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Sony A6300 and Lens Experience/Recommendation for Indoor Zoom Action


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I am looking for real use experience / recommendation on the Sony A6300 and associated lens for taking what one could argue is one of the harder shots to take without going to high end pro cameras and lens that cost a few thousand dollar: indoor action shots in which you need a zoom to get close enough to the subject with less than ideal lighting (think dance, indoor sports, etc.)

 

I am coming from an older Nikon D80 with a Nikor 18-135 (F3.5-5.6) lens and taking any indoor action shots with it at zoom was not even possible.  As I am looking to update my camera, I am looking to see what I would need to improve the one area I never could do with my Nikon.  Again, I understand, that one really likely needs a $3K camera and a $5K lens to do this well, and something less to likely get acceptable shots.

 

Considering the high majority of my use does not push the camera to this limits, I like the other features, size and price of the A6300 which is why I am really liking this as my next camera, but I am concerned I will not get much improvement over my Nikon D60 / lens to get much better for these indoor action shots.  The only Sony lens that I think would come close is the 70-200 lens with an F stop of 2.8 but that itself would cost $2500 just for that one lens alone, and I am not even sure that would significantly improve my ability.

 

Does anyone have any real world experience with the A6300 with indoor action shots with zoom and any reports you can provide and / or other lens recommendations?

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Hi,

 

 

I suggest Sigma 50-100. Though it does not have IS. But its note worthy of the  f1.8 stop. It will help with you indoor situations  (low light) and as well as a more suitable indoor range than 70-200. As for your question about wanting a good lens that is " pro",i think you pay for what you get.. and really depends on what you shoot with. 

 

 

Hope it helps :)

 

Cheers! 

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Slightly sidestepping the answer, I have a question. Will you be shooting sports regularly, say for a local paper, or is it a one time deal, like tickets to an NBA game or your kid in the state finals or senior play? If this is going to be a regular, paid job, one of my first workshop instructors taught me better tools don't make you a better photographer, they make the work easier. Buy the good stuff. If it's the NBA game, leave the good stuff at home unless you have a press pass because the idiot in the seat behind you is going to spill his beer on it. If it's something with your kids, you can RENT the good stuff. I haven't used the Sony 70-200 (because I own the Canon and an adaptor) but with your ability to shoot at ISO 1600, high frame rate and the Sony on Sony goodness for autofocus, it will have the FF equivalent range of 100-300, fine for action and close ups at a high school gym/auditorium. 

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This is just for personal use.  My kids have a few events each year that it would be nice to be able to get some decent shots over the next few years.

 

Even spending $2500 for one lens for this type of camera is still a questionable purchase for me due to its limited use.  And, if I was willing to spend that much for one lens, would it not make sense to step into a different camera that has more lens options (think less money and different brands) then the limited options and high cost Sony lens.  I know there are places that rent equipment as well, but they are not close, and the cost over time could justify the purchase.

 

I was must looking to get some input to understand the capability of the camera with real use conditions.  Ideally, it would be great to have someone with the A6300 and the standard 18-210 lens (F3.5-5.6) and say they have done reasonably descent shots with an indoor action shots.  I know the lens has a huge impact on picture quality, but just not sure how much improvement the A6300 has gained over my Nikon D80 with lower light situations with a similar lens.

 

Thanks for the input. 

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Guest Jaf-Photo

Your options are basically 70-200/4 or 70-300 OSS.

 

My guess is you would get better images with OSS and 1 stop higher ISO, so the 70-300 could be the better option.

 

If you try them in a camera store, you'll probably feel it straight away.

 

The alternative is buying a DSLR with a stabilised lens that can cope. You'll either save some money or get cracking stuff for the same price as the A6300 combo.

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Shooter71, thanks for letting us know what you want to do, that always helps with recommendations. Based on what you said, you're probably looking for great images for Facebook and at most a medium size (11x14) print. You shouldn't need super expensive gear for that. If you don't have a real camera store nearby, LensRentals and Borrow Lenses ship overnight. It isn't cheap but neither is the gear you're trying out.

 

3 tips for renting gear:

 

- Schedule some shooting time on your calendar. Plan a day trip someplace or do something to emulate what you want to ultimately capture (ex, going out west to photograph bison, try out the gear on the cows at a nearby farm)

- Rent a couple of lenses at once to cut down on the shipping costs per item. For short term rentals, shipping can be steep. Adding an extra lens adds very little to the shipping cost, plus you get to compare the two side by side. 

- Don't add days onto your rental contract once you have the gear. You have that option, which is great if something comes up, but those extra days are added at the 1 day rental price, which is higher per day than on a multi-day rental.

 

BTW, the 55-210 kit zoom really isn't a bad lens. I use mine all the time and am quite pleased although it's usually for daytime outdoors. If you already have it, since the a6300 has very usable high ISO, you might want to give that a try in a dark indoor setting.

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