like a 70-200mm f/2.8, you can skip the more expensive image stabilized versions for sports photography since your goal is going to be getting shutter speed upwards of 1/1000" to freeze the action. An f/1.8 or faster prime (1 1/3 stops faster than f/2.8 = a little over 2X the shutter speed) may actually suit your needs better, but you'll just have to zoom with your feet.

 

[tarheel618]

for gymnastics you can't use flash it is prohibited. The 70/200 lens is probably not in the budget at this time. I am thinking of getting at Cannon T2i, any other suggestions on lenses that won't break the bank?

Thanks for all the help. I really appreciate it.

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

for gymnastics you can't use flash it is prohibited. The 70/200 lens is probably not in the budget at this time. I am thinking of getting at Cannon T2i, any other suggestions on lenses that won't break the bank?

Thanks for all the help. I really appreciate it.

I don't know what your budget is but you say you don't want to break the bank. I would recommend you look at the Pentax K-r with the Sigma non-OS 70-200mm HSM II Macro. You have stabilization in the camera body so you do not need the OS version. Also the K-r has 6 frame per second burst and ISO 100-25,600. Both of these are good for indoor action. The K-r body is going for $542 and the Sigma lens is $799. There is an abundance of 18-55 used Pentax lenses around for a hundred or less and is a good lens for general use. I know of four different versions of it (I have two). I use the Sigma 70-200 extensively for all types of auto racing, both night and day. I have achieved excellent results with it and the Hyper-Sonic Motor (HSM) focuses very fast and is quiet. This is just a thought for the budget minded.

 

[photo_chick]

It really comes down to how much you want to spend and what body you go with. I use an older 70-210 f/4 on my Canon. It's a solid lens that costs less than $200 used. The drawback is that it's a design from the 80's and not without it's quirks. But you can go that way if you're on a tight budget and go Canon. Or you could go with primes, but there you really need to have an idea of the focal length you'll need.

But don't dismiss the Pentax line here if cost is a major factor. It's one of those other great options. They really are the most affordable, so do check them out. I love my Canons, but if I were starting over I'd prolly go Pentax.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

The best camera to get the pictures you want is going to have fast frames per second and good high iso. A fast lens will also be important.

I'd look at the Pentax as suggested or the Sony dslr's offer very good camera's with some of the fastest frames per second for the money. The Sony A33 ($599 body only), A35 ($599 body only) or A55 ($699 body only) would all be good options as well as the a580 ($800 body only) although that will cost a bit more. Depending on how close to the action you can get you might be able to use a 50mm 1.8 ($150) or if you're a little further away an 85mm f/2.8 ($250). Or if you can't get very close then the Sigma or Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 come in mounts for all the camera lines.

Sony DSLRs/SLT's also can use the Minolta Maxxum lenses and you can find many of those used for good deals. I've shot gymnastics with a Minolta Maxxum 70-210mm f/4 which you can purchase used for $150-$200. KEH is a good place to buy used lenses since the allow returns and I believe they have now started a 6 month warranty on their sales.

 

[bob100]

for gymnastics you can't use flash it is prohibited. The 70/200 lens is probably not in the budget at this time. I am thinking of getting at Cannon T2i, any other suggestions on lenses that won't break the bank?

Thanks for all the help. I really appreciate it.

you are correct, telephoto zoom lens with large apertures are more expensive but there are other choices, e.g. a prime lens or Sigma/Tamron lens which cost less. But if you've never used a DSLR before it makes sense to get the kit lens (heavily discounted with the camera) and use it until you learn more about the advantages/disadvantages of all the various lens,

 

[HPS3]

I just got the Sigma 70-200 EX DG APO HSM II non-OS for my D5100. I am thankfull to Giana'sPapa for recommending it. You won't miss the stabilization if you keep your shutter above 1/200 which you will for gymnastics. I think any of the newer cameras do well with higher ISO's. Go out and hold each camera to see which one you feel most comfortable with. Feeling the camera in your hand makes all the difference. I had a T2i which I sold to buy my D5100. I bought the T2i on impulse and only had it 4 months.

 

[seashoreCM]

An f/2.8 lens whose maximum aperture goes down as you zoom is not what you want.

You want f/2.0 or faster. You may be better off not zooming in order that you get a bigger aperture. This is where a few more megapixels will help, and on a DSLR the sharpness shortcomings of more and more megapixels are less of an issue.

 

[disneyboy2003]

for gymnastics you can't use flash it is prohibited. The 70/200 lens is probably not in the budget at this time. I am thinking of getting at Cannon T2i, any other suggestions on lenses that won't break the bank?

Thanks for all the help. I really appreciate it.

As you've found out, a zoom lens for low-light photography can be quite expensive.

Instead of a zoom lens, the alternative, as others have hinted, would be to go with a prime lens. Again, a "prime lens" is a lens that does not zoom. You have to physically get closer or farther to your subject if you wanted to "zoom". That's why some people say you "zoom with your feet" when using a prime lens.

For low-light & sports photography, prime lenses are cheaper than zoom lenses. There's also an added benefit to prime lenses. Oftentimes, prime lenses have larger maximum apertures than zoom lenses. A larger aperture allows more light into the camera...this part is crucial for low-light & sports photography. Since gymnastics takes place indoors, it is relatively lower light.

There are 2 things to look for in a prime lens: the focal length and the aperture.

In laymen's terms, the focal length determines whether the lens is "wide angle", "normal view", or "telephoto". The focal length determines how much of the scene you want to capture. Focal length is expressed in millimeters (mm). The smaller the focal length, the wider the angle of view (ie. capture more of the scene). The longer the focal length, the narrower the angle of view (ie. zoomed in, or capture just a small part of the scene).

If you got a 20mm lens, for example, you could take photos of the entire gymnastics scene, but your daughters would be pretty tiny. If you got a 100mm lens, you view of your daughters might be too close or too "zoomed in", depending on where you sit.

That's why previous posters asked you where you planned to sit for the gymnastics meets. If you're gonna be pretty far away up in the stands, perhaps you could look into an 85mm or a 100mm lens. If you're gonna be close to the floor & close to your daughters, perhaps a 50mm lens might work.

How else could you determine what focal length to buy for a prime lens? Well, you stated that you haven't bought your dSLR yet. When you do, your dSLR will come with a standard "kit lens". Usually, this kit lens is a zoom lens that goes from 18-55mm. Try out the kit lens at your girls' gymnastics meets. You'll quickly see that 18mm is very wide and probably captures too much of the scene.

However, zoom in to 55mm and see whether this is enough "zoom" to capture your daughters on the apparatuses. If it is, then perhaps a 50mm prime lens is the way to go.

The other type of kit lens would be the 18-135mm lens. With this lens, you can zoom even more to capture closer views of your daughters. Using this lens, try zooming in to approximately 85mm. And then try zooming in to 100mm. Are either of these focal lengths close enough (but not too close)?

Using this method, you can then determine the focal length of your prime lens purchase.

The second thing to look for in a lens is the maximum aperture. Think of the aperture as the "hole" in the lens that light goes through to get into the camera. The larger the aperture (the larger the "hole"), the more light goes into the camera. This is good for low-light and sports photography. The smaller the aperture (the smaller the "hole"), the less light goes into the camera. This is not so ideal for low-light / sports photography.

In photography, aperture is expressed as f-stops or f-numbers. It sounds backwards, but a smaller f-number = a larger aperture. Conversely, a larger f-number = a smaller aperture.

So the prime lens you're looking for will have small f-numbers (ie. larger apertures). The kit lenses I mentioned above have apertures from f/3.5 to f/5.6. At first glance, these seem like small numbers, believe it or not you can go even smaller than these.

The 70-200mm lens that others mentioned above has an f-number of f/2.8. This means that this lens lets in more light than the kit lens. Actually, the 70-200mm f/2.8 lens is a very popular lens used by professional sports photographers (and other professional photographers, too). At f/2.8, this lens lets in approximately 2x-4x more light into the camera than the kit lens!

I mentioned earlier that prime lenses can have larger apertures than zoom lenses. A 100mm f/2 lens, for example, will let in 2x more light than the f/2.8 lens above. Or, if you went with a 50mm f/1.4 lens, it will let in 4x more light than the f/2.8 lens.

What's the advantage of letting more light into the camera? (or, what's the advantage of larger apertures?) When you let more light into the camera using a larger aperture, this allows you to use faster shutter speeds to "freeze" the action. You'll learn more about this when you learn the basics of photography, specifically, when you learn about the "exposure triangle" (aperture, shutter speed, and ISO -- and how these 3 interact with each other).

The fact that larger aperture lenses allow you to use faster shutter speeds is the reason sports photographers specifically look for these types of lenses. That's also why large-aperture lenses are also called "fast lenses". You may have seen this term used earlier in this thread.


So those are the 2 things to look for in a low-light prime lens. What are your options? If you chose Canon, here are some fast prime lenses:

• Canon 50mm f/1.8, $119 - your best value! (link to B&H)
• Canon 50mm f/1.4, $379 (link to B&H)
• Canon 85mm f/1.8, $399 (link to B&H)
• Canon 100mm f/2, $474 (link to B&H)

Note the larger apertures (smaller f-numbers) of these lenses. All these apertures are larger than f/2.8 (ie. all the f-numbers are smaller than f/2.8). That's what you're looking for.

I only know about Canon stuff. But other brands will have similar lens offerings. If you decide to go with Nikon, Sony, Pentax, etc, then at least you'll know what to look for in a fast prime lens.

Hope my ramblings aren't too confusing.

 

[bob100]

As you've found out, a zoom lens for low-light photography can be quite expensive.

Instead of a zoom lens, the alternative, as others have hinted, would be to go with a prime lens. Again, a "prime lens" is a lens that does not zoom. You have to physically get closer or farther to your subject if you wanted to "zoom". That's why some people say you "zoom with your feet" when using a prime lens.

For low-light & sports photography, prime lenses are cheaper than zoom lenses. There's also an added benefit to prime lenses. Oftentimes, prime lenses have larger maximum apertures than zoom lenses. A larger aperture allows more light into the camera...this part is crucial for low-light & sports photography. Since gymnastics takes place indoors, it is relatively lower light.

There are 2 things to look for in a prime lens: the focal length and the aperture.

In laymen's terms, the focal length determines whether the lens is "wide angle", "normal view", or "telephoto". The focal length determines how much of the scene you want to capture. Focal length is expressed in millimeters (mm). The smaller the focal length, the wider the angle of view (ie. capture more of the scene). The longer the focal length, the narrower the angle of view (ie. zoomed in, or capture just a small part of the scene).

If you got a 20mm lens, for example, you could take photos of the entire gymnastics scene, but your daughters would be pretty tiny. If you got a 100mm lens, you view of your daughters might be too close or too "zoomed in", depending on where you sit.

That's why previous posters asked you where you planned to sit for the gymnastics meets. If you're gonna be pretty far away up in the stands, perhaps you could look into an 85mm or a 100mm lens. If you're gonna be close to the floor & close to your daughters, perhaps a 50mm lens might work.

How else could you determine what focal length to buy for a prime lens? Well, you stated that you haven't bought your dSLR yet. When you do, your dSLR will come with a standard "kit lens". Usually, this kit lens is a zoom lens that goes from 18-55mm. Try out the kit lens at your girls' gymnastics meets. You'll quickly see that 18mm is very wide and probably captures too much of the scene.

However, zoom in to 55mm and see whether this is enough "zoom" to capture your daughters on the apparatuses. If it is, then perhaps a 50mm prime lens is the way to go.

The other type of kit lens would be the 18-135mm lens. With this lens, you can zoom even more to capture closer views of your daughters. Using this lens, try zooming in to approximately 85mm. And then try zooming in to 100mm. Are either of these focal lengths close enough (but not too close)?

Using this method, you can then determine the focal length of your prime lens purchase.

The second thing to look for in a lens is the maximum aperture. Think of the aperture as the "hole" in the lens that light goes through to get into the camera. The larger the aperture (the larger the "hole"), the more light goes into the camera. This is good for low-light and sports photography. The smaller the aperture (the smaller the "hole"), the less light goes into the camera. This is not so ideal for low-light / sports photography.

In photography, aperture is expressed as f-stops or f-numbers. It sounds backwards, but a smaller f-number = a larger aperture. Conversely, a larger f-number = a smaller aperture.

So the prime lens you're looking for will have small f-numbers (ie. larger apertures). The kit lenses I mentioned above have apertures from f/3.5 to f/5.6. At first glance, these seem like small numbers, believe it or not you can go even smaller than these.

The 70-200mm lens that others mentioned above has an f-number of f/2.8. This means that this lens lets in more light than the kit lens. Actually, the 70-200mm f/2.8 lens is a very popular lens used by professional sports photographers (and other professional photographers, too). At f/2.8, this lens lets in approximately 2x-4x more light into the camera than the kit lens!

I mentioned earlier that prime lenses can have larger apertures than zoom lenses. A 100mm f/2 lens, for example, will let in 2x more light than the f/2.8 lens above. Or, if you went with a 50mm f/1.4 lens, it will let in 4x more light than the f/2.8 lens.

What's the advantage of letting more light into the camera? (or, what's the advantage of larger apertures?) When you let more light into the camera using a larger aperture, this allows you to use faster shutter speeds to "freeze" the action. You'll learn more about this when you learn the basics of photography, specifically, when you learn about the "exposure triangle" (aperture, shutter speed, and ISO -- and how these 3 interact with each other).

The fact that larger aperture lenses allow you to use faster shutter speeds is the reason sports photographers specifically look for these types of lenses. That's also why large-aperture lenses are also called "fast lenses". You may have seen this term used earlier in this thread.


So those are the 2 things to look for in a low-light prime lens. What are your options? If you chose Canon, here are some fast prime lenses:

• Canon 50mm f/1.8, $119 - your best value! (link to B&H)
• Canon 50mm f/1.4, $379 (link to B&H)
• Canon 85mm f/1.8, $399 (link to B&H)
• Canon 100mm f/2, $474 (link to B&H)

Note the larger apertures (smaller f-numbers) of these lenses. All these apertures are larger than f/2.8 (ie. all the f-numbers are smaller than f/2.8). That's what you're looking for.

I only know about Canon stuff. But other brands will have similar lens offerings. If you decide to go with Nikon, Sony, Pentax, etc, then at least you'll know what to look for in a fast prime lens.

Hope my ramblings aren't too confusing.

good summary, I think you would have to be pretty close to the action with the 50mm and 85mm options

 

[Daisy14'sDH]

Pentax 50mm f1.4 at B&H $360
Pentax DA* 50-135mm f2.8 $950
Pentax DA 200mm f2.8 $960

Fast glass has a price.

 

[mom2rtk]

You didn't say how old your girls are. If they are young and on a traveling team already, then you probably have many years of gymnastics shooting ahead of you.

I do recommend you think long and hard and get the RIGHT equipment from the start. If that means just getting the body now and the lens later when you can afford it, you will be glad you waited. If you buy one that won't get the job done correctly, I guarantee you will regret it later. The most expensive lens is the one you buy twice.

Indoor action shots are the hardest becuase of the fast shutter speed needed in low light. Start with one of the bodies suggested here with high frames per second and high ISO capabilities. If you have to make due with one prime now, but then save your cash for an additional prime or a zoom later, then make a plan and go for it.

If you were shooting little league baseball or soccer in broad daylight you could get any body and a kit zoom and be good to go. But do that here..... and you will still be disappointed and in search of even more equipment very soon.

 

[tarheel618]

Wow, thank you so very much. My girls are 9 and 5 so we are probably in for a lot years of traveling. At the last meet, we were pretty close to the action but I don't know how the rest of the meets will be, as the last one was the first for us. I know that I have a new skill to learn and I just don't want to jump in and buy something only to realize that I made a mistake down the road. I will definitely be taking all of your advice and doing some research.

 

[thomas998]

For something like that I would say look at a Sony A55, they can be purchased for around $650 and will catch up to 10 frames per second... In trying to capture that person flying through the air the faster the capture rate the better.

What I would not do is waste money on very fast lenses. I've seen people suggesting F1.4 lenses and I have to disagree completely. I've shot with those lenses and you wouldn't be using it to capture a gymnastics even because the DOF when it is full open will be very shallow... you would likely end up with photos where her hand is in focus and her body or blurred out... a fast lens is great for trying to get shots that you can pose carefully, but not for something like a sporting event.

At most you might want a F2.8 lens.

 

[Spinning]

I have a canon d50 I bought and 85 prime lens for indoor diving. I have been very happy with my results. Lighting in pools is always tough and then toss in the kids are flipping and moving in the air makes it even more of a challange.
We had a gymnastic mom who uses 100 prime for gymnastics. She really liked it but was too close for diving....