key camera features advice please (1 Viewer)

I've been invited on a birding holiday by a friend who lives in Indonesia. He has very good quality gear (DSLR camera etc) but has suggested I buy a good bridge camera to take with me (I can't afford the alternative). He doesn't really know that much about specific models but has suggested the following key criteria to research:

1) rapid autofocus in low light
2) low noise
3) a minimum 40/50x zoom
4) good image stabilising

I think these are the key features over and above what would be expected over any newish model regarding picture quality, burst mode, video etc.

Is this a reasonable list? Any features to add or take away? Is there a manufacturer who is consistently good at addressing these?

I won't be going until later in the year so if there are any models about to be launched I can easily wait a few months.

With thanks ...

You post demanding requirements.
A huge zoom (you specify 40-50x) implies a tiny sensor (1/2.33" for most bridge cameras).
That small a sensor will have relatively poor noise performance and will have difficulty autofocusing in low light.

Afaik, there are no bridge cameras that would fully meet your needs.
The Panasonic F1000 or the Canon G3X have less zoom, but better noise and low light autofocus thanks to their much bigger sensor. The G3X is also weather sealed, which may be desirable in Indonesia.
There are lots of new cameras just getting launched at the CES and the upcoming CP+ shows, so perhaps something even better will show up in time.
Just don't forget to enjoy the birds before you take their pictures!

Whatever you get :

Remember to get a spare battery + something that will charge it at your destination

Get plenty of practice before you go - you will get much better pictures if you make your mistakes while learning the camera before you try and take the photographs of a lifetime.

The following link confirms Etudiant's comments on current superzooms, even their best buy has poor low light performance,

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/2015-superzoom-camera-roundup

Thank you for your replies etudiant/iveljay ... they were very useful and I've been able to make much more sense of camera specifications etc ... all a bit obvious in hindsight but there we are ... I was struggling a little so your feedback was really helpful, thanks.

I spoke to a shop who advised the FZ1000 as a current model but thought there would be some interesting announcements at the CP+ show.

Kind regards.

hightime said:

Thank you for your replies etudiant/iveljay ... they were very useful and I've been able to make much more sense of camera specifications etc ... all a bit obvious in hindsight but there we are ... I was struggling a little so your feedback was really helpful, thanks.

I spoke to a shop who advised the FZ1000 as a current model but thought there would be some interesting announcements at the CP+ show.

Kind regards.

Click to expand...

FZ1000 does not have enough magnification for your purposes--only 400mm equivalent. I'd look for a minimum of 600mm. For low light/noise reduction purposes, I'd look at the FZ200, which is unique among superzooms (afaik) in having a constant f2.8 aperture (and 600mm equiv zoom). Canon SX50 has also been very popular among birders, though the more recent model, the SX60, less so. It has a ridiculous zoom of at least 1200mm equivalent IIRC. Nikon also has some attractive offerings.

Nikon P900 works well for me on dull days.............you don't have to zoom all the way out, and even halfway will still give you 1000mm equivalent

Recently I have been chasing a shorteared owl, lots of other guys there with there DSLRs and massive lenses, and most of them give up before I do, complaining about poor light.

Den

Thanks for the further feedback ... yes I did read that the SX50 had some features for birdwatching that didn't carry over quite so well to the SX60 which of course had advancements in other areas.

The Nikon P900 won the 2015 superzoom awards at dpreview - working well on dull days is further endorsement - it almost seems like a too good to be true camera!

regards ... Dave

I'd recommend a Canon SX50 (not SX60). The image quality is very good, the stabilization is amazing, it has the kind of zoom you want, the shutter lag is brief, and it focuses very quickly in all conditions. The one drawback is that, like all bridge cameras, image quality is poor in low light.