Is this camera ideal for action photos? (moving animals etc.) This will be my first DSLR--want to make the best choice
1577268
This was my second DSLR and before this I had Nikon. Picture quality is better then Nikon and it has Image stabilization (IS)although most of lenses now a days have vibration reduction (VR) but it is not same ( IS is better then VR). And also it is water resistant so I believe it is ideal for your need.I love my camera.
1577269
It will work well for action. If you go with the kit lens(es), try to keep the f stop above 5.6. They are sharper in that area. Also, set your focus point to center (most likely). I used it extensively for my daughters indoor volleyball
1577270
This was my second DSLR and before this I had Nikon. Picture quality is better then Nikon and it has Image stabilization (IS)although most of lenses now a days have vibration reduction (VR) but it is not same ( IS is better then VR). And also it is water resistant so I believe it is ideal for your need. I love my camera.
1577271
This is a top rate camera..... Perfect for all types of images. I use this camera for semi pro landscape and wildlife shots..... Pin sharp focus and fast.... Best coupled with the Weather resistant lenses that Pentax offers.... 55-200 wr and 55-300 wr are amazing
50980
Low Light Performance indoors is good in my opinion. The flash works great. I can finally take photos indoors in really low light, without having to turn on all the lights in the room. Zoom is great also. I really love this camera. I really wanted to take action shots of my dogs running and playing. And the action shots are incredible. No blur. Really crisp.
192594
I apologize for taking so long to respond to this - it got lost in my Inbox. Yes, I would highly recommend this as a great beginner camera. Spend a bit of time and study the manual and practice with the different settings, and you will be amazed at the pictures you take!
1329555
I am not sure it would be the absolute best for it out of every camera ever made, but I believe it would be the best among cameras in this price range. You would want to read the online manual and determine which of the 'scene' modes would be best suited for night action shots. Additionally, my niece is in marching band, and it was great for taking video of her during competitions, etc. For video, be sure you change the focus to "AF-F Full-time AF" under the video mode menu so that it can change focus as you zoom in and out. And for both video and pictures, I was able to zoom in for a close-up from far back in the stands. I would highly recommend getting a couple extra batteries and a wall/car charger as well.
1422103
I have used the G@ for photographing birds. If the birds are moving, you will need a better camera than this. The really issue is the capability of the lens, and the lenses available for this camera cannot compete with the type of high end lenses that's required to capture bird's in motion. With this camera, you might be lucky, but a good photo will often be a matter of luck and skill with this camera.
2095270
I got this as a gift for my brother, so I have not really worked with it. It would be hard to capture good actions shots, I would think unless you were really close up and held the camera really still or put on a tripod. I finally broke down and bought a Canon Rebel SLR to take photos at football games. Even with that you need the additional telephoto lens and set it to TV mode, but of course, it is a lot more expensive. My brother loves this one for general picture taking.
949128
A lot of it will depend on the lens and the lighting. I'm still adding lenses for different applications. Another thing to possibly consider is that this camera is tiny. For long lens use, you might want a bigger camera body just to have something more substantial to hold onto. The camera itself takes amazingly good pictures - but the only action shots I've taken are speeding dogs in bright daylight.
314103
Looks like others have already answered your question...so I'll just add that I'm very happy with the camera...it's sharp and the controls are reasonably easy to use...love the 11 frames per second drive (not at the very highest resolution, but you can use a higher resolution for, I believe, 8 frames per second), the manually operated zoom, and the waist level finder...lots of capability for the price...lots of people buy dSLRs who don't need one...unless you're going to make large prints (16x20 or larger) this camera should be all you need.
1044695
This would not be a good fit from the stand point of capturing fast movement, unless you use the video mode. The zoom is terrific, and my wife and I took some great pictures of the Moon a while back which are amazing. I don't think you'll find anything that meets your movement criteria at that price point, though, processing tends to be too slow for that and shutter lag too great. They're fine for casual shooting, and I like the camera for vacation snaps and such. Also, the image stabilization is terrific. Without knowing what your primary camera is, it's hard to recommend a back up.
846288
I would agree that for that kind of photography a DSLR would be best but this is still very good. The zoom is great (400mm equivalent) but still longer lenses can be had with a DSLR. One more thing that you should take into consideration is that the shutter lag on this camera is very long (maybe a half a second or more), This could be problematic for shooting moving subjects. But for the money this is an all round great camera.
2236369
I do have this camera, and I have taken it to arena football games which have a lot of movement. I got GREAT pictures. It does not have image stabilization, but you can easily take shots of moving objects by adjusting the PASM levels and modes on the camera. Such as your shutter speeds, lighting, etc. As for dark area pictures, I took pictures of my dog in the dark and it looks like I took the picture in a well lit room. Just use your flash when you take photos in the dark, whether it is inside, or outside. As for the video, for a little camera, the sound and quality are impressive. JJ
423142
Thanks Janet, I kinda knew that, but was surprised that you would be using p&s.; I would love nothing more than to stick with a p&s;,but the shutter lag (for shooting puppies/dogs in motion)(low-key professionally) is KILLING me. Is it true, there is no p&s; with a truly shorter shutter lag?p.s. not to mention a big ol' black SLR scares heck outta puppies!
2054994
Probably not the camera you want for that. My daughter plays high school volleyball and I have tried in various gyms under all manner of light conditions and camera settings to get both action and stable shots with very mixed results, with most action shots being fails. That said, that type of photography is not this camera's forte and you really need a dslr with a good lens to do that job right.
396129
I bought 3 of these for my family. Takes awesome photos. Good low light images. I don't use for action shots much, but no doubt in my mind it would do a fine job. My next, easy to carry camera, will be in this family line. I had the model before this one too. Good choice.
557831
I think it's great. It's made me a much better amateur photographer. As far as how current it is, this is the first DSLR I've had any experience with. I have no reference point from which to judge if it's outdate or not.
154001
Thank you. I bought the 2sx230 on 11/11/11 and I noticed outside in the bright sun light it captures movement well well and pretty sharp. Inside not so well. I want very much to learn how to use the ISO and how to make great photos using the manual functions. I bought the canon for its size, I will be traveling which is why I wanted a small camera. The shutter speed seemed to be the fastest. Thanks again these comments are very helpful, I'm really looking forward to getting to know my new camera.
1222504
Yes it is a good camera. It is light weight, quick to focus, can take lots of micro 4/3 lenses, and the price was right. Is it the best camera? Probably not because there are a lot of terrific cameras out there including several updated variations on this model. If you're thinking about dipping your toe into micro 4/3 photography then there is probably no better camera for getting started. Do your research first to see if this might be something you want because there is no substitute for a well thought out purchase.