The Best Digital SLR for Action

If you're looking for the best digital SLR for action photography, then I'm going to assume you spend most of your time snapping pictures of things that go really fast.

Now "things that go fast" does not necessarily mean Formula One race cars.

Let's say that you want to take lots of pictures of your dog. Since the majority of dogs aren't willing to sit still for a portrait you need a camera that can capture a fraction of a second of time.

One moment you might have a priceless image, and the very next all you'll get is a picture of your dear pet running away.

There are two main features you need to consider when looking for the best SLR for action: a fast multi-point autofocus and a fast continuous speed.

Autofocus

Getting a camera with a superior autofocus system is one of the key ingredients for good action shots.

If you're taking pictures of subjects moving either past the camera or directly toward it, the autofocus needs to constantly adjust to keep everything in focus.

Some systems make these micro-adjustments quite fast, while others take their time.

The autofocus also needs to peform well in low-light conditions.

For example: you want to take photos of a high school basketball game. I've never been inside a very well-lit gymnasium (although I'm sure they exist) and some autofocus systems slow down when there's less available light.

How can you tell how well the autofocus performs on a camera?

Unfortunately the best answer here is this: you have to try it out yourself. Find a local camera store and test out the different models to see how quickly the autofocus responds.

If you're able to find a camera that locks focus in seconds even in the dim indoor light of a camera shop, then you know it will do fine under a variety of other conditions.

Continuous Speed

There are three main ways a digital SLR camera can capture photos:

1. One shot at a time
2. Continuous consecutive photos
3. One shot delayed by a timer

Mode #2 is the important one for action photographers.

In continuous shot mode, the camera will keep snapping pictures as fast as it can so long as you keep holding down the shutter button.

This is a great tool for capturing a burst of images (5 - 10) right at the moment when the action is at its peak. Since it's hard for your eye to see a single moment in time, one frame of that burst may stand out more than the others when you review them later.

Not all digital SLRs capture bursts of consecutive images at the same speed. The most common burst speed is 3 photos per second, and you'll find this on many of the less expensive models on the market.

If action photography is your passion, then the best digital SLR for you will have a continuous speed of 5 photos per second or more.

ISO Performance

The last important camera feature to consider if you're an action enthusiast is how well the camera handles high ISO noise.

Here's a quick primer when it comes to a camera's ISO setting:

• The ISO setting affects how quickly the camera's sensor absorbs light
• A high ISO number means the sensor is absorbing light faster
• The faster light is absorbed by the sensor, the faster the shutter speed you can use

The main reason that ISO is important for action photography is because it is your primary tool to ensure that you're action photos don't turn out blurry.

In order to freeze a fast-moving subject you MUST use a fast shutter speed. Depending on the available light, getting a fast shutter speed may be challening. Let's look at some examples:

So using a high ISO solves the image blur problems that you might have when shooting action shots. However, high ISO values also add a lot of noise/grain to your photos which can reduce the image quality.

Some cameras are better than others at keeping high ISO noise to a minimum, so this is something you'll want to look for in the best digital SLR for action.

Best Action Digital SLRs

So which of the cameras currently available have fast autofocus, fast continuous speeds and good high ISO noise performance?

There are two to consider. One is only slightly faster than the other, but it will cost you more to get it.

Sony ALPHA SLT-A65

Sony ALPHA SLT-A77

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