digital camera for general use and bird photography

[joannec]

Hi, I am a brand new member and found this site while researching which digital camera would be best for me. I currently use a Pentax ZX 50 (MZ 50) SLR with various lenses. I want to go digital and want a camera for general use, like family pictures, landscapes as well as my new interest, bird photography. I don't know whether to go for a Pentax digital ist* SLR in which case I could use the lenses I already have or go for a good non SLR digital which would save the trouble of lens changing and carrying around so much stuff. I have been looking at the Fuji Finepix S7000, which is a cheaper option, about half the price, to a Pentax digital SLR. It has a 6x optical zoom. Is this enough for bird photography? Would 10x be better, perhaps the Canon Powershot pro 90 IS or the Olympus C-2100? If anyone can give any advice or recommendations on these or any other cameras I would be appreciative.

[RAH]

If you want to do bird photography, you need all the magnification you can get. 6x is NOT enough. So, a 10x or 12x super-zoom camera would be a good choice, and definitely the cheapest way to go.

If you have some old Pentax high magnification lenses (e.g. 400mm), then a DSLR would be a good choice. If you need to buy some lenses, then you don't have to stick with Pentax and therefore have a wider choice of cameras, but we're talking BIG bucks here for buying a DSLR plus the lenses.

[IanF]

Hi joannechattaway,

On behalf of Admin and the Moderators a warm welcome to Bird Forum :t:

If I was in your position then provided the lenses you have are of good quality and at the very least 300mm (though preferably 400mm+) I'd be considering the Pentax *ist as well.

I have to agree with RAH that 6x zoom really isn't enough. My wife uses the Olympus C2100UZ which is still going strong after six years of heavy use - but it was discontinued several years ago and can only be bought 2nd hand now. The Canon pro 90 IS was comparable if not slightly better but that was discontinued even earlier. Either model are so long in the tooth now that unless they have been really well looked after I wouldn't even consider them now - also technology has moved on by 2-3 generations since they were top of the heap.

If you're not bothered really about having a DSLR then a compact camera is a lot smaller and lighter to carry about and of course everyting is built in - even the flash!

For close range small birds like Sparrows - up to 18'-20' - I use the Panasonic FZ20 which has 12x optical zoom (c.420mm) and even that is not really sufficient reach. Most often I have a 1.7x teleconverter attached which makes the reach jut about enough. A big advantage with this camera is the very effective image stabiliser which makes hand holding easy at long zoom lengths.

[postcardcv]

Hi and welcome to BF.

There are advantages to either route, generally speaking using a dslr will allow you to have more control over your photos and they tend to work much faster than digital compacts (greatly reduced shutter lag). However dslr's do mean more weight/bulk to carry round with you, also the cost of lenses soon adds up (esp. if you don't have a long lens already).

I'd agree that as much zoom as you can get is good for bird photography, it's rare that a bird is too close. Some of the current super zoom cameras with built in IS are excellent all rounders and could be an easier answer. They do not tend to have quite such good shooting rates (frames per second) which can be a problem when shooting birds.

Another route to consider is digiscoping. If you have a telescope a relatively cheap digital compact, with a 3-4x optical zoom could be the way to go. Digiscoping allows you to take photos at much greater distances than conventional methods, which can be great for birds. However it's not always the easist of things to do, so if you do go down that raod, be prepared to spend some time getting to grips with it.

[didnotbat]

Joanne

Having a pile of Pentax lenses I too would have been faced with this decision last year. However as there was no Pentax DSLR available at that time I went down the 'super-zoom' route and I am glad that I did.

For all round versatility I cannot fault the FZ-20 + TCon 1.7 teleconverter mentioned by IanF. At maximum zoom, this combination is equivalent to an f2.8 image stabilised 720mm lens ; think what the equivalent SLR lens would cost (and weigh) and then add on the price and weight of a tripod as you will not be able to hand-hold such a DSLR combination. The Panasonic can be hand-held therefore allowing you the freedom of going out looking for birds rather than waiting for them to come to you.

I would guess that you could pick up an FZ-20 + Tcon 1.7 + Pemaraal adapter for less than the cost of the Pentax body. However the FZ-20 is probably about to be discontinued and, according to their website, the corresponding Pemaraal adapters may not be available much longer. The replacement FZ-20 is the FZ-30 which has a few more bells and whistles but I have read some negative comments about noise levels on this board.

Note the FZ-20/30 is not suitable for digiscoping.

david

[Yelvertoft]

Joanne,

It all depends on how much money you are willing to spend and what sort of photography you intend doing. The Pentax lenses you already have will all work on the *ist D models and could no doubt be put to good use for portraits, family shots etc, but as has already been discussed, probably not much use for birding shots. Both the DL and DS models are nice but I preferred the DS viewfinder. This is pricier than the DL and only you can decide if it's worth paying the extra.

Warehouse express (follow the ad banner at the top of the birdforum home page) have the Sigma 135-400 lens available for £199 in a Pentax fit at the moment. It's a whole lotta glass for the money and you will find many birdforum members have been getting great shots with this lens.

Superzooms are nice and convenient, dSLRs are ultimately more flexible but a lot more cash.

Regards,

Duncan.

[bosquebirds]

Hi, Joanne.
I began my adventure into digital photography two-and-a-half years ago. I started with a Nikon 5000, added a 3x extended within about 5 months, then in another 6 months went to a Panaonic Lumix FZ-10, the precursor to the FZ-20 some of Forum members have mentioned. The Lumix brought a very nice zoom capability and I get some wonderful photos with it. However, it was slow to respond and I found myself missing a lot of flight shots that I love to take. (The FZ-20 is faster, however.)

Just a year ago, I bit the bullet and bought a DSLR and an image-stabilized zoom lens. I still miss some flight shots when the lens "hunts", but overall, the image quality is better and the camera's response time is much better.

Things to consider: the more sophisticated point-and-shoot cameras are really excellent now for most situations. They are lightweight and easy to carry. For birding you ought to have a 12x lens and it needs to be image stabilized unless you routinely use a tripod. You still benefit from a tripod in low light situations.

On the other hand, you will be more likely to get higher quality images from a DSLR, particularly in situations which require quick response. DSLRs are also more flexible. The downside of a long lens is that it's heavy and requires a tripod for optimum results (unless it's an image-stabilized lens and the light is very good). I have an aching neck and arms after a few hours of carrying the heavy equipment. I also have an aching wallet, as the lenses and accessories all cost a lot more!

I wish you well in your decision. As you make it, try to consider what gives you joy in your photography and how you will best achieve it. You may not be able to anticipate what photography you'll want to do in a year or two, but don't make up your mind based solely on initial expense. Once you're outside photographing birds, you will be happiest if you have the combination of equipment and mobility that gives you good results -- and you'll become addicted like a lot of folks around here!

Ingrid

[joannec]

Thank you to everyone who replied to my questions. Your answers have been helpful and particular thanks to bosquebirds for reminding me that I will be happiest with the right combination of mobility and equipment. Sometimes it is easy to overlook the practicalities in ones search to do ones best. I think I have decided on one of the superzooms and have narrowed it down to the Panasonic FZ20, the Panasonic FZ5, the Canon Sureshot S2IS, Fuji Finepix S5600 or the Fuji Finepix S5500. If anyone knows anything really bad or really good about any of these models, I am still listening. Thanks.
Joanne

[Andy Bright]

Warehouse Express have the Panasonic FZ20 for £279 ... I was almost tempted with that, 420mm with image stabilising.

cheers,
Andy

[postcardcv]

Warehouse Express have the Panasonic FZ20 for £279 ... I was almost tempted with that, 420mm with image stabilising.

cheers,
Andy

Bad new - sold out.

just went to have a look (and get tempted), but it's sold out, shame really as it was an excellent deal.