Christelle49

and I'm in the market for a new camera (dslr) with a good lens to help take good (better) pictures from the stands. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!!!

Rongnongno Loc: FL

Unless you are planing underwater picture taking any camera will do. Otherwise do not be fooled with 'weather sealed' it does not mean these cameras will deal well with the chemicals present in swimming pools.

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

The old racers adage comes to mind:
"How fast do you want to go, and how much money do you got to $pend?"

lporrel Loc: California

If you are looking for reach and an excellent fast lens at a reasonable price, you might consider one of these:
http://store.sony.com/WFS/SNYUS/en_US/-/USD/-zid27-DSCRX10/B/cat-27-catid-All-Cyber-shot-R-Series-Cameras?XID=O:remark_DI%20MAIN_criteo

http://shop.panasonic.com/shop/model/DMC-FZ1000

Not a DSLR, but a 1" sensor, as much manual control as a DSLR, and really nice glass.

jrb1213 Loc: McDonough GEorgia

I think that you need a crop sensor camera. This will give you the extra reach you need. The weakness of crop cameras is they are noisier than full frame at higher ISOs. So if most of the meets are indoors you have a decision to make. Get a full frame and use longer (more expensive) lenses or a crop frame with with the advantage of longer reach but noisier at higher ISO. The new 7D mark II is an option.
People who don't shoot it will say it is crap and Nikon is better. I have been working with the 7D for 3 weeks and it is better at sports and wildlife than any other crop frame camera.
The focus system (65 cross type as compared to 15 for the D7100), the high ISO response and the frame rate (10fps) are the most important factors for me. The focus system and the 10 fps lead to more keepers.
I think the Nikon D7100 can hold its own against the 7D and may be better except for the the three things that are most important to me.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

"Crop sensor give an 'extra reach'"???? Since when?

The lens does that. If you use a camera lens made for a full format onto a cropped sensor you do have a 'magnifying effect'.

This information is false.
Correct information: A long lens or zoom* will give you reach, not the sensor.


---
Slightly off topic:
* Beware of digital zooms that will create disturbing artifacts

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Some things to consider:
How far away are you when you want a picture?
And are you hoping to get facial type shots as she competes?
For those things you need some decent glass.

I'm a Grandpa who wants to capture those fleeting moments of kids growing up. My wife is very much a picture collector, containers full, and an IPad full. For a little history.

My suggestion would be a DSLR from a Nikon D3300 and up. Mine set me back $750 and came with an 18-55mm lens, and a 55-200mm telephoto lens, and a very nice camera bag. Often referred to as "Kit" lenses. Sometimes as a Lunch Box Camera because you open a box full of goodies.
Immediately I wanted for a much longer lens. If I had it to do over, I think a XX-300mm would have been a better find.
I decided I needed a Super Telephoto lens, and sought out a Tamron 150-600mm lens. That was $1069 + BS. But not have I been disappointed either.
People at the soccer fields look at me like I'm crazy. And I am.
Ask me if I care. I don't.
A bigger SD card is nice, that way you won't run out of room. Even if you do like I did once and forgot to delete one game before the next.
SD Card: $60-$100 ~roughly.
And next would be a Monopod to support your rig in the bleachers. With a head to make it more versatile.
~ $200 or less. (I like carbon fiber, and a ball head. But would have changed that for a tilt head.)
See, we are at ~$2115 now. It gets crazy fast, doesn't it?

Modern DSLR's also allow for video as well, but few actually use them for that.

I would see that as roughly the direction you are thinking of heading with a DSLR. And prices can go up from there.
Hence, the Racers adage. ;)

If the figures are a bit unpleasant, they can always be adjusted downward.
But waiting will only bring lost photographs of moments you wish you could return to.
Myself, I came from all sorts of digital cameras and even digital video. That 20+ years has fine tuned into DSLR and a nice assortment of lenses (5) to get me the shots I want.
I wish I had done it a long time ago. But I think now is the best time. All the stars are shining and the planets aligning and the technology is great.

Another new craze worth mentioning is the "Mirror-less" evolution. You could get a camera with changeable lenses for versatility, in a mirror-less body. Kind of a mix between a DSLR, and a smaller All-In-One style.

But I decided on a DSLR. Gimme the whole enchilada.
YMMV

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

Budget? Without a budget it is hard to give useful advice.

But is you can swing 2,500 the new Canon 7D mark II with an 18-200 lens might do the trick.

lporrel Loc: California

Granted an equal number of pixels and equally good in-camera processing, the crop sensor does give extra "reach" (aka, magnification). See http://www.slrlounge.com/school/cropped-sensor-vs-full-frame-sensor-tips-in-2/.

See this too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crop_factor#Magnification_factor

Or, do you own Google search.

This means that you'll get 50% more "reach" with an APS-C (1.5 crop factor) 24 MP camera than you will with a full-frame 24 MP camera. This means that a 200mm lens on an APS-C camera will give you the same reach as a 300mm lens on a full-frame camera.

You'll get even greater reach with a 200mm lens on a 1" sensor, which has a 2.7 crop factor. This means that 200mm lens on a 1" sensor 24 MP camera will give you the same reach as a 540mm lens on a full-frame 24 MP camera. This is why I recommended the Sony and Panasonic. A 540mm F2.8 lens on a full-frame camera, which is what you'd need to match the Sony RX10, would cost a fortune and be as large as a small canon. (Curently, Canon's 400mm F4 is on sale for $6.5K). You would need a 1080mm f4 lens to match the Panasonic FZ1000 in terms of reach.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

:thumbup:

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

Mostly you are correct. Except the "reach" provided by a cropped sensor allows for better sensor utilization since at distances you can fill the cropped sensor using the entire sensor while with a FF to utilize the whole sensor you need a longer and more expensive lens. Obviously, if you can afford three times the cost, go with a FF and longer lens. If you can't, there is a real advantage to cropped sensors.

Swamp Gator Loc: Coastal South Carolina

Shoot from the stands? Won't they let you stand at the back edge of the pool and get pictures of the swimmers coming toward you? Much better action shots from that view.

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

Actually, isn't your avatar a shot of you in a pool waiting for swimmers?

Christelle49

I will spend money. I don't necessarily want to spend more than $3K.

Christelle49

Crop sensors???