Paul Jarvis
Registered Member
So are people saying if you have the sx40 its not worth upgrading to the 50 or 60. I have the sx40 and like what it does for what I want.
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Canon SX60HS in Action (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Neil
- Start date
spuggyhawk
Well-known member
Although I'm disappointed with the sx60 I wouldn't discount the sx50, in fact that is probably they way I'm going to go.
Paul Jarvis
Registered Member
May look into that that coz sx50 s should be bargain bucket prices.
Neil, great video. Have you tried the zoom range from wide angle through into the digital range and back, and if so does the zoom sort of trip as it enters or leaves the digital range, or is it a smooth transition. Because this happens on my Sx50 which makes for poor zooming. Also there is a constant clicking noise from the motor / focusing on my Sx50
Nick Leech
Well-known member
Paul - I think most people would agree that the SX50 is a worthwhile improvement over the SX40 (which itself was a good camera).
As you say, there should be some bargain prices about on the SX50 once the SX60 is in all the shops.
As you say, there should be some bargain prices about on the SX50 once the SX60 is in all the shops.
Thanks Spuggyhawk and others who weighed in on the SX60. I was a little reluctant to do so considering my photographic inexperience, but figured most members here would be able to gauge the value of my observations. Your input makes me feel like I wasn't too off-base.
Paul, it probably comes down to what features and functions are most important to you. Sounds like the video folks are thrilled with the SX60, but I wouldn't make an even trade for my SX50.
Then again, some people seem to think the SX60's short-comings may be mostly software-based. If that's the case and Canon issues new software, I'd bite again....but I'm not holding my breath.
Flossiepip, I ran across a P600/SX50 comparison you might be interested in; http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/54489002
BTW, I didn't mean to imply that the Nikon's autofocus isn't accurate, it is (might even be better than the SX50) I just found it to be really slow compared to the Canon....and being really slow myself, I missed too many shots with it. Unlike serious bird photographers, I'll settle for a slightly out-of-focus shot over "nothin but air
Paul, it probably comes down to what features and functions are most important to you. Sounds like the video folks are thrilled with the SX60, but I wouldn't make an even trade for my SX50.
Then again, some people seem to think the SX60's short-comings may be mostly software-based. If that's the case and Canon issues new software, I'd bite again....but I'm not holding my breath.
Flossiepip, I ran across a P600/SX50 comparison you might be interested in; http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/54489002
BTW, I didn't mean to imply that the Nikon's autofocus isn't accurate, it is (might even be better than the SX50) I just found it to be really slow compared to the Canon....and being really slow myself, I missed too many shots with it. Unlike serious bird photographers, I'll settle for a slightly out-of-focus shot over "nothin but air
Thanks mzettie, your reference to the verdict on video quality has got me thinking again. Like you I'm still relatively new to birding and certainly no photographer, so I mostly use the outstanding video zoom on SX50 as an aid to recognition.
Since I usually also carry a smaller digital camera for everyday photography I'm now wondering whether for my particular purposes it would be worth sacrificing the picture quality of the SX50 for the improved video and EVF of the SX60.
Tough call!
CalvinFold
Well-known member
My one good buying opportunity is going to be Black Friday or Cyber Monday sales, or further sales between then and the new year. So I'm counting on good deals then, which means I can't really wait for any competitors and their "coming soon" cameras. It's the next few months or this time next year. And I'd really like a better camera by April at the latest.
So I'm in the same boat. The SX60 is getting panned in reviews: they often still rate it above the SX50, but only barely and for reasons that really don't concern me. On-the-ground experience seems go the other way...alot of disappointment, especially at the extreme edge of focus (where I care the most).
I've looked at the reviews and user comments about the P600 and HX400 as well, but I can't find enough people who find it compelling for birding compared to what seems like an army of SX50 people who think it's the best birding camera ever (or at least "the next best thing to lugging around thousands of dollars of DSLR gear to do the same thing"). Review after review, birder after birder, swears by the SX50 the way digiscopers used to swear by the Nikon Coolpix 4500 years and years ago. Fanatical bunch. |
|Maybe Canon will fix the problems with the SX60 with a firmware patch before I buy, and if so, great! Otherwise I'm pretty much settled on the SX50.
pdwinter
Paul Winter
I've just bought a DSLR from them and the process was painless!
I just got back from a week in California where I used the SX60 every day. The quality of the light was much better than I'm used to in Asia so showed the camera at it's best.
I haven't started processed the stills yet but here are two videos . The first shows the optical zooming capability from 1350 mm to 21 mm and back again from my hotel to the gulls on the far end of the beach (tripod).
https://vimeo.com/108675887
This is at 1080p.
This video shows a juvenile Black-bellied Plover in the late afternoon sun from a distance of about 5 metres.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/7892550@N03/15476513246/
Both videos were shot on a tripod.
Neil.
This is downsized to 720p for Flickr.
Neil
I haven't started processed the stills yet but here are two videos . The first shows the optical zooming capability from 1350 mm to 21 mm and back again from my hotel to the gulls on the far end of the beach (tripod).
https://vimeo.com/108675887
This is at 1080p.
This video shows a juvenile Black-bellied Plover in the late afternoon sun from a distance of about 5 metres.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/7892550@N03/15476513246/
Both videos were shot on a tripod.
Neil.
This is downsized to 720p for Flickr.
Neil
Nick Leech
Well-known member
Neil, what is your opinion on the stills capabilities of the SX60? In particular, have you noticed the shortcomings that have been reported elsewhere with poor performance (AF and IQ) at the max zoom? - eg review here:
http://cameras.reviewed.com/content/canon-powershot-sx60-hs-digital-camera-review
http://cameras.reviewed.com/content/canon-powershot-sx60-hs-digital-camera-review
spuggyhawk
Well-known member
There was a lot I liked about the sx60, the build and feel in the hand where good, video was great. However as a birder that likes to take pic's there are a couple of things for me that are a must from this camera... to be usable handheld at full zoom and decent quality sharp pic's at the high end of the zoom.
I had the 60 for two days before i sent it back and in those two days I didnt get a pic I was happy with at high end zoom, I'm a sx40 user at the moment and ive been very pleased with it and was expecting big things from the 60... to say i'm disapointed is an understatement. I may just go for the sx50 unless i can be convinced that the sony is better.
Jon
I had the 60 for two days before i sent it back and in those two days I didnt get a pic I was happy with at high end zoom, I'm a sx40 user at the moment and ive been very pleased with it and was expecting big things from the 60... to say i'm disapointed is an understatement. I may just go for the sx50 unless i can be convinced that the sony is better.
Jon
I've had to stop processing my stills as I've run out of memory on all my drives. I'll get another 2T/byte drive today.
My initial impression though are though that those with the SX50 are not going to be blown away by the sx60 for stills. But as it has a longer lens you will need good technique to get the best out of it eg press the camera to your eye for stability and use the full extension stabiility button on the lens.
What I'd like to see though are people posting their photos , good or bad, with exif info so that we can see what people expectations are
This photo of the cormorants was taken at about 50 metres at 830 mm and 1/320th at 5.6 at iso 200 with the camera on a tripod. In good light.
I'll get to longer range photos later in the day.
Neil.
Attachments
Here is an example of a full zoom at distance of a crow up a palm tree against the light, while I was having lunch. Handheld. The wide shot was at 21 mm at iso 100 and 1/400th second at f4. The long shot at full optical zoom of 1365 mm was at 1/160th second at f5.6 which is why the bird is not as sharp as it should be (it was moving as it looked for insects)
Neil.
ps the palm is marked with an arrow in the middle of the frame.
Neil.
ps the palm is marked with an arrow in the middle of the frame.
Attachments
This Black Turnstone was at full zoom of 1365 mm and 1/400th at f5.6 and iso 125. I just noticed that Canon includes a Subject Distance figure in the Exif and it shows 28 metres for this turnstone. I wonder how accurate this is?
Neil.
Neil.
Attachments
Nick Leech
Well-known member
Thanks for posting these stills Neil.
Were they JPEGS straight out of the camera, or processed RAW files? Have you done any sharpening etc?
Were they JPEGS straight out of the camera, or processed RAW files? Have you done any sharpening etc?
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