Best point and shoot for action shots please!

[Luv2ridesaddleseat]

Hi! I'm looking for a point and shoot camera to buy mostly for outdoor action shots. It would be used mostly for horse shows! I have a DSLR, but just can't work with it. I want to make sure I get one that also has a view finder to look through, as i'm told sometimes outside is too bright and you can't see the picture displayed on the back. I'd rather not spend over $400.00 if possible! Thank you for any help you can give me!

[BBbuilder467]

A P&S like the Panasonic FZ200 could probably do well if you just want random photos at a show or competition. But, it can be extremely difficult to maintain that timing and rhythm if you need to capture a specific subject on demand from shot to shot.

You can recover and re-target the subject much quicker with the optical viewfinder of the dslr. Anticipating every shot and maintaining that pace with liveview can be exhausting. The dslr also has a manual zoom.

A spectator can use the P&S, but a competitor is better off with the dslr.

A horse show in the US can be anything from a county fair to Olympic jumping and dressage. You might want to mention what style you're dealing with and what focal length you think you need.

[TCav]

What is it about your dSLR that you can't work with?

You need an eyelevel viewfinder, not necessarily an optical viewfinder.

You also need a large aperture in order to keep the shutter speed fast while still avoiding the noise that comes from using too high an ISO setting.

You also need a fast AF system for moving subjects.

These are all aspects of camera selection that dSLRs have in spades.

[rudimaes]

What you need is the Panasonic 4K photo mode. You make a 4K video, and then you can extract frames as a 8mp photo. Good for moving subjects, where you don't want to lose the right moment.
One problem. The cheapest one with this feature (the new Panasonic FZ300, is very fast), is around $600.
The FZ200 has not this feature, but is a good camera too.
Rudi

[Streets]

I agree with TCav. What is the problem with your DSLR that you CAN'T work with? Without knowing that, no one will be able to give you a rational solution of why a P&S is a better choice for any type of photography than is a DSLR. More info from you would be a start.

[Luv2ridesaddleseat]

I'm sorry it took me so long to get back here. There is just too many controls, buttons, what have you to remember on my DSLR. I've never used one before, and wished there were classes near me, but their aren't. I'm too old for this damn thing, plus I have ADD, so I can't concentrate for long periods of time. I read about what all these little pictures stand for on top of the camera, and the buttons, and go out to shoot some pictures and I forget what half of them are. Perhaps if I had some "cheat sheets' for all these buttons, that would tell me exactly what everything should be set on for the daylight, and what I'll be shooting, would help??

[BBbuilder467]

Originally Posted by Luv2ridesaddleseat

I'm sorry it took me so long to get back here. There is just too many controls, buttons, what have you to remember on my DSLR. I've never used one before, and wished there were classes near me, but their aren't. I'm too old for this damn thing, plus I have ADD, so I can't concentrate for long periods of time. I read about what all these little pictures stand for on top of the camera, and the buttons, and go out to shoot some pictures and I forget what half of them are. Perhaps if I had some "cheat sheets' for all these buttons, that would tell me exactly what everything should be set on for the daylight, and what I'll be shooting, would help??

You "have" to explain what it is that you are trying to do. What do "you" call a horse show?

In the US, that could mean "anything". A show pony at 4H and an Olympic jumper aren't the same thing.

There could be a simple solution for one thing and be almost impossible to do something else.

We don't even know what you have for body/lens to base any response on.

[TCav]

Best thing to do is to use A (Aperture Priority) Mode and use the control wheel to keep the aperture as wide as possible. This will give you the fastest shutter speed without using a high ISO that could result in image noise. Then all you need to do is get the subject in focus. AF-C (Continuous Autofocus) works best for moving subjects. Different dSLRs have different features for other stuff, but if you stick with those two settings, which you can select long before the action starts and won't have to mess with again, everything else is minutia.

[rudimaes]

The easiest way to start with a camera, is use the automode. It's good for 90% of the pictures. Then you could learn different settings at your own pace.
Rudi

[TCav]

Originally Posted by rudimaes

The easiest way to start with a camera, is use the automode. It's good for 90% of the pictures. ...

But it's wrong for ...

Originally Posted by Luv2ridesaddleseat

... mostly for outdoor action shots. It would be used mostly for horse shows!

AUTO balances aperture with shutter speed. Sports/Action shooting requires extremes of both that AUTO won't do.