Cameras for Birding

[lordsummerisle]

I posted this in birding and it was suggested I post here:

I'm just getting into birding and need more tools for ID. I'm thinking of getting a camera (cell phone camera doesn't cut it) mostly so I can refer back to the pics later. This would be for taking pics at my feeders, in the yard, etc. Can anyone recommend something for less than $300 or so for this?
Thanks in advance...

[Major Nikon]

1. In this price range you'll probably want a remote camera that can be placed near your feeder

[Hoppy]

2. I would recommend a used Nikon D3200. Get a zoom lens, up to 2 or 3 hundredmm. It also can be used.

Set the camera to the icon with the racing guy and you are good to go.

[ohheckyeah]

6. I agree.

Here's photos taken with the D3200:

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[url=https://flic.kr/p/nGjoLF][img][/img][/url]

[xocet]

3. This camera and the others in its line are worth taking a look at...

Canon PowerShot SX50 HS 12.1 MP Digital Camera.

Now these are essentially point-and-shoot cameras, but they have manual modes too. The manual mode is slightly restricted in this model (the SX50 HS) so it does not do astrophotography well - its maximum exposure time is 15 seconds with limitations on the ISO setting. The zoom at its optical limit is 50x and the photos at that extremity are a bit soft - 40x to 45x seems pretty good though.

There are plenty of reviews on the internet that describe these cameras. The newest one (Canon PowerShot SX60 HS 16.1 MP Digital Camera) is out now - it has a 65x optical zoom - but it is well beyond your stated price range. The one that I mentioned first came out 2 years ago - I got it on sale at a big box store for about $340 US. You might find a sale or a refurbished camera in this line that would put one of the higher end superzooms in your price range. Other superzoom cameras are unfamiliar to me, so I cannot comment on them. However, the Canon SX20 IS and the SX50 HS have given me several years of good use. The store owner who sold me the SX20 IS with 20x optical zoom told me that I would love the zoom - she was totally right. The 50x zoom is even better.

Here are some reviews on similar Canon cameras:

www.pcmag.com/products/1563?Company%3dCanon+U.S.A.+Inc|Type%3dSuperzoom

Note that the reviews of the Canon PowerShot SX40 HS and the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS are both pretty good. The others warn about noise and problems in low lighting conditions.

This hopefully will provide something of a starting point. Definitely, find a camera store and experience the superzoom cameras, but make sure to get others' commentaries on low lighting and ISO noise especially when buying a cheaper camera - interesting situations do not always occur in situations that are brightly sunlit.

Here is an example of a photo (comet PANSTARRS and the Moon) that I took with the SX50 HS:

The above photograph was taken handheld at f/5.6 for 1/2 sec at ISO-4000 with focal length 61 mm as an experiment with a new camera. This photograph has been adjusted for saturation and brightness.

I changed the saturation and brightness a bit and the photo generally needs cleaning up, but it gives an idea of what can be captured.

Good luck with your endeavor.

[lordsummerisle]

4. Thanks for the replies! n/t

[xocet]

7. Since birding is your intended activity, here is a excerpt from a photo from a few days ago...

This image does not illustrate the superzoom capabilities of the SX50 HS; this image is excerpted from a photo taken of two birds which were about 12 ft away and mostly shaded; the lens is at 77mm. The brightness and contrast have been increased, and this excerpted image has been scaled down to approximately half its original size.

Anyway, as stated before, good luck and have fun!

[NV Whino]

5. Here are a couple of samples with the Nikon L830

Macro on a stunned hummer.


Using the 34x digital telephoto on a tripod to catch the elusive peleated woodpecker.

[xocet]

8. Nice photos! n/t