Are there any Camera Experts here

Heres my problem. My daughter competes in a lot of Gymnastic meets. I have the Olympus Stylus Zoom 140, but it doesnt cut it for the far away shots. I am looking for a camera that will take good Clear pictures about 30' from the subject. There are times when she is doing a floor, or beam routine and is atleast 30' from me and my Zoom just doesnt get up close enough. I thought about an SLR camera but I wanna be sure this is what I should get. I also need a page that explains what the lens are used for & how far in "Feet" they shoot, example being the 28-80mm (how far in feet will that shoot clear pics). Thanks
tammy

you want an SLR with autofocus and one that comes with a lens of at least 200mm for a great shot. if you can afford it go for a telephoto lens that is 100-300mm. a telephoto lens take photos that are as good as the person taking them.

are you sure she is only 30 feet away? you dont need a telephoto lens for that distance as a standard lens would be good enough. A digital camera should take a good photo at that distance.

try http://www.photoalley.com who always have bargains and special discounts

I have a Minolta SLR and it does a great job, but then, I prefer to focus myself as well as set the f-stop and such myself.

I would suggest you go to a camera shop and "play" with several different models before you buy something. It doesn't matter what any of us say here as we all have our own personal preferences. You need a camera that suits your needs and your personal style. Tell the camera folks just what you're wanting to do with a new camera and what your skill level is and they'll match you up with something great.

I can't say enough how much I like my Nikon Coolpix 885. WONDERFUL camera! I took a pic of Kenny driving by in the truck at about 8 mph and the camera stopped his wheels! No blur, just clear rims! And the best part is it has an automatic setting that does all the focusing and flash-guessing all by itself. Mine was $469, but there are other Nikons less pricey and more pricey.

What price range do you want to stick to, and do you only want 35mm, or would digital be something you'd consider?

Well after looking around & talking to sells people yesterday It seems that Mark's advice is what I will be going with, they all seemed to say the same thing. The SLR with a Min. of 200mm zoom would do exactly what I want. I am leaning towards the minolta or Nikon brand... NOw I just need to figure out which one I like more.
thanks
tammy

tamlamb
I have the Olympus C-700 Ultra Zoom and if you go to photos you can see a post of a hummingbird I took from 25-30 yards. It is a digital, but I love the zoom especially to take pics of the deer in our field.
Good luck with your choice.