How to choose the best camera for sports photography

Sports photography is one of the most thrilling creative activities, especially since it presents the unique challenge of capturing quality photographs of moving objects. But how do you know where to start with getting the right settings and equipment? 

Here’s our guide on how to choose the best camera for sports photography, so whether you’re an amateur or aspiring professional, you can get the right gear for your budget and needs. 

 

What is the best camera for sports photography?

There is no definitive answer to this question. It depends on your budget, skill level and how serious you are about sports photography. 

If you’re a hobbyist, you don’t need to spend a fortune on a high-end model. If you won’t sell your work or don’t need super large resolutions, then a super high res sensor is not so important. 

On the flip side, though, if you are a serious amateur or budding professional, you will want to spend a little more on a higher-end camera and lens. 

Mind you that doesn’t mean you have to break the bank and buy the top, most expensive camera and lenses out there. What you need is a camera with the right specs.

The most important features when it comes to shooting sports and action are:

• fast autofocus
• good low-light focusing ability
• good focus tracking
• high ISO ability and frame rate (fps)
• good zoom lens

So, rather than give you a list of cameras to choose from, in this article, we provide an overview of the features that you need to consider when deciding which camera to purchase with the intent to capture great sports or action photos. This way, you can make your own informed choice.

 

What camera features to consider with sports photography

Frame rate (FPS)

The frame rate is the amount of photos the camera will shoot continuously. It’s measured in seconds (FPS) frames per second.

A higher frame burst allows you to fire off multiple shots one after another to capture the action as it happens. A slow frame burst not only captures less of the action, but you could also miss a critical moment between shots. 

Therefore, this is one of the most important factors when doing sports photography. 

That being said, it depends on the type of sports you are photographing. If it’s high-speed action like motor racing, athletics, basketball, and such, a faster frame rate is desirable. 

If you are photographing something a little slower moving, then you can get away with a slower frame rate. 

Additionally, you must ask yourself—how critical is it to you? Going back to whether you are a hobbyist or a serious professional, do you need this? A faster frame burst will capture more of the action but also fill up your cards faster, and you’ll spend more time sifting through the photos to find the best moment. 

It’s also easy to become a bit trigger-happy when utilising this kind of feature. Rather than just firing off shots like a machine gun in the hope of catching one great photo, often it can pay to take more time to think about your shots and learn the art of watching more carefully and reacting quickly to each moment. 

If you are starting out, we suggest a more restrained approach. Practice on sports games and events that are less important so you can feel free to make mistakes and learn from them. This way, you will hone your reactive skills.

Related: The 3 essential camera filters (and how to use them)

 

Fast autofocus

Accurate focusing is critical and even more important than a fast frame rate. It’s better to have 1 shot in focus than 10 out of focus.

When shooting a fast-moving subject, it can be next to impossible to focus manually with a good degree of speed and accuracy. Therefore, you will be very reliant on your camera’s autofocus. 

However, it’s important to note that not only does the camera matter here but also the lenses. You must ensure your lens can react quickly to the camera’s commands. 

One tip when it comes to ensuring your autofocus works as quickly as possible is to use the viewfinder and not the live view. It can depend on the camera, of course, but in most cases, focusing through the viewfinder is faster.

Be sure also to select the best focus point. If you are shooting larger objects close up, like cars, then you can use a larger cluster of focus points for more accuracy. 

But for smaller objects, a more refined single point of cluster will be better. Use the fact that you can move your focus point around within your frame, too. 

Again, it doesn’t mean you have to go out and spend your life’s savings on a top-range camera. If the model you choose isn’t super fast and accurate at tracking, just be more careful and precise when shooting. 

Don’t try to track and shoot multiple frames of subjects that are moving faster than the camera can handle, but rather take a more selective approach and shoot one frame at a time, ensuring that you have focused accurately each time. Rely less on the camera’s ability and more on your own. 

 

Focus tracking

Many digital cameras today come with a feature known as continuous autofocus or AI Servo. When this is set, the camera will track the subject you place the focus point on. 

Essentially, it will continuously focus as the subject moves, which is ideal for sports photography as you are photographing moving subjects. 

Once again, though, the accuracy and speed will depend on the camera. The higher-end ones will naturally be much faster and more accurate.

This can also be tricky, though, because you need to ensure that as the subject moves, the focus point remains on them. If they move away from the focal point, then the camera will focus on something else, most likely what is behind.

Many cameras now come with more advanced tracking features that will also lock on to a subject and track the actual subject as it moves within the frame, which is a huge advantage.

 

Low light focus ability

One thing to consider is how good the camera is at focusing in low light. 

If you plan to photograph fast-moving subjects in poor lighting conditions, you need a camera with this ability. Situations like this could be for indoor sports games like basketball or night games and events.

 

High ISO performance

When choosing a camera for sports photography, fast shutter speeds are a must. To get this, you should increase your ISO to obtain a fast enough exposure time. 

If you are photographing air shows, Formula 1, or horseracing, then shutter speeds of more than 1/1000 sec would be required. Even photographing your child’s football match would require a good shutter speed of at least 1/250 sec. 

On an overcast or rainy day, light can be poor, and achieving these speeds requires upping the ISO. Most digital cameras come with a good ISO range, but not all offer good quality results at the higher ends of the range.

Increasing the ISO makes your sensor react to light much faster, which means that it requires less time to absorb the light. Consequently, you can use faster shutter speeds. However, this comes at a price—noise. 

The increased sensitivity means the sensor picks up more electrical noise, which is the grainy, speckled effect on your image. In the days of film, it was known as film grain. 

Lower-end cameras can suffer from noise more than higher-end ones, so be sure to look for the best-performing camera within your budget if you think you will be shooting at high ISOs. 

Additionally, you can use software to reduce noise in your image, such as Topaz Denoise or Nik Software. 

With any camera you choose, be sure to test it to find out at what ISO noise becomes unacceptable.

 

Good zoom lens

In most cases, you will not be close to the action, so a good zoom lens is important here to ensure you can take close-ups. 

Typically, a 70-200mm is a good range for most sports or athletics games. Or a 100-400mm for air shows, skiing, motor racing etc.

Related: When to use a telephoto lens (and its effects)

 

Which camera should you choose?

The particular camera best for sports photography depends very much on you. But now you know which features are important when choosing your camera, so you can check all of these as you browse around. 

So, to summarise, here is a shortlist of the important in-camera specifications to check when choosing a camera for sports photography:

• Frames per second (fps)—the faster, the better. Many DSLR cameras can shoot at 5-10 frames per second. Higher spec ones up to 20fps. In many cases, mirrorless outperforms DSLR and can shoot at a much higher fps, especially when using the electronic shutter vs. mechanical. Some electronic shutters are capable of speeds around 30fps or more.
• Autofocus speed and accuracy—this is something where the DSLR still reigns supreme, although mirrorless technology is coming along in leaps and bounds and catching up fast. The thing to consider here is how much AF speed and accuracy is important to you. The faster the action you photograph, the harder it can be to achieve pin-sharp focusing. 
• AF points—look also for the number of focus points available. A high number here allows you to focus further away from the centre of your frame. Your focal point is rarely in the centre.
• Autofocus tracking—almost all DSLRs and mirrorless cameras come with continuous autofocus. However, many mirrorless cameras now have a great feature called focus tracking, where they can automatically lock onto a subject and track its movement around the frame. 
• AF working range—if you will be shooting in low-light situations, this is a factor to consider. The AF working range indicates the lowest light at which the AF can successfully lock onto a focal point. This is measured by EV (Exposure Value). EV is a measurement of the light available. High numbers indicate bright scenes, while low and negative ones are darker. The AF working range would be in the minus: -3EV or -5EV. -5EV would indicate much better low light focusing.
• Shutter speed—many cameras shoot up to 1/4000 sec, which is ideal for most sports photography. If you need more for superfast stuff, look for models that shoot 1/8000 sec. Some mirrorless cameras are capable of even higher speeds when using the electronic shutter.

 

Choose your camera wisely

So there you have it, the features to look for when choosing a camera for sports photography. 

Remember, it’s not always necessary to go for the highest, most expensive model. Consider what you can or want to spend and what it is you really need.

 

Specialist camera insurance through Ripe Photography

Heading out to shoot some sports photography? You may want to protect your camera and accessories through specialist camera insurance. 

At Ripe, we arrange bespoke cover that can be tailored to fit your exact requirements, so you only ever pay for what you need. You can cover up to £60,000 of equipment for theft and accidental damage so that you can continue your shoots with peace of mind. 

Click here to learn more about specialist camera insurance, or hit the button below to get an online quote today.