Hooray! Your little gymnast’s meet season is finally here and she is super excited to compete against other teams. Your gymnast has been practicing all year round just for meet season and as one of her biggest fans; you have to decide which camera is perfect for capturing all her breathtaking moves.
Luckily, I am here to tell you which cameras are the best ones to be able to do so; so, no need to panic!
1. Your Phone
Your phone is always the thing that you have on hand; it is always the one thing you never leave without. Today, technology is constantly improving, therefore, camera phones are able to take clearer, HD photos.
One thing I do have to say is that sometimes taking photos off your phone may come out blurry due to movement. Because your phone camera is not an actual professional camera, it is much harder to catch your gymnast doing her round-off double back-handspring.
A useful tip is to record the routine on your phone, and then slowly playback the video and take a screenshot of the perfect moment. Today in the news industry, many reporters have turned to their smartphones for video and photo when something newsworthy occurs so it is something that is become more and more popular.
It is also fun to use when you have social media and want to share that exact moment LIVE with family and friends by live streaming.
I recommend this option to everyone. Since almost everyone has a phone that can take pictures and videos- it is definitely the most convenient. Even if you forgot your actual camera, you will always have your phone to rely on.
2. DSLR Camera
As a journalist, I personally have had the opportunity to work with DSLR cameras and immediately fell in love. DSLR stands for a digital single-lens reflex camera “that combines the optics and the mechanisms of a single-lens reflex camera with a digital imaging sensor, as opposed to photographic film.”
DSLR cameras are what professional photographers use, and they are also capable of recording video as well. There are many different functions when it comes to working with this type of camera, but because there are so many different settings that you can play around with- it makes it much easier to capture that picture perfect moment.
I recommend this camera because the picture is definitely vibrant, HD quality captures movement without causing blurriness, and can adjust to the lighting appropriately.
Sometimes when you are taking photos in a gym that has a lot of lighting your pictures might come out more on the warmer side, which is why being able to change the lighting settings is beneficial so you can balance the color tones.
Another perk to DSLR cameras is that zooming in on a photo does not change the quality of the photo you are about to take; there are even different lens options to help adjust to this as well.
3. Mirrorless Camera
A mirrorless camera is the brother to the regular DSLR. It is almost the same thing, just much smaller and easier to carry around. Since the mirrorless camera is smaller, you are able to carry MORE lenses in your bag for different types of shots.
The mirrorless camera is cheaper than the DSLR, and it has awesome features such as eye autofocus, an electric viewfinder, and high image quality. The electric viewfinder lets you see the photo on your camera’s display before you actually take the photo- making it easier for you to make changes the way you want.
The eye autofocus feature is useful especially when it comes to photographing your little gymnast. The eye autofocus obviously focuses on your subject’s eye, but as your subject moves, flips, tumbles- the camera will be able to take a perfect and clear shot.
I definitely recommend this camera if you want to travel light but still want professional quality images. I would say this camera would be for anyone who doesn’t like to hold heavy, bulky cameras- especially up to their face.
This would be an excellent camera for those who want to capture fast movement. Another perk to a mirrorless camera is that you do not have to hold it up to your face and can look at your little gymnast with your own eyes rather than trying to watch her big moment through a tiny lens.
Just like the DSLR, this camera will work great in a gym because you will be able to change the settings for lighting, or you could just use a different lens.
4. Polaroid Camera
Surprisingly, Polaroid cameras are making a huge comeback- I actually have one myself! This camera is fun to use, and the pictures pop out right then and there. Polaroid cameras are a good resource to use when you want to be retro or if your gymnast wants to use the photos for decorations for her room.
Polaroid cameras do have settings on it to adjust to the lighting as well, but because they are made to have an older-style look for the pictures, it is hard to capture distance pictures as well as movement photos.
Its film is also not the cheapest, and you usually only get about 10 photos per pack. You also cannot delete photos that you did not mean to take, so you are stuck with photos that maybe did not turn out too well.
I recommend using this type of camera for still pictures, maybe when your gymnast is posing in her shimmering leo, or when she wants a group picture with her friends, or even when she wants to show off all of her medals.
Bonus: Printing Photos
For those who are tech-savvy but do not have a professional photo printer that is totally okay. If I want to print out my pictures from my phone I usually go to my local CVS Pharmacy or my local Target and use the Kodak Kiosk to print out my pictures. The quality is usually good, and I think the price is pretty reasonable.
If I want to print out pictures from a DSLR camera, I usually take the SD card to the Kiosk, or I will stick the SD card into my computer and send them to my phone to print out at the Kiosk as well.
Another option to use is Shutterfly. Shutterfly stores all your photos online and you can also create different projects with the website and they are greatly well-known for their photo books.
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