What Superzoom? Dissatisfied with the Nikon P100 (1 Viewer)

MalR said:

Hi, Sue.

Do you do any post-processing on your pictures?

I hope you don't mind, but I had a quick play with your yellow-headed caracara in Photoshop.

Not great, but I think it's an improvement on the original.

I agree with you that you would expect something better out of camera, but at least you have something you can work with.

Regards,

Malcolm

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Hi Malcolm,
I can upload to my Picassa Web and go to 'picnic'. Picnic has a 'sharpening' tool and I have used it since I've had the Nikon--still most photos are just not sharp. It just shouldn't be this hard. I go home in a month and I will buy something that doesn't cause me such frustration. I am going to borrow some cameras from family members and friend and get some ideas. I think crazyfingers Cannon looks pretty good.
Sue

njlarsen said:

You guys could consider updating to the latest firmware to see if Nikon has hidden some improved focusing in there: https://nikoneurope-en.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/48816

Niels

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Thanks for this Niels. It's too late for me to try this now--2:00a.m.--I'm a bit tired and I'd probably screw things up even more. Gene and I can look at this tomorrow.
Sue

Musoman said:

The UK is also blessed with a red headed woodpecker, although its called the Green Woodpecker :-O

http://www.birdforum.net/opus/Green_Woodpecker

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And it is Beautiful!

crazyfingers said:

I don't know where SueO is but she might appreciate this one. The Canon SX30 was able to focus though the foreground clutter, again max zoom, and cropped down a good deal.

Not bad for a point-n-shoot sensor attached to a humongous lens.

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We did a Visa run to Costa Rica and a tour of the Chiriqui Highlands here in Panama. Unfortunately, I had a lousy camera for the trip:-O.

The Cannon seems much better and not having the anxiety of wondering if the shot will be a blob or not must be nice. It's just so frustrating when the majority of what I shoot is worthless. It's a crap shoot. I'm glad you like your new camera.

I'm going to experiment when I'm home and go from there.
Sue

Amazing, to me, after my experience with the Nikon.

A short photo session with a goldfinch this morning. Photos from different angles as he moved around a bit.

These are all cropped massively. The last photo is uncropped for perspective.

These are mainly all about how well the Canon actually focuses on the right thing. Not once did it focus on a twig in front or in back. I took about 30 photos in all. None were fuzzy. I picked the best aesthetically from each of the different angles.

Not great given how far away it was but all in focus.











cropped version for perspective


These are all in photobucket. Photobucket resized or compressed all off them by 50% or thereabouts. The originals are all in the mid-300K size.

I got a Sony HX100 for my birthday today and even after only a few hours out, I'm sure I've made the right choice. Anything would be better than the cursed Nikon, but this is great. We leave for Panama at the end of the month and I'm sure I will have some good shots in the remaining months I have in the rainforest. I will post some shots I took today. You can see the birds through branches and stuff. Even without anything in the way, I would need 25 or so shots with the Nikon to get a half way decent image. Today was point and click. All the images I'm putting up were shot in auto. I couldn't use that at all on the Nikon. I only cropped the last one of the butterfly, all others were just sized to 800 x 600. I had some very distant shots today and all turned out well. These are varying, but most weren't the super distant. I need to read the CD to find out how to work things, but I couldn't wait to try it out. The butterfly was shot in auto because I couldn't find a macro setting, but the auto focus flashed macro a few times--I guess it automatically goes to macro? Sweet! I have spend over a month hauling a Canon dslr around and decided that for me for now, I need the superzoom. It's too inconvenient to switch out the lenses. I need to go from distant to close in seconds. I am so relieved that I don't have to go out with the frustrator anymore. Too bad I threw so much money away.

Hi SueO, Looks like you've found happiness at last. That's good, I hope you get great pleasure out of the Sony. It is one of the best. I have just ordered the new Panasonic FZ150. Has the same zoom as the FZ100, but a few new features that should make it a much better camera. Have fun.

Sue, good for you! I hope it will work out. The one think I always try to figure out when having a new camera in my hands is how to change the focus to the smallest possible spot focus; that should allow you to focus more often on the bird even through branches.

Niels

Three things I've found that I think should be better:
1. No booklet, I have to read the manual from a disk and I really like to have a book.
2. The button on top that switches the view from the LCD screen to the viewfinder doesn't switch easily. I like to shoot from the viewfinder but I often look at the screen to see if I have a good shot, so I sue that button a bit.
3. The camera doesn't have a macro setting. The camera automaticalt focuses as little as 1cm away. I shot the butterfly I posted here five times and only got one clear shot. Of course, I didn't know that there wasn't an auto macro and I was practically lying on the ground when I shot. I hope I will learn to work the macro and this feature won't be a problem but I wish I had the choice.

Thanks for all the input in this great thread....
I'll be back (probably).
Sue