Is the Nikon D3000 good at taking equine photography action shots?

Answer 1

The Nikon D3000 has 10.1 megpixel resolution, and can be a good entry level choice for equine action Photography. Nikon's Nikkor lens quality is excellent, the camera features image stabilization, quick shutter response, 11-point autofocus, and allows continuous shooting at "up to" 3 frames per second (use the Sports setting). You can buy other lenses in addition to the one supplied with the camera, but they have to be the Nikkor AF-S type in order for everything to work properly. The faster Nikkor lenses designed for sports photography range in price from about USD $800 to $2000 each, new.

The drawback is that 3 frames per second isn't as fast as it sounds, and it is followed by a short lagtime where you can't take pictures at all while the camera processing tries to catch up with you. That means you may be disappointed to miss some good shots. Another potential drawback is that you can't look directly through the lens like you can with some SLR cameras, but use an LCD screen on the back to compose pictures and focus the lens. If you're already used to using LCD screens, you won't find this a problem.

While the D3000 is a great camera, you might be happier with the D5000, which has higher resolution and is a little faster, if you can afford to spend another $200 upfront. Look for bargains from reputable online sources.