22 replies to this topic

[ApeachG]

I am looking to buy a new camera with which to take photos of birds (of course!) as well as close-up (macro) photos (for flowers etc.); so I need a camera for both far-away and close-up quality. I am not a knowledgeable photographer, but I am relatively tech-savvy so I suppose I need something in the intermediate skill-level range. I am looking to spend somewhere in the range of about $600-700, and preferably would like a smaller, more compact camera that does not require exchanging lenses. Thanks much for your suggestions!

[Liam]

I suppose you're talking about bridge cameras (high-end Point-and-shoots, usually superzoom).
Here are some models I would look at:
Canon PowerShot SX40 HS (probably the best-selling superzoom P&S series)
FujiFilm FinePix HS20 (pretty good superzoom, especially for Fuji)
Nikon Coolpix P510 (also a good camera; fantastic optical zoom -42x!!)

They all cost <$500.

[ApeachG]

Excellent, thank you so much, I will make sure to look into those models!

[LauraC]

The Panasonic Lumix FZ150 has raw, auto bracketing (if you want HDR but don't want to lug a tripod) and does excellent macro. In fact, if I'm just going to be photographing bugs, I leave the Nikon D7000 at home. In my opinion, Panasonic has the best image stabilization of all of the ultrazoom brands so if you handhold your camera and have shaky hands or tend to sway when standing still like me, plus you want a viewfider, and don't want or prefer not to, to lug lenses around, I recommend the FZ150.

[JimBob]

I've been to stores to handle super-zooms and I liked the feel of the sx40 the best. It also could take the most pictures in a second compared to the other cameras. I think I am going to get one when I have enough money. It was a really nice camera.

[Fern Valley Jim]

I've been to stores to handle super-zooms and I liked the feel of the sx40 the best. It also could take the most pictures in a second compared to the other cameras. I think I am going to get one when I have enough money. It was a really nice camera.

Went to one of the warehouse stores last evening, and was checking out the different cameras on display. I ended up bringing home the Canon SX40-HS. I just liked the feel and speed of this camera, and the 36X zoom capability was pretty amazing for the price (<$270). Was able to zoom in and read pricing stickers all the way in the back of the store with ease, and it's a pretty big store. It does not come with a memory card, so be sure to get one, i went with a 16 gig. Can't wait to get out in the field and see what it can really do. I'll give you an update later and hopefully post some of the pics.

[canon eos]

The Panasonic Lumix FZ150 has raw, auto bracketing (if you want HDR but don't want to lug a tripod) and does excellent macro. In fact, if I'm just going to be photographing bugs, I leave the Nikon D7000 at home. In my opinion, Panasonic has the best image stabilization of all of the ultrazoom brands so if you handhold your camera and have shaky hands or tend to sway when standing still like me, plus you want a viewfider, and don't want or prefer not to, to lug lenses around, I recommend the FZ150.

My wife has the Panasonic Lumix FZ150 and it's the fourth iteration (FZ5, 20, 50, 150) of that camera we have had.
Having the option to shoot RAW cannot be underestimated for growth potential. Yes, the JPG out of almost all cameras is very good, but with long-reach telephoto images of especially birds every nuance of detail is of importance. When I detail edit her JPGs vs RAWs the JPGs just don't hold up as well.
There are few in that camera range that have RAW. From a review on the Canon SX40-HS.........."The SX40 HS allows you to record images at four different resolutions, in four different aspect ratios and in the choice of two JPEG compression levels. Best quality Large Fine 1:1 JPEGs typically measure 2.5 to 3MB each. Like its predecessor, there's no option to record RAW files - in the current crop of super-zooms, that's left to the Panasonic FZ150 and Fujifilm HS20 EXR."

It's also of great value to have an actual viewfinder, and many cameras lack this 'feature'.

[Fragglecat]

I suppose you're talking about bridge cameras (high-end Point-and-shoots, usually superzoom). Here are some models I would look at: Canon PowerShot SX40 HS (probably the best-selling superzoom P&S series) FujiFilm FinePix HS20 (pretty good superzoom, especially for Fuji) Nikon Coolpix P510 (also a good camera; fantastic optical zoom -42x!!) They all cost <$500.

Wow, the FinePix HS20 looks like a good bang-for-the-buck. Shoots RAW, can manual focus, 30x zoom, AA batteries among other things, for about $300. Looks kind of heavy though. Anybody have personal experience with this one?

[cabirds]

You can shoot RAW on the Canon SX40-HS by installing CHDK. I make heavy use of CHDK on the cameras I fly to space because I can program the cameras to do anything imaginable without human intervention.

http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/SX40

[Fragglecat]

You can shoot RAW on the Canon SX40-HS by installing CHDK. I make heavy use of CHDK on the cameras I fly to space because I can program the cameras to do anything imaginable without human intervention.

http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/SX40

That is so cool! My little clunker now is an old Canon, so I'll try that out! Thank you!!

[JimBob]

I got the Canon Powershot sx40 HS today. I will give my review.

Overall it is a really nice looking camera. It is not to heavy. It has a nice feel to it, like you own a DSLR. It is very easy to use, buttons are in nice places.

The zoom is crazy! I looked at in a camera store, but until you bring it home you have no idea how good it really is. It does take a little bit of time to zoom out all the way, but it produces great images. It stink in low light conditions, so be prepared! It is also hard to take pictures of flying birds.

I've found that to get the best results there are two settings that are best. Manual and Auto. Auto is a little easier but, sometimes doesn't give y'u just what you want. Manual is harder to use; you have to pick the shutter speed, ISO, among other things. Sometimes you have to change it the settings because the sun came out, went behind some clouds, pointing up, etc. Also Macro is very good. Many people that made reviews on other websites said it stunk, but I have taken some nice macro shots already.

If you ant good videos, this camera is okay. It isn't bad, but it isn't as good as some other cameras. It picks up sound well, so if you want to record a bird call it works well for that.

The viewfinder is also not the best. It sometimes is hard to see through. I prefer to use the LCD screen.

I really like the results so far and highly recommend it.

Also look at places like Sam's Club and Costco. I got mine at Sam's for $290!! Really cheap!

[canon eos]

I am looking to buy a new camera with which to take photos of birds (of course!) as well as close-up (macro) photos (for flowers etc.); so I need a camera for both far-away and close-up quality. I am not a knowledgeable photographer, but I am relatively tech-savvy so I suppose I need something in the intermediate skill-level range. I am looking to spend somewhere in the range of about $600-700, and preferably would like a smaller, more compact camera that does not require exchanging lenses. Thanks much for your suggestions!

I just came across this posting at the DPreview forums regarding the (Panasonic) Lumix FZ150:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1033&thread=41513466

[Liam]

You can shoot RAW on the Canon SX40-HS by installing CHDK. I make heavy use of CHDK on the cameras I fly to space because I can program the cameras to do anything imaginable without human intervention.

http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/SX40

I've used CHDK on my SX110 IS before. It made the camera run quite slow and it was a bit difficult to operate. I didn't see much change in image quality other than size, but I only installed it on my 32mb card.

JimBob, on the SX40 HS I highly stress using a low ISO when possible. Try to keep it at around ISO80 up to 200, light allowing. I usually shoot in Av mode at either f/5.6 or f/8 (on both my D70 and my SX20).

Concerning the Panasonic, I have to agree that the FZ series is an excellent line-up. From what I've heard and seen, the camera is of good quality and the integrated Leica lenses are fabulous.

[JimBob]

JimBob, on the SX40 HS I highly stress using a low ISO when possible. Try to keep it at around ISO80 up to 200, light allowing. I usually shoot in Av mode at either f/5.6 or f/8 (on both my D70 and my SX20).

Why? Is it bad for the camera?

[JimBob]

Also I've found a few cons of the sx40s. . . the battery life isn't the best. It's okay, but it could be better. Also if you want a UV filter, you need to get an adapter to put on also. Since it doesn't have a thing to twist onto already. I got mine on Amazon. (adapter)

[cccougar]

I have had the Canon SX40 since Christmas and really love it. The zoom is sick and perfect for getting tighter shots of birds. I just posted dozens of recent bird photos on my blog (http://mybirdseyeviews.blogspot.com/) under Spring 2012 Backyard Birds taken with the SX 40- you can see the quality, I feel, of this camera (and maybe the user a little bit...). I did some tweaking in PhotoShop with black point settings, which does help. But love the camera and feel I got something really good for around $400 (Best Buy).

[Liam]

Why? Is it bad for the camera?

To put it in simple terms, ISO lowers the quality by adding noise (grainy pixels), but it also raises the lighting. A higher ISO allows a higher shutter speed (and f-stop), so you'll have a steadier shot, but you'll have a lot of noise (particularly bad with Canon's SX-series). If you have good lighting, I highly stress using as low an ISO as possible.

[JimBob]

Okay.

[Totah Sam]

I finally broke down and purchased a Canon EOS Rebel T3 Digital SLR - it's supposed to arrive on the 30th. I'm very excited and a little nervous. The camera seems a tad intimidating. I've been using a Panasonic Palm Cam that uses floppy discs. Yes, it's that old. I hope, in time, that I can share some great photos with y'all.

[canon eos]

Here's another link to the DPReview forum on (Panasonic) Lumix cameras. This photographer has produced very good images with a (modestly priced!) P&S Lumix FZ150.
There is no shortcut to getting good photos. The gear can help, but it is one's skills that make the difference.

http://forums.dprevi...thread=41576554