Canon SX50 Specs (1 Viewer)

HermitIbis · Nov 10, 2015

Photos from a trip in the Tegernsee area: an Alpine chough begging for food - I had read that they take the food sometimes out of tourists' hands, and now saw it myself. - I had been close to my "local dipper" often enough, but never in such perfect (sunny) conditions.

HermitIbis · Nov 20, 2015

The weather forecasts don't predict much sun in the next week. At least I've got some photos of a Crested tit in a rare moment with decent natural light.

PS. It was rainy as promised, but still fun: a Black woodpecker.

HermitIbis · Dec 3, 2015

For little birds I often prefer the "high speed burst" mode, it's particularly useful in the present dim December light. The first photo of a Coal tit used that mode. Strange that Canon sacrificed the burst option in the SX60. It may be less useful for other people, but facing a small restless bird I was often unable to get the desired results with the standard settings (C1, C2, respectively Av or Tv). Even if it were just an "emergency mode" for bad photographers like me, I feel Canon should have kept it.

MKinHK · Dec 26, 2015

This thread is an absolute godsend.

First it helped me to confirm my decision to buy an SX50, then I dialled in the settings that Crazyfingers has spent so much time working out and immediately started getting better shots (so a huge personal thank you there!), I dip in and out to compare how I'm doing to those who constantly publish top draw images, and most recently it's confirmed me in decision not to "upgrade" to a different super zoom, because it doesn't seem possible to get an upgrade for the purpose I use the SX50 for which is to supplement my reports on my hardcore patch birding plus the odd twitch and trip abroad with photos that help with ID, illustrating what I've seen, and nailing the odd rarity for which a written description has little to no chance of being accepted.

I was thinking in another context about people who have made my year. Through the ability this thread has given to significantly enhance the enjoyment of my birding, there is no question that it scores in the top three for both of the past two years (and these have not been bad years by any stretch!), and probably No.1 last year.

So, many thanks to all those who have posted their hard-earned knowledge, their pictures and and opinions - and Merry Christmas!

Cheers
Mike

PS I've posted a few pix from the last few months that are about as good as I've been getting, and I would welcome any thoughts on how to take the next step forward.

crazyfingers · Dec 27, 2015

Thanks MKinHK

I was only learning too. Glad to share.

I haven't posted much here in a while. Combo of year-end stuff, lack of good weather, bad luck and strange lack of migrating birds.

But today a got a lifer.

There was one American Wigeon on a pond I frequent. It was congregating with the mallards.

These photos at max as usual and also into the sun. Bad angle. I've tweaked the brightness and contrast a bit but not much. No crop.

One photo of the wigeon and a mallard together.

MKinHK · Dec 30, 2015

We've had several near misses with hybrid Eurasian x American Wigeons here in Hong Kong, but yours is a real cracker!

Looks like your luck has turned

Cheers
Mike

HermitIbis · Jan 5, 2016

Great photos, MKinHK! As far as I know, December is a good time for birding in Hong Kong. It's terrible in Europe, no light...

MKinHK said:
This thread is an absolute godsend.

First it helped me to confirm my decision to buy an SX50, then I dialled in the settings that Crazyfingers has spent so much time working out and immediately started getting better shots (so a huge personal thank you there!), [...]

Maybe it's worth to re-post Crazyfingers' settings, taken from his earlier post. It's what I use as "C2".

My own preferred "C1" setting for low-light situations (called "iso priority") is mostly the same. Where the two settings differ, the C1 setting is added in the second column in bold letters.

General settings:
Zoom position: 215mm / 172mm
Teleconverter: 1.5 or 2.0
Based on Tv / Based on Av
Speed: optional / can be set high at 1/1000 (as safety shift is "on")
F (varies) / F at 5.6

Funcset button:
Continuous shooting, not single shot
AF: center weighed average
JPEG Large (4000x3000)

Menu settings:
1*** AF Frame:*** Flexizone
2*** Digital Zoom:*** either 1.5x or 2.0x / I often prefer 1.5x
3*** AF-Point Zoom:*** Off***
4*** OnServo AF*:***Off / ON
5*** Continuous AF: ** Off*** / ON
6*** AF Assist Beam:*** Off
7*** MF Point Zoom*:** Off
8*** Safety MF: *** Off / ON
9*** Flash Control:** *** -***
10*** ISO Austo Settings:* / MAX. ISO 400
11*** High ISO NR ****Standard / LOW
12*** Spot AE Point/AF Point:***
Safety Shift (not mentioned by cf) / Safety Shift: ON
13*** Movie Audio***
14*** Review – Quick:**
15*** Review Info***
16*** Blink Detection:***Off
17*** Custom Display:** -
18*** Reverse Display:**
19*** IS Settings: Continuous 1
20*** Display area***Small
21*** Date stamp off*** Off*** Off***
22*** Face ID settings***
23*** Set Shortcut Button T***

The following four photos were all shot during the last few days in my C1 mode ("low light"). For the first three photos it appears doubtful whether another mode would have got me the 1/320 sec. In the case of the fourth photo (swan), obviously the light would have sufficed for any other mode, but my C1 ("iso priority") gave me ISO 80, 1/1000 sec. Nothing to complain about.

crazyfingers · Jan 5, 2016

I'm going to try that Low Light setting. Thanks!

HermitIbis · Jan 6, 2016

I forgot to mention that this C1 setting is also useful for the identification of a bird in flight. If such a bird appears, I press the "frame assist" button, so that the SX50 zooms out from 172mm to about 43mm, and start shooting. It is much easier to get a flying bird into focus, if you have zoomed out...

The photo below is an example: taken at a zoom position of 43mm. Since the SX50 has a crop factor of 5.58, this is equivalent to 240mm. The result in the cropped photo isn't "good", but usually good enough for identification.

Saxatilis · Jan 9, 2016

Hello all

Some days ago I bought an used (mint condition) SX50HS in my town mainly for BIF (raptors in migration) photography (see thread http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=316840 I had opened).

I started to practice it and find it's a delightful camera, so I think I might use it for a wider range of applications....wishing to broaden my equipment I wonder what auto flash (aside from the prime Canon EX or EXII models...) you can recommend.
Yesterday in another store I have tried a Sunpak model but this failed to dialogue with the Canon SX50HS and didn't fire

Have you any suggestion?

luca

HermitIbis · Jan 9, 2016

I haven't bought an external flash, but it seems that used Canon 420EX are sold at 50-60 Euro in internet auctions. Alternatives were discussed here.

MKinHK · Jan 14, 2016

Here's a variation on the power of the super zoom theme.

The first shot is a pic of a clock tower in the middle of a street junction.
The second is of a large moth (probably my all-time favourite - Lyssa zampa - Tropical Swallowtail) inside the dark recess in centre of the tower in the first shot - using the 2x convertor on max optical zoom. The second shot is cropped, but otherwise unedited.
The third has been enhanced (exposure and sharpening) with iPhoto's editing tools.

This perfectly illustrates for me the way that zooming in can give a better exposure for the object you want to capture - as well as fact I could nail the ID of a moth from 30 yards!

Cheers
Mike

mrzoo · Jan 20, 2016

Thanks to this thread I snapped up a used but in good condition sx50 from ebay. Went out at lunch time today and despite the misty rain and poor light managed to get some reasonable shots of gulls and a couple of cormorants. I think it's going to be great for birds that I can see but can't really identify with binoculars due to distance.

Saxatilis · Jan 20, 2016

HermitIbis said:
I haven't bought an external flash, but it seems that used Canon 420EX are sold at 50-60 Euro in internet auctions. Alternatives were discussed here.

After spending some days in search of a used flash, and after reading a lot of posts in the forums, I lastly got to find a superb Canon 580EX at a very attractive price. Yesterday it reached me: it's fully compatible with my SX50HS! Pictures are beautifully lighted and perfectly exposed.
Other brands's flashguns I had tried did not pair with the camera in AutoMode nor in P and Av and failed to fire.

HermitIbis · Jan 20, 2016

Saxatilis said:
After spending some days in search of a used flash, and after reading a lot of posts in the forums, I lastly got to find a superb Canon 580EX at a very attractive price. Yesterday it reached me: it's fully compatible with my SX50HS! Pictures are beautifully lighted and perfectly exposed.
Other brands's flashguns I had tried did not pair with the camera in AutoMode nor in P and Av and failed to fire.

Good news, and I see that even such a top model sells at web auctions for a very affordable price of 80 Euro or less. It weighs 405g, how does it feel on a camera of just 557g?

Saxatilis · Jan 21, 2016

HermitIbis said:
Good news, and I see that even such a top model sells at web auctions for a very affordable price of 80 Euro or less. It weighs 405g, how does it feel on a camera of just 557g?

Yes I picked it up at 90€ and this is a very very good price because in Italy you can find used in a price range from a minimum of 130€ (private sellers) to 270€ max! (retailers).
As for weight and size, it is better than I thought.
I am used to flash units from the Eighties, so in my hands it is definitely compact and not so heavy with the SX50HS.
Of course if you look at the pic you've made on the screen with the flashgun mounted overhead, the camera tends to tilt forwards, but nothing more than this. I consider also to use it occasionally.

HermitIbis · Jan 26, 2016

I've got another ten photos in "sports mode" of a crow harrassing a buzzard. This mode remains our best option for raptors in flight with the SX50. Plus some photos from the usual suspects: Meadow pipit, Bearded tit, Water pipit, Swan.

Postscript: The white spots in the first photo are not the fault of the camera - it's called snow.

crazyfingers · Jan 26, 2016

I love it when a mute swan flies by. Their wings make so much noise!

HermitIbis · Jan 30, 2016

crazyfingers said:
I love it when a mute swan flies by. Their wings make so much noise!

True, in particular if it's a flock of seven. - The second photo is an early contender for the "worst bird photo of 2016".

Added: three more of the same Grey wagtail which apparently hibernates close to my house.

crazyfingers · Feb 8, 2016

It's been a while since I got some interesting photos. The migratory bird watch was a bust.

Now even though it's finally started snowing the red-bellied woodpecker is preparing his new hole for spring. The new hole is a few feet below the hole from last year. I think that this is typical of red-bellies.

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