help shooting sports with nikon D40

Looking for some advice on shooting indoor volleyball and basketball with my

d40 - currently I only have the stock 18-55 lens. I have been told I should be

looking at the 18-200 or 55-200 VR lenses, others have recommended 50mm f1.8 or

85mm f1.8 lens. Problem with these lenses is that they will not autofocus on

the D40 which means I would have to manual focus (which to be honest I have

never tried for high-action sports!). Also the VR zoom lenses are way over my

budget, but I can get a 50mm f1.8 for under a $100...please anyone your

recommendations would really help as I'd love to get great picks of my kids

playing (the d40 has been great for still photos). Thx

Get the 50mm/1.8, and learn to expose and focus manually. Your shooting time is free! Especially with volleyball, you should be able to pre-focus on the area where you're expecting a shot, and work accordingly. It's not easy or foolproof, but it will get you some great shots if you cover enough plays. Your only other option is, indeed, much faster glass AF-S glass from Nikon, or something like Sigma's HSM lenses.

Matt's basically right. Your other option is to get a body that can use AF with the 50mm f/1.8 (or 85mm f/1.8). The D50 makes a good choice, because despite its relatively low pixel count, the performance at high ISO is very good. Otherwise it's a case of a rather more expensive body. Whether you stay with your D40, or switch to another body you will definitely need one or both of those f/1.8 lenses - don't let anyone try to persuade you otherwise.

I guess my main concern then will be shooting sports manually - any tips on this for high-speed sports such as volleyball, basketball, hockey? I'm not in the position to replace the d40, plus I really like it, lightweight, great camera

Just remember that when a fast lens is wide open, you've got a very skinny plane of things that will be in focus. As subject's move past you, and you turn to follow, they'll only be in focus for a moment (unless they're moving past you in a circle that happens to have the same radius as the distance at which you're focused).

 

Now, presuming that your subject IS staying reasonably within your focal plane, your next challenge is to move the camera WITH the subject. Don't stop the movement as you release the shutter... you have to have follow-through, and track the subject. This will provide you with nice clear faces, even as the background gives up a little blur. The faster the shutter speed, the less this happens.

 

You can, with practice, absolutely learn to adjust focus with your left hand while holding the camera and shooting with your right. But it does take practice. Most people opt for focusing on a position into which the action will move, and then tracking the subjects as that happens.

Assuming you're looking for a autofocus solution for photographing indoor volleyball and basketball, I have 4 suggestions:

1) Get a Nikkor 2.8 AF-S lens. Sigma won't cut it.

2) Get a Nikkor 1.8 lens. Learn to manual focus. Focus on the server, net, or back row.

3) Get a Nikkor 1.8 lens. Find a used D70 body. You can normally find one at B&H for <$300.

4) Instead of getting action shots, get "almost action" shots. The photos we sell of HS volleyball are primarily of the girls in the ready position and of photos when they celebrate after winning a point. I've got over 4000 shots of spikes, serves, and sets. Lots of lookers. Few buyers. Happy reactions and anticipation shots sell. Although you'll need to get a long lens (at least a 200mm), you'll find that a D40 will work fine for these types of shots.