It's true, you really don't have to buy a big, expensive camera to get some great action shots. A lot of of the more inexpensive digital cameras will take some great photos. If you would like to get a small camera to take to sporting events, for instance, here are some tips of what to look for.
Find out what scene selections are available on the camera. Most of the digital cameras available these days come with a variety of settings for landscape, portrait, twilight, beach, and so on. Some will have a setting for action or sports shots. It’s often depicted by the icon of a person running, but it does vary so check out the literature or camera manual to find the right setting. Making use of this setting is the easiest way to take action shots.
Another thing to look for is a camera with a “burst” mode. There are different names for this, but the idea is the camera takes several shots in quick succession before pausing to write the information to memory. This will help you improve your chances of getting the shot you want. (The down side is you won’t be able to take a picture for a few moments afterwards while the camera writes all those pictures to the memory media.)
Shutter lag can be a problem when taking action photos. That is the time between when you press the shutter and the camera actually takes the picture. It's different from camera to camera, so look for a camera with the features you want that has the shortest lag time.
You can also shorten the lag time by pre-focusing. All that means is you press the shutter button half way down and allow the camera to focus in on the subject. That makes it quicker to take the actual picture by pressing the shutter the rest of the way down. For example, if someone is running down the field and you want a picture, follow them with the camera, press the shutter half-way, then when you’re ready complete the shot.
Once you’ve picked out your favorite inexpensive digital camera, don't forget to practice with it. Don't wait until you're at the sports event of the year to use your camera for the first time. The opportunity to get that great picture will be gone before you figure out how to get it! Practice lots! After all, it doesn't cost anything but some battery life to take pictures!
Ready, aim… take that picture!
