Action sports

[MRW]

chemisti hit the nail on the head. I am new to photography and just wanting to get a decent set up to see if I will even enjoy it (which I am pretty sure I am going to!) I selected the D5000 because of its price point and what seems to be a relatively ease of use but have not purchased it quite yet so any recommendations is much appreciated. When it comes to the lens I do want a good one but without spending a crazy amount of money on it before I am 100% sure I will enjoy taking photos. I am not looking to turn into a professional or anything, just looking for a fun hobby to do on the side for now and see where it goes.

Thank you all for the information it has been a wealth of knowledge.

[John Godwin]

If price point is a large consideration then may I suggest you look at the prices of lenses in the range that you may want to use. You may change your mind on which system you start out with. If you get into photography then be wary of the upgrade syndrome. It can and will cost you a lot of money. Camera bodies are like computers. A bigger and better one is just around the corner. Good lenses will wear out multiple bodies.

Do not be afraid to rent a lens to help you decide on whether you want to go there.

A pretty good rule to go by is that for every 30 feet of distance from the camera to the subject you will need 100mm of focal length. In sports action photography you need to fill the frame with the subject. Wide angle lenses are not normally used as a first lens choice in action photography.

[brewercm]

The number one down side to the D5000 is that you must be using a lens with built in AF motor or you will be in manual focus no matter what 2.8 lens you have. I doubt this is something you want to be doing in most sports unless it's power staring.

Not that it can't be done since it was for years, just saying.

[garykohs]

I'm not a Nikon guy but I used to be (D200) and I'll second the recommendation for the 70-300VR. Excellent lens! I just don't think you need an f2.8 lens for these sports.

Mitch, I'm more concerned with the camera choice. I think you are going to feel very limited pretty quickly with the D5000 as I don't think 11 point AF and 4 fps is going to cut it for things like MX. I would find a good used D300 - 51 point AF and 6 fps (8 with a vertical grip/battery pack). They seem to be selling for about $800 on this forum and the difference would be money well spent.