Shooting gymnastic shots indoors with no flash using the Canon 350D

Shots are blurry and out of focus

Well, that could be due to camera shake - a lens that isn't wide open or shutter speed that is chosen that's too slow ... are you shooting auto? Try the available light preset and use a tripod. Also, prefocus and pan with the action. Focus on your subject by pressing down half way on the shutter button. Leave it there. Then follow the action. The focus goes out, re-pre-focus. Then shoot when you're ready to.

I used a mono pod. Having done some research it appears I am supposed to sped a lot of money on a new lense which I would rather not do. I am using auto.

I will give those suggestions a go.

Thanks.

Did you try the sports settings?

I di not because I was not sure if I changed it to sport that the flash would then work. Could not find where to deactivate the flash whilst using any of the settings ie sport, portraite etc. I have tried pressing the little flash button but that does not seem to really work either.

The complete answer is you need to spend the bucks on the lens. I have a 70/200 F2.8 and a 18/75 F2.8 and both take wonderful pictures of indoor sporting events and even dance recitals which is even less light. Make sure you use shutter priority and set between 180 and 250 to stop action. If you do slower you will need to pick moments where there is less action. Like basketball, if two people are going up after a ball, when they reach as high as they are going they will not be moving fast and it will be less likely to be blurred. I just shot an ice show and I used 250. It worked very well. But then again the lens I was using was one of my F2.8s