I would like to take photos of my kids playing baseball, so close up and far away (outfield). What lens is recommended for a nikon D60 camera body? Or Should I buy a new camera body?
You can of course take photos with anything - even a phone!
The D60 is pretty ancient so an upgrade to something newer might be nice if you can afford it. To reach into an outfield from stands effectively you need a telephoto lens. Those can range from super expensive on down the range depending on what camera and what quality lens. Many manufacturers make 18-200-250 range lenses that are more affordable while covering a lot of ground.
Something inexpensive might be like a pre-owned Sony RX10 which is in the superzoom category - It utilizes one lens - built in - capable of shooting far away - and up close, and has double the resolution of your D60. If you like the idea of buying lenses and changing them to fit different photography scenarios - then there are DSLR and Mirrorless camera options at just about every price point. Budget determines options.
The question is far too vague to answer beyond this.
I don't know much about the Sony suggested, but for this sort of photography I'd suggest that fast-ish autofocus and maybe (depending on lighting) good high ISO performance would be more important than resolution. If you're happy with the Nikon DSLR system, maybe get a 18-200 lens as suggested by KE-photo - you could always upgrade the camera later...
But you'll need plenty of practice, so give it a go with whatever you have.
I should add I have zero experience of shooting baseball!
So this is only suggestions.
Good luck!
I’ll take a shot. As said before fairly vague ask, so I will take the assumption that budget might be of concern since shooting a D60? I would be on the look out for a Nikon 70-300. Those are quite inexpensive, especially on the used market.
Steven_248 wrote:
I don't know much about the Sony suggested, but for this sort of photography I'd suggest that fast-ish autofocus and maybe (depending on lighting) good high ISO performance would be more important than resolution. If you're happy with the Nikon DSLR system, maybe get a 18-200 lens as suggested by KE-photo - you could always upgrade the camera later...
But you'll need plenty of practice, so give it a go with whatever you have.
I should add I have zero experience of shooting baseball!
So this is only suggestions.
Good luck!
I don’t have a budget...I'm ready to buy whatever it takes to capture these photos. I have D60 nikon because it was gifted to me....don't know anything about cameras yet
Either means the budget is Zero - or you don't know what it could cost? The amount one can spend is anything from $400 on up to have something that can do telephoto photography. A 600mm Sony super telephoto lens (very long) is $13,000 for example - that's just for the lens! Of course that's extreme - but you must have a sense what you might be willing to spend? (In the event you decide to go with something a bit more modern than the D60)
I'm ready to buy whatever it takes to capture these photos. I have D60 nikon because it was gifted to me....don't know anything about cameras yet
OK, I could kind of sense that might be the case. The path of least resistance (and lowest cost) might be just the lens mentioned above - Nikon 70-300 (pre-owned) - to use on the existing D60. The risk is that you're investing $$ to make the D60 usable for your needs - if you find it's not so great later on, then you're going to potentially want to upgrade the camera to a newer Nikon model without ever having considered other options like Sony/Canon etc.
Zoomable Telephoto camera options include - 1. Superzoom cameras (all in one) - 2. DSLR - or 3. Mirrorless cameras (which you add on lenses for different lengths). You'll see things like 24-105, 24-200, 18-250, 70-300 etc. associated with lenses - these numbers indicate the shortest and longest lengths they operate at. Lenses get more expensive and increasing quality with better low light capabilities. Budgets run from roughly $400 (preowned) to between $1000-$2000 and up if you go with new - depending on features and quality.
Baseball fields range in size so distance might differ for your situation - but to give you an idea - here's a shot of my Golden Retriever at 200mm away (using a 70-200 zoom lens). He was about the distance of a little league outfielder from the sidelines. Hope this helps get you going!
bsballanddance wrote:
I don’t have a budget...I'm ready to buy whatever it takes to capture these photos. I have D60 nikon because it was gifted to me....don't know anything about cameras yet
This opinion is based off the "don't know anything about cameras yet:"
I would try to find a 18-200 used. They aren't terribly expensive. And then PRACTICE THE HECK OUT OF IT before you go shopping. I can't stress practice enough. The practice will inform your priorities when you go shopping.
And then when you go shopping and want to stick with Nikon F-bayonet, I'd shortlist D3s, D4, D4s, D500, D750, and D780. We can talk about lenses later lol. Those get expensive. Because once you start spending big bucks, you'll want to hang on to them for a while or have a plan to sell them later in such a way that you won't be hurt financially.
That all said, the advice from other posters here has merit. The routes they have suggested could work well for you based off what you've said in the rest of your post.
