[2put]

Hi, all..

I am new to DSLR (have a lumix LX5), and I have joined this forum because I am seriously looking at K30/50/500.

My specific question has to do with shooting indoor sports; grandkids' basketball, swimming, volleyball. I know this type of photography is challenging, and can be expensive. I am wondering if using the referenced camera's high ISO will allow decent results with the kit's 50-200mm or 70-300mm, which are slow compared to faster (and much more expensive!)f/2.8 zooms. I have read enough to know that higher ISO means more noise, and lower ISO means slower SS, and, therefor, more blur.

I am not looking to shoot for SI, but just to have some fun with decent results (subjective, I know). If I really get into this, I can upgrade lenses later. (One advantage to SLRs, right?). Included in my reasons for K30 are relatively fast FPS continous shooting, High ISO capability, and good comments about image quality. So, can this camera's high ISO help me out? Thanks for your thoughts and comments.

[savoche]

Welcome to the forums!

I'm not into indoor sports shooting, but I'd say the 50-200 or any 70-300 would be too slow, even with the wonderful high ISO performance of the K-30. A 70-200 f/2.8 is more suitable (and more expensive).

[rbefly]

Hello 2put, Welcome to the Forum!
First off, I agree with savoche, you need an f/2.8 zoom, and a good-quality one at that. If indoor sports are a primary goal, anything less won't get you where you want to go.
Let's do a little math; Stopping human motion (not just high-speed sport motion, but ANY motion) generally requires a shutter speed no lower than 1/125s-1/200s.
At speeds lower than that, even a person walking normally will have a slight blur of the feet, arms and possibly, head. Not good.
Indoor lighting varies widely, usually a mix of tungsten, fluorescent and perhaps natural (window) light, but overall, it's not very bright, nowhere near daylight. In addition, there will be adjustments for the various color temperatures of artificial light.
A brightly lit stage usually results in a SS of 1/60s-1/125s at f/2.8 with ISO 800-1600. Most sports arenas aren't even that bright overall. So now, even with an f/2.8 lens wide-open, that 1600 ISO just went to 3200 and your SS isn't close to freezing fast motion. Double the ISO to get 1/200s (roughly) and you'll still have some blur, maybe useable images, maybe not, but shot at ISO 6400.
Your kit lenses are TWO stops slower than this at max 'reach' (200mm or 300mm respectively). Either two stops slower shutter speed (ain't gonna work!) or two more jumps in ISO, resulting in a sand painting look, even with the best cameras and noise reduction.
You need an f/2.8 tele zoom.
Those two kit lenses total about $500 new. If you don't already have them, save that five hundred, add another $250 (roughly) and get a new Tamron 80-200mm f/2.8. Also, keep checking the marketplace here and eBay, other used sources. Either a Sigma or Tamron f/2.8 AF tele zoom might come up for less.
JMO,
Ron

[Jean Poitiers]

Welcome to PF and bonjour from France ... sorry, I do not do indoors sports, but it looks like you have already gotten use good advice ... hope to see a Pentax image or two soon ... J

[Kerrowdown]

Welcome, bodies good, but as others have said, faster glass is required.

[asp1880]

The lights at my local sports arena where my daughter goes gives me an exposure of ISO 3200, 1/250, f/2.8. I wouldn't want to shoot there with anything slower than f/2.8 on my K-5. Even then it's just passable noise- and blurwise.

If I had f/4 or f/5.6 I'd forgo the motion-freezing shots and try for wide, slow shutter panning shots along the sidelines. That's another style altogether and the keeper rate will drop a lot.

Regards,
--Anders.

[dtmateojr]

Another trick you can try is by underexposing by a stop to get your shutter speed high enough. Push the exposure later during post processing.

[altopiet]

K-30 with minimal PP, old slowpoke DA55-300mm, dusk, (1) at about 100mm, ISO1250, Tv 1/1000, f4 -(2) AT 230mm, ISO2500, f5.6, Tv 1/1000

Perhaps not good enough for publishing, but for my needs, and the kids who played, precious memories.

EDIT: As the Nikon lady shooting with me said, "it's time to chase the ISO's", well I think the K-30 is very capable to do just that