Best "yearbook" camera for $500?

Question

Alright, I am on my high school's yearbook staff and we need a new camera. We have $500 to work with and we need the best camera we can get for the price. We take a lot of sport pictures so we need one with a decent zoom/action capibilities.

What do you guys recomend?

Answer 1

$500 should cover Nikon D40 with kit lens (18-55mm) and 4-8 GB memory card. See my source for sample yearbook photos taken with this camera.

Although the kit lens doesn't have telephoto zoom, with cropping and a bit of creativity, it should be quite sufficient. And you can compensate for f/3.5-5.6 aperture by boosting ISO speed (it's perfectly usable at 1600).

Answer 2

Hello...  I will suggest that you google B &H photo... and find the 1800 number.   Call and ask if they have available the Canon Digital Rebel XT in a kit.   Sometimes these larger photo companies will work with you to make up a kit that fits your needs.   Best one for your shooting situations would be the 18-200mm or a 28-200mm lens.  Speak to a salesman and also tell him that you are needing this for a school and you might even get some sort of school discount.   Be sure and tell him what your budget is.   I know you are going to have to have a purchase order to buy for the school...  so you need a reputable company.  I think B&H will be just right.    Thanks for reading.

Answer 3

Film or Digital? Point and Shoot or SLR?

If you get an SLR or DSLR then you'll also have to buy a zoom lens also for the sports... so with such a small budget it may be better just to get an advanced point and shoot.

I suggest you guys look into either getting the Canon S5 or G9.

Answer 4

For under $470 you can buy the Nikon D40 with AF-S 18-55 mm ED lens.

That will get you started and cover most all of your needs ... For shooting sports you will have to get a little longer lens .. used is fine.

I am sure you can find one on craigslist in a city near you.

Avoid buying any kind of P&S camera ... they all have some kind of shutter lag and will cause all kinds of frustration when shooting sports or action of any kind.

Answer 5

If you are working with film I would recommend a Nikon. But for digital go with canon. You definitly want to get an SLR in this case but if you are in need of many go with a point and shoot. They wont be as good as SLR but they are effective.