I'm looking at getting a digital camera.  Like a real camera, with a real lens.  I'm thinking Nikon, so far.  My girlfriend will be using this at track days to take pictures of riders.  She has been using a 6 megapixel Digital Elph, but that one doesn't zoom in farther than 3x optical and the picture quality is tolerable at best.  I'm looking for something at least 5x optical zoom.  Also, I would like to keep it under $400-$450.  I will also be looking for used ones on ebay and craigslist. 

Any advice on what I should be looking for?

lets see will u be planning on mounting this camera or... just taking photos?

I have a brother-in-law who is a pro photographer.  His recommendation is Nikon or Fuji for SLRs.  The lens is WAY more important than the body.  Don't buy a Nikon body and a brand X lens -- you won't be happy.

An alternative to the SLR for your price range is a Point-and-Shoot with a big lens like a Kodak Z8121S or a Nikon Coolpix P80.  Those can be had new at Sam's Club for less than $210 or $400, respectively.

I have a Kodak Z7590 with a 10X zoom which takes great pics.  If you learn the manual and program features, you can do a lot with those cameras.  I have considered an SLR in the last couple of years, but have gotten used to how compact my camera is for traveling and carrying all day.  An SLR would be much more fatiguing.

agreed on what he said ↑↑, but if you must, then perhaps a d40?

Quote from: 97gs500e on July 14, 2008, 04:52:27 PM
I'm looking at getting a digital camera.  Like a real camera, with a real lens.  I'm thinking Nikon, so far.  My girlfriend will be using this at track days to take pictures of riders.  She has been using a 6 megapixel Digital Elph, but that one doesn't zoom in farther than 3x optical and the picture quality is tolerable at best.  I'm looking for something at least 5x optical zoom.  Also, I would like to keep it under $400-$450.  I will also be looking for used ones on ebay and craigslist. 

Any advice on what I should be looking for?

for under $400-$450 you will not be happy with track day shots. You need something like a 6fps DSLR and a fast, long lens with IS/VR. Could cost you well over $3000. 
Get a high end point and shoot like the canon S5IS and get over it.

At that pricerange.. forget teh DSLR.

Here is what you will need to take decent shots at the track -

1. Image Stabilization / Vibration Reduction
2. Long Zoom
3. Fast Shutter Speeds
4. HIgh ISO

Now with a DSLR you shall need the first 2 of those points and frankly a lens like will run you at least 500 dollars. Like my EF 70-300IS lens from Canon. THat is not including the camera.

I highly suggest a mega zoom/ultra zoom camera. I've successfully (and continue to use despite my Canon EOS 40D DSLR) used an S1 & and S3 IS in long distance photography. It works really well. The S5IS I highly recommend, however it is pricey and you can try the P80 from Nikon. Personally I've used the S3IS (S5 IS has more mega pixels, its the same camera otherwise). While the nikon says its got 18X vs 12x, frankly I do not see that difference. I think Canon's IS is better for this kind of stuff than the Nikons (okay so i am partial to canon). But you wont go wrong with either.

The nikon P80 does look less complicated to use canon S5IS, but its your pick on that.

I'd nix the DSLR route.. you arent going to get all that for that range. You could get the Pentax K10D which has built in IS on the body or the Sony A100 but frankly those lenses are more $ than the body.

Long ago I was a pro photographer and I still keep my kit reasonably up to date and retain a strong interest in all things photographic. Most of my digital kit is Nikon, any of the entry level Nikon SLRs are very good cameras for the demanding amature.

When you are making comparisons don't get carried away about pixels unless you are going to make large prints. Pixels are only relavent if you are printing. I find that nowadays I only view my pix on screen with very occasional prints. One of the biggest pitfalls was, is, and probably always will be that often buyers spend a lot of money on features that they will probably never use. The models sold here as D40/D60/D80 are excellent cameras and should do all you need and potentially a lot more.

...but more pixels do mean more ability to crop from a larger frame to a decent part of the picture. Call it "post-processing intelligent (you supply the intelligence) digital zoom" if you like.

I would agree that you are not going to get a satisfactory DSLR setup with that price constraint.

All this crap (the digital camera side, not the glass) goes out of date 6 months after you buy it - but - I have both a Canon DSLR and a Canon point and shoot (was setting up for underwater and found the price/bulk of the DSLR housing prohibitive, so I bought the point and shoot - a powershot A630, IIRC). Both are 8MP (see, dated already). The little camera does pretty darn well. It also uses plain AA batteries, so I can use a set (or two or three) of inexpensive AA rechargeables rather than expensive and model-specific lithiums the DSLR needs.

Don't use digital zoom - turn it off. You get the same quality by cropping later, and more choice.

Do get a good sized storage card - shooting a lot and throwing most of them away is more painless with digital than with film, and has always been a way to get some good shots. Have enough card that you can shoot hundreds of pictures at the highest quality the camera can manage. Never shoot at lower quality/smaller file size. You can always reduce for putting on a web page at the computer - you can't increase quality after the fact.

i shoot with a Nikon D40. i got the body and two nikon lenses, one 18-55mm and one 55-200mm with a 1 gb sd card and a nice bag for around 600$ or so. i love the pictures it takes, its good enough to get clear action shots and when doing still shots its crystal clear.

I have a dSLR and a prosumer point-and-shoot.

The point-and-shoot is a goddam lot of camera for the $200 range, and has 12x optical zoom.  It's an FZ8.  I would recommend it highly for a P&S (and I've had a few high-zoom P&S cameras).  Shots from it:

My dSLR is an Olympus E-500.  It's an inexpensive dSLR, but good.  The disadvantage is that the lens selection is not as good as Nikon or Canon.  But for my amateur shooting, it's just fine.  Pictures from the P&S can't touch the SLR.

Yay roadstergal is back!

Nice pictures..

I know a DSLR is better but frankly I've seen some pretty good pictures from an P&S super zoom.. heck i took some of them myself.

Amazing price at sellout.woot today on a Point and Shoot with digital image stabilization, 10X optical zoom (German lens) and 7MP -- 124.99 shipped (until they sell out).

Lot of advice there, try and digest it all and then buy the best you can afford and stop looking! I would strongly recomend a second compact/P&S camera that you can keep easily in your pocket Roadstergal has talked about this, I too always carry in my bike gear an old Nikon Coolpix 885 that Kerry gave me about five years back, it is well out of date and only 3mp but I find that I take the bulk of my pictures with it, the spontaneous stuff and use the "good" kit for the planned stuff.