Do I need a new camera?

AMc

A Canon APS-C camera has a crop factor of 1.6
18-55mm = 28.8-88mm full frame
& 75-300mm = 120-480mm full frame

Your Canon SX710
4.5-135mm = 25-750mm full frame

So you're looking at losing a third of the zoom.  In practice that 75-300mm zoom is f4-5.6 and with a larger sensor it should give you better images to begin with.
However it's a 18MP camera so you'll actually have fewer pixels to crop than the 20MP you have now.

I'd really strongly recommend you try and borrow a DSLR camera if you can to see how you get on.

esc4p3

Yes this is correct, even dog shows outdoors are much better.

Sorry, not been around much or even in front of a computer/phone/tablet much lately as have been really busy. I'm still reading and re-reading all the stuff you've posted as this is all new to me and pretty complex, although it may not seem so to you lol

Budget, a bit of a thorny issue. Let's say £300-£500 - it doesn't have to be a DSLR and I'm open to mirrorless. Seemingly, from the photo's I've looked at on Flickr and what you've said I need a bigger sensor and a good shutter speed. Ideally I'd get physically closer to subjects and I do where I can, but this isn't always possible. In any case I prefer taking photos of dogs where they aren't aware of it - my own dog as a case in point.....as soon as he sees the camera he's off and I swear he knows. Even my phone he's the same.

I have some REALLY old lenses in the cupboard from a Yashica FX-3 film SLR, presumably there is no chance whatsoever that they would be any use....or to be able to reuse in any of the scenarios?

snerkler

A larger sensor certainly helps yes, but good shutter speed not necessarily. Shutter speed will depend on what you want to achieve, but in your case you are wanting to freeze the action. This does require a fast ish shutter speed but will depend on if the dog is moving (and how fast) or stationary. In poor light you want to keep the shutter speed as low as possible (to let more light in) but still fast enough to freeze motion. This will come down to experience as much as anything, but as an example for a dog running I would choose something like 1/1000. The shutter speed will also depend on the focal length of the lens and whether you have image stabilisation. The longer the focal length of the lens the faster the shutter speed you will need. Aperture is also important, indoors you ideally want a wide aperture (Low f-number).

I'm sure you could probably find an adapter for the Yashica lenses somewhere on't interweb but I wouldn't recommend it, they will be manual focus only and for moving targets manual focus is not easy. You can of course pre-focus, but I wouldn't recommend 'fudging' sticking an old legacy lens on a different body for 'everyday' use. Maybe for a bit of fun, or something very specific, but certainly not something like this.

Peakoverload

Coming in late to this and I've not read all the replies so far but the main thing wrong with your 'disappointing' photo is that it's blurred. But importantly not all of it is blurred, the fence is in focus as is the dogs tail, the rest is blurred because the subject has moved and because your shutter speed was too low.

Certainly a 'better' camera, one with a larger sensor etc will help you take 'better' photos but before you splash the cash I'd practice more with your existing camera because on paper your current camera could have taken that photo in focus if you'd used different settings.

The ISO you used was 800 but your camera goes up to ISO 3200. By dropping your aperture from f/6.3 to f/4 with an ISO of 1200 you should have been able to achieve a shutter speed of 1/125th and f/4 would have given you sufficient depth of field at your distance to subject. 1/125th may not have quite been fast enough but it then you could up the ISO further. Yes the higher the ISO the more noise/less detail but you might be happy with the result.

Don't get me wrong, a 'better' camera and one with a bigger sensor is always 'better' but you might not have to splash the cash just yet. Just my opinion, ignore or consider as you please.

newbie1

In answer to the question, most likely ‘no’.  

Have a look at the pro photographer cheap camera challenge on digital rev to see what’s possible.

Do I want a new camera to make things easier? Almost always ‘yes’.  This is a slippery slope which I started down a few years ago

JabbaNut

No you don't need a new camera.

You need to learn to use your present camera better.

Iso 800 is causing image quality loss ( known effect of this camera ) and 1/20 you need a tripod, or a mono pod if you are good and have steady hands.

Go here, read about your camera and how iso affects quality Canon PowerShot SX710 HS Review - Image Quality | Photography Blog

Those photos you drool over, shock horror, software and how to use it, has been  applied to them.

Not what you want to hear, but the truth.

muljao

Normally point and shoot cameras have some modes. Try sports mode when taking shots of your dog

rancidpunk

More likely those shots are using a larger sensor with much better ISO performance and a faster lens capable of shooting at much higher speeds.

Software can only do so much, the creative eye of the photographer can only do so much, sometimes the limit does actually come down to the gear they use.

snerkler

If software was the only answer we'd all be shooting with £50 cameras

JabbaNut

It is amazing how anyone managed to take any award winning photo before all the must have lenses and sensors.
How did people cope with those 6MP DSLR  let alone 2 MP camcorders.

Breathtaking Surreal Photographs Taken With A $50 Camera (And 100 Ton Of Talent) - DIY Photography

This $20 Camera Proves It's Not The Gear That Makes a Photo | Digital Trends

Does Gear Really Matter? 30 Mind-Blowing Images Taken With Entry-Level Gear

Since expensive gear does it all why bother learning photography or buying software, neither are needed!