Need a "faster" camera for kids photos

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Aug 5, 2002
Messages
23,088
Location
Silicon Valley
Currently using an iPhone 6 and a Fuji FinePix F200EXR for kids photos, they are not fast enough because kids won't listen when we tell them not to move.

So, without breaking the bank, I'm thinking about a used DSLR or micro 4/3 that has faster ISO on low light condition, better HDR photos would be nice too. Again, we are not looking for the top quality, but something affordable and a significant jump, even used model, would be good.

Plan to keep for about 5 years of light use, any suggestion?
 
Just purchased a Sony A6000 mirrorless, not as bulky as a DSLR with same image quality.
 
You mention better high ISO performance, which either an SLR or micro 4/3 will delivery over a small sensor compact or phone. By "fast" do you also mean something that takes the picture very quickly upon pressing the shutter? And/or a camera with a "fast" wide aperture lens?

Any relatively recent SLR or micro 4/3 camera with a wide aperture fixed focal length lens will do all of the above. I have a Panasonic GX7 and use a 20mm f1.7 lens most of the time. It's a great focal length for people pictures and the combo works very well in dim light.

jeff
 
Fast as in, you can take low light photo (night time in a house) and kids moving around without blurry movement. I know you can make it faster in sport mode with grainy photo as a compromise, just wondering if there is an affordable way to it.
 
Nikon 3300 or 3400 with standard kit lens PLUS the awesome AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G for kids, portraits, and low light.

(used to own exr200, great zoom, not so great lowlight) Nikon 3300 much lighter and compact.
 
Originally Posted By: PandaBear
Fast as in, you can take low light photo (night time in a house) and kids moving around without blurry movement.
The best way to freeze movement is to use an external flash and bounce it off ceiling or wall to provide a more even fill without it being harsh. You'll find lots of videos on youtube on how to do it, but it's pretty simple stuff.

Otherwise, if the lighting is poor and you don't use flash, you're going to have to jack up ISO so high that you may not be happy with the end result. Using a fast lens wide open is typically not a good idea, especially on a moving subject. Most lenses are not very sharp wide open, plus you'll be working with a very shallow depth of field, which means greater risk of misfocusing.

When I shoot my kid indoors, I usually set my shutter speed to 1/250s with remote flash, and keep ISO at 400 or less.
 
I'd look for a Nikon D300 with a 35 or 50mm f1.8 prime. Get the full frame lens, 1.8 is cheap in those focal lengths. This way when you upgrade to full frame in the future (I assume all will go this way at some point), your lenses will still be fine.
 
Used to own a D300. It was a game changer. Highly recommend it. Was shooting a night time house fire 2 miles away. Nikon 18-200 F5.6 zoom lens. Tried with my D50 to get some pictures. That didn't work. Went home to get my new D300. I could see individual house timbers burning in the fire. It was like...what crazy magic has Nikon wrought with this camera.
Local paper ended up using my photos.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: alarmguy
Nikon 3300 or 3400 with standard kit lens PLUS the awesome AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G for kids, portraits, and low light.

(used to own exr200, great zoom, not so great lowlight) Nikon 3300 much lighter and compact.


The 35mm f/1.8 is great, but if you want to keep the price down, the standard lense is fine. You can get the refurb D3400 on Nikon's site for $370 with just the kit lense.

https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-produc...efurbished.html
 
I'm a big fan of buying used, but I think a 10 year old model (D300) is a bit of a stretch. I guess it's a good option if you're looking to get into "serious" cameras but only want to spend $100-150 on the body. OP, how much are you looking to spend?

OP also needs to consider if he/she is OK with an SLR sized camera & lenses or if they'd prefer smaller options. Mirrorless (micro 4/3 or Sony A series) will offer much smaller bodies in different formats (SLR-like, rangefinder, "point and shoot" without viewfinders at all) but with common lenses, mounts, interfaces, and features. Micro 4/3 in particular has a huge variety of options, and due to the smaller sensor also benefits from more compact lenses. My GX7 with the mentioned prime will fit in a jacket pocket.

camerasize.com allows you to compare bodies with lenses attached to get a sense for how they compare size-wise.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: Wolf359
You can get the refurb D3400 on Nikon's site for $370 with just the kit lense.

https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-produc...efurbished.html


Pretty good deal on this entry level DSLR.


And if you want to spend a little more, there's the D5500 for $450. I have an older D5300. This is somewhat tempting. Buydig is one of those NY/NJ camera shops, been around a long time and is legit. I've bought refurbs in the past and they've been good, usually very low shutter count.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Nikon-D5500-DX-format-Digital-SLR-w-18-55mm-VR-II-Black-/322791409731
 
Thanks for all the suggestions. A few more things I realized after some researches:

1) Budget hopefully 2) No need for special lens or etc. I think those "kit len" would be good enough.
3) Not planning to blow my photos up to posters, at least not planning to at the moment.
4) Low light, low light, low light. I think this is what I'm focusing on. If I can get low light and moving kids without flash or too grainy of a photo (sometimes it is outdoor during family event, won't have time to "setup" fill flash or other fancy stuff), I'll be happy.
5) I'm biased toward mirrorless due to weight, but they seems to not have many used models for good price like older DSLR.
6) I use a tripod for some family event group photos (so everyone can be in), having a location for tripod mount would be good (almost every camera has it).
7) No need for external accessories like flash, shutter control, etc.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: PandaBear
4) Low light, low light, low light. I think this is what I'm focusing on. If I can get low light and moving kids without flash or too grainy of a photo (sometimes it is outdoor during family event, won't have time to "setup" fill flash or other fancy stuff), I'll be happy.

Look for a used full frame body. I don't know if you'll be able to find a decent one in your price range, but that's going to be your best chance at finding a camera with fairly good high ISO performance - you're going to need it.

Quote:
3) Not planning to blow my photos up to posters, at least not planning to at the moment.

While you're not planning on it now, when you (and your kids) get older, you may wish to get larger prints - we all get kind of sentimental as we get old and like to reminisce about the good old days. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to have the option to produce those larger prints in the future? It's not like you'll be able to go back in time and retake those kid photos with a better camera at a later date.
 
The combination of the lens and the high ISO performance of the sensor are what define the low light performance - you can't separate them. Considering a typical f3.5-5.6 18-55 crop sensor SLR lens (or a 14-42 on m34) to a "normal" type f1.8 prime, the kit zoom is a good 2-3 times "slower". ie, at the same shutter you're going to have to shoot at a 2-3x higher (noiser) ISO. So what would have been a relatively clean shot at say f1.8 and ISO 800 now is a noisy shot at f4 and ISO ~4000.

A "full frame" camera will do ~1.5-2 stops better noise wise at high ISO generally speaking, so if you're OK lugging one of those huge things with its' big lens around then that would be an option. It'll be old.

The 16mp m43 cameras have pretty good high ISO performance, especially since the Olympus EM5 and Panasonic GX7. There was a jump in performance with those. That said I used a Panasonic G3 for a few years and it was good. The "buy & sell" forum at mu-43.com has some interesting options at the moment, including a G5 for $225, an f3.5 12-60 "kit" type lens for $245, a couple Olympus 25mm f1.8s for about $200-250, a Panasonic 25 1.7 for $120, etc. You could easily get a nice body and a good lens for your budget.
 
I would say a camera like the previously recommended Nikon D3400 or any of the mirrorless like the Sony a6000 are usable up to about ISO3200. You go much past that, and things start to get really soft because you're going to be applying a lot of noise reduction. Granted, we all have different tolerance for noise.

Here is a straight out of camera JPEG from D3400 at ISO3200:
https://3.img-dpreview.com/files/p/TS6000x4000~sample_galleries/7648199866/8212858010.jpg

Here is one from Sony a6000 at ISO3200:
https://3.img-dpreview.com/files/p/TS6000x4000~sample_galleries/7558787527/3761623154.jpg

But if the lighting is poor and you need high shutter speed to freeze movement, and you don't have a fast lens, you may be forced to use ISO higher than that.
 
Well said,
Having a Nikon D3300 in addition to the two kit lens that came part of the package, I also bought the 1.8 fixed. The camera does an amazing job in normal indoor light without flash and even more so with the 1.8. Best part I like about this camera is compact for a 35mm style.
As I got older didnt want to lug around all the stuff and why for a time I had the OPs 200EXR great, great zoom, not so much low light.
At the lost cost of the 3400 I would not look for an older used camera, doesnt make sense and the 3000 series of cameras are so light and small but just larger enough to still get a good grip with your hands.

The Sony mentioned was also another consideration for me, another fine camera, for me it was just what "fit" me, my style and my hands best.
It really is a personal but in very low light I have found the DSLR to be nice, as you are looking through the lens and still maintain a nice clear view of what you are shooting. I know mirrorless are much improved but ... todays thought
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top