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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

SX40 Super Zoom (3 Viewers)

Anyone who wants a feel for the zoom that the SX40 packs, here you go.

I was standing out at the boys bus stop this afternoon and took two photos. One full wide angle and one zooming in on the car at the center of the photo.

The car is in the late afternoon shadows.

Wide angle. Try to spot the car in the center.
http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc433/crazyfingers1/IMG_0114.jpg

Zoom in on the car.
http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc433/crazyfingers1/IMG_0112.jpg

I have not altered these in any way.
 
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crazyfingers said:
Anyone who wants a feel for the zoom that the SX40 packs, here you go.

I was standing out at the boys bus stop this afternoon and took two photos. One full wide angle and one zooming in on the car at the center of the photo.

The car is in the late afternoon shadows.

Wide angle. Try to spot the car in the center.
http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc433/crazyfingers1/IMG_0114.jpg

Zoom in on the car.
http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc433/crazyfingers1/IMG_0112.jpg

I have not altered these in any way.
Click to expand...

Excellent demo of the power of the SX40HS.
Neil
 
Hmm.

I'm beginning to wonder whether I should abandon my plan to digiscope with my new scope, and upgrade my SX30 to the SX40 instead.

And Hi to crazyfingers, who I know well from another, non-bird, forum, where we compared pics from our old superzooms (I had Pentax) until cf got his SX30, and the difference was so obvious that I had to follow suit.

David B
 
DavidNB said:
Hmm.

I'm beginning to wonder whether I should abandon my plan to digiscope with my new scope, and upgrade my SX30 to the SX40 instead.

And Hi to crazyfingers, who I know well from another, non-bird, forum, where we compared pics from our old superzooms (I had Pentax) until cf got his SX30, and the difference was so obvious that I had to follow suit.

David B
Click to expand...

Hey David! :t:
 
DavidNB said:
Hmm.

I'm beginning to wonder whether I should abandon my plan to digiscope with my new scope, and upgrade my SX30 to the SX40 instead.

And Hi to crazyfingers, who I know well from another, non-bird, forum, where we compared pics from our old superzooms (I had Pentax) until cf got his SX30, and the difference was so obvious that I had to follow suit.

David B
Click to expand...

David,
I don't think going from the sx30 to sx40 is a big enough upgrade. The results from the sx30 that I've seen have been very good . At the long end you would get better results disgiscoping ( ie 1000 mm plus ).
Neil
 
Neil said:
David,
I don't think going from the sx30 to sx40 is a big enough upgrade. The results from the sx30 that I've seen have been very good . At the long end you would get better results disgiscoping ( ie 1000 mm plus ).
Neil
Click to expand...

I expect that you are right if digiscoping is an option.

For me I'd never have one with me. I need a versatile all-around camera that I would actually take with me on hikes and bike rides but will also give me excellent chances for good wildlife photos. For me I was running into a lot of situations where the SX30 low light limitations were causing me problems. The SX40 improves on that a lot. And the improved burst speed actually makes that function usable vs the 30 which is about 8x slower.

For my needs the upgrade was worth it.
 
Thanks, Neil.

I hope you are right. I think I will get digiscoping stuff for particular days out when I won't go far from the car, and use the SX 30 for general use as a go anywhere camera, and use it for shots of flowers and insects and things when I have the scope with me.

Look forward to posting some pics.

David
 
DavidNB said:
Thanks, Neil.

I hope you are right. I think I will get digiscoping stuff for particular days out when I won't go far from the car, and use the SX 30 for general use as a go anywhere camera, and use it for shots of flowers and insects and things when I have the scope with me.

Look forward to posting some pics.

David
Click to expand...

I wish I had the time to go places on my own to just take pictures. As it is, with 3 kids in elementary school, my outdoor activities usually center around their activities. That's usually a lot of moving around at their speed.
 
Just a little tip I picked up from crazyfingers elsewhere for the SX30 which should equally apply to SX40 I should think, though not really birding related.

If you are trying to take a pic of a butterfly, or moth, or lizard or something which is easily spooked, don't even think about trying to get in close, or using a macro setting.

Full zoom from about 8 feet is the way to go.

One more thing - both cf and I liked our Nikon and Pentax respectively, except insofar as if trying to shoot a bird in a tree we almost invariably got a nice pic of one branch with some buds or leaves in superb focus, and a blotchy out of focus thing that was what we were actually trying to take a picture of.

Centre focus on the Canon SX30, and I presume same on SX40, though, and you can actually photograph the target you are aiming for.

David B
 
Has anyone got any examples of the macro capabilities of the sx40...?

I am contemplaing buying this camera but was slightly put off after viewing a youtube vid review where the fellow doing the review could not get the camera to focus on a leaf close to lens...it kept focusing on the background...!

Am 'presuming' this was an operator error...:smoke:

Many thanks for any info regarding macro function...:t:

http://username-beast.blogspot.com/
 
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username,

I too have watched presumably the same review and soon realized that the reviewer had not read the instructions correctly. Macro is achieved at the wide-angle end of the zoom, not at the telephoto end which the reviewer incorrectly assumed.

My wife has recently purchased a SX40HS and is highly delighted with it, particularly the video function, although, as yet she has not taken any macro shots. According to the manual, the focusing range is 0-50cm (0-1.6ft) with the lens set at its widest angle.

Hope this helps.

Mike
 
Sandpiper said:
username,

I too have watched presumably the same review and soon realized that the reviewer had not read the instructions correctly. Macro is achieved at the wide-angle end of the zoom, not at the telephoto end which the reviewer incorrectly assumed.

My wife has recently purchased a SX40HS and is highly delighted with it, particularly the video function, although, as yet she has not taken any macro shots. According to the manual, the focusing range is 0-50cm (0-1.6ft) with the lens set at its widest angle.

Hope this helps.

Mike
Click to expand...

Thank you for that info Mike...:t:

It did seem most odd that the guy in the youtube vid was having so much trouble with macro on the sx40...! Otherwise it was quite a good review overall...:cat:

If your wife, or any other sx40 user, should have any macro shots in the future then please do post as i would be most interested...!

All the best...!

http://username-beast.blogspot.com/
 
username said:
If your wife, or any other sx40 user, should have any macro shots in the future then please do post as i would be most interested...!
Click to expand...

I'm sitting here at my desk with the SX40. Indoor macros are hard to do. I could do one tomorrow outside. It's supposed to be sunny and slightly above freezing! (it's about -10C outside right now.. brrr...)

What would you like a macro of? A dead leaf? Some evergreen leaves? There are no insects or flowers at the moment with luck a mutant/crazy dandelion.
 
crazyfingers said:
I'm sitting here at my desk with the SX40. Indoor macros are hard to do. I could do one tomorrow outside. It's supposed to be sunny and slightly above freezing! (it's about -10C outside right now.. brrr...)

What would you like a macro of? A dead leaf? Some evergreen leaves? There are no insects or flowers at the moment with luck a mutant/crazy dandelion.
Click to expand...

A leaf or two would be fine Crazyfingers....!

I like the detail found in the macro world so the crispness of things like veins in leaves would be a good illustration..:cat:

At present i simply go around with my little panasonic lumix TZ6 which suffices...and is good for quick digi scoping shots of birds...

I'm just thinking that maybe the sx40 might be better for my needs...

ps...only just below freezing here in England...and thats cold enough for me...[no insects here either]...;)

All the best...!

http://username-beast.blogspot.com/
 

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username said:
A leaf or two would be fine Crazyfingers....!
Click to expand...

Here are a few macros. I took multiples of most of these. None were out of focus though I liked some better than others.

http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc433/crazyfingers1/IMG_0178.jpg

http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc433/crazyfingers1/IMG_0176.jpg

http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc433/crazyfingers1/IMG_0173.jpg

http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc433/crazyfingers1/IMG_0171.jpg

http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc433/crazyfingers1/IMG_0167.jpg

http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc433/crazyfingers1/IMG_0166.jpg

http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc433/crazyfingers1/IMG_0163.jpg

http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc433/crazyfingers1/IMG_0160.jpg

It's odd that stray dandelions will flower at any time. The one in the photo bloomed after a rainy 40 degree (F) day 3 days ago but it has been very cold since. It's just below freezing outside right now.

All of these were taken in "Auto" mode. The camera chooses when to go to macro mode. None of these are cropped or edited in any way except that I think that photobucket resizes them on upload.
 
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Many thanks for those macro shots Crazyfingers...:t:

Some great definition there...!

Now i guess i'll just have to go down to my local store and have a 'play' with an sx40....:cat:

Still weighing up options...so difficult to know which camera will suit me best.

Was slightly put off by reports of sluggish AF with the sx40...[i guess the sx50 will be less 'sluggish']...when it inevitably arrives..;)

All the best..!

http://username-beast.blogspot.com/
 
username said:
Many thanks for those macro shots Crazyfingers...:t:

Some great definition there...!

Now i guess i'll just have to go down to my local store and have a 'play' with an sx40....:cat:

Still weighing up options...so difficult to know which camera will suit me best.

Was slightly put off by reports of sluggish AF with the sx40...[i guess the sx50 will be less 'sluggish']...when it inevitably arrives..;)

All the best..!

http://username-beast.blogspot.com/
Click to expand...

Thanks.

By the way, I agree with DavidNB above. There are times when zooming in from a distance will get you almost as good a result.

Here is one of the rose hips again. It's afternoon so it's now in the shadows. Instead of macro this is zoomed all the way in from maybe 2.5 meters away. The trick is not to use full auto but to force the center spot focus. It's my standard setup for birds anyway.

If there was a butterfly on this rose hip, the photo would be quite good and you won't scare the thing away putting a huge lens in it's face.

Max zoom from about 2.5 meters
http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc433/crazyfingers1/IMG_0187.jpg
 
So, since I started this thread, I haven't had a chance to really get to know my camera, but what I do know (mostly auto-mode), I like very much.

Is this camera workable for digiscoping? Is there a preferred adapter you guys like?
 
Since it is the same externally as the SX30, I would say not suitable for digiscoping. I've had a lot of conflicting advice on digiscoping, only one person saying it could be so used, and he was, I think, talking out of his bottom in this case.

My best info is that a small compact and universal adaptor is a good way to go, and I've just bought an adaptor and Lumix fs15 on the advice of my local dealer.

David B
 
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