Canon SX50 Specs (3 Viewers)

[DavidNB]

I'm certainly finding that nearness to the subject and lighting conditions, as well as how still the subject is (to include wind ruffling feathers) and how much zoom is being used are all factors in the clarity of the final shot.

My local kestrel, which frequently hangs out on the site of Tenby Castle - a very busy tourist attraction, is both very photogenic and tolerant of people - perhaps too much so for its own good.

For those with the misfortune to not be familiar with Tenby Castle I add a link. She often frequents the fairly flat piece of land by the bandstand which can be seen pictured in the link, which is where I took the picture linked to below on the 23rd April.

http://www.visitpembrokeshire.com/content.asp?nav=2,32,43

She hunts there - I have seen her taking worms and common lizards, and have heard that she has been seen taking baby rats, and when I took these pictures she had came and landed very close to me a couple of times.

http://s419.photobucket.com/user/dble_photo/media/IMG_2460_zpsf797cab7.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0

http://s419.photobucket.com/user/dble_photo/media/IMG_2432_zps782d7ec0.jpg.html?sort=3&o=2

I'm quite pleased with these, but I'm finding that I enjoy them more, and they seem more detailed, crisper and richer coloured, when I use an HDMI lead to play them back through my TV, which is full 1080 HD, rather than my laptop. I will be looking again at monitors, new laptops and tablets, and trying to resist spending money on anything until I find something significantly better. I fear I might have to wait a while before prices become reasonable though.

One of the possible weak points of the laptop is that my varifocal glasses are overdue for replacement. I have an appointment for eye-test coming up on Monday. Perhaps the distance from my eyes of the laptop does not quite fit the focus of the various areas of my glasses any more.

Regarding birds in flight, I have a few pics I am reasonably happy with, but they do tend to be of either Herring Gulls soaring on the uplift created when wind from the see hits the land, or the Kestrel pictured above on the ground, and both of those must be among the easiest birds to get good in-flight shots of.

David

 

[Gomphus]

I've had this camera a couple of months now and I'm still learning. But I have managed a few birds in flight fairly well. I took the attached Spoonbill shots at very long range as record shots, as the bird is a bit of a "mega" in Derbyshire! The camera did remarkably well for the rather grotty conditions. I have since taken several Arctic Tern record shots and again the camera did OK, only problem I found was keeping the subject in focus rather than the background, but that is my inability to track well, not the cameras!)
I have found like most others that its good light and distance that produce the best shots but so far I am very impressed. The more I take the more I am learning about the SX50 and the better the results.
I also attach a Chiffchaff shot (has had a little work done, but not much, and resized.).

Steph'

 

[Mike Beer]

I am only posting this picture of a Chough because it was a very long way away .
Mike

 

[punta]

I've had this camera a couple of months now and I'm still learning. But I have managed a few birds in flight fairly well. I took the attached Spoonbill shots at very long range as record shots, as the bird is a bit of a "mega" in Derbyshire! The camera did remarkably well for the rather grotty conditions. I have since taken several Arctic Tern record shots and again the camera did OK, only problem I found was keeping the subject in focus rather than the background, but that is my inability to track well, not the cameras!)
I have found like most others that its good light and distance that produce the best shots but so far I am very impressed. The more I take the more I am learning about the SX50 and the better the results.
I also attach a Chiffchaff shot (has had a little work done, but not much, and resized.).

Steph'

The Chiffchaff is a lovely snap :t:

 

[DavidNB]

I am only posting this picture of a Chough because it was a very long way away .
Mike

I missed a close Chough today because I was focussing on dolphins when a Chough flew past not more than 25 feet away from me - but couldn't get down from full zoom in time.

Dolphins are hard to photograph from a distance, as they weren't staying up long. Got just one bad shot. Also practised my BiFs by trying to get Gannets in flight at distance. Nothing worth posting.

However when I looked out of my window this evening I was rather flabbergasted with what I saw, and will post this here as well as in the ID wanted forum as an example of how well the SX50 coped with dusk at quite big zoom. Warnings showing in viewfinder, but pressed button anyway.

ETA I notice that the time the camera says this pic was taken was wrong, because I had left daylight saving off. It was actually about quarter to nine.

http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp275/dble_photo/IMG_2700blackswan_zpsd2c3b688.jpg

David

 

[crazyfingers]

Palm Warbler which is a first for me. Both at 50x and 2X teleconverter at relatively close range. One closer than the other obviously. No crop.

 

[rob lee]

Hi all

Been watching developments on this thread for a few months now & finally pulled the trigger on one of these great little cams. Prior to this I had the Panasonic FZ150, itself a revelation of what can now be achieved with these modern superzooms. However, I feel that the Canon is yet another step up, with superior image output as well as the obvious range advantage & incredible image stabilisation. I`ve only had it for a couple of days so far & have only shot in jpeg, & I`m still finding my way around the various menus/setups, but I`ve been greatly helped by everyones input on this thread so far. My message to anybody else out there thinking of getting one of these is ; do it, you wont regret it. The attached shots show a range of the cameras various capabilities.
The Dunnock was taken through a dirty window at close range but still shows good detail, the Little Owl was in near dusk & hand held at 800 ISO ! & the Drone Fly was again hand held on maximum zoom at minimum focus range.
A few pages back I believe it was Roy who mentioned turning the noise reduction down. I`ve found this on the high ISO option but is it available for use generally ?
Rob.

 

[Hobbes2]

Hi all
Been watching developments on this thread for a few months now & finally pulled the trigger on one of these great little cams. Prior to this I had the Panasonic FZ150, itself a revelation of what can now be achieved with these modern superzooms. However, I feel that the Canon is yet another step up, with superior image output as well as the obvious range advantage & incredible image stabilisation. <snip>
Rob.

Hi Rob
I too am watching this thread with interest as a Panasonic FZ150 user. May I ask, had you been using the Panasonic with the 1.7 teleconverter? I am still trying to decide whether the extra 200mm reach that the Canon can offer me is worth it.
Thanks
Hobbes

 

[rob lee]

Hi Hobbes
Never tried the Lumix with a TC, so can`t comment on that, but I`ve already found that the extra reach on the Canon makes a big difference to the distance needed to get good shots of birds etc & as I said at the beginning of my post I also believe that the overall image quality is superior to the FZ150. Here`s another sample image

 

[Roy C]

Someone a while back asked about a before and after pic re processing so I attach a before and after shot I took yesterday.
Only a 'Goldie' and not a particularly good shot by any means but it illustrates the before and after. A lot of people may well feel that the original full frame image is more pleasing than the cropped imaged and I have some sympathy with that although for me the bird is too central. Cropping an image is subjective - one man's meat is another man's poison although there are basic rules which should be adhered to for bird photography.

Not a lot of processing done other than cropping, removing a few tray ends of branches, running noise reduction on the background (any noise increases significantly when you crop fairly heavily like this so NR is essential). and some selective sharpening.

 

[Roy C]

The Dunnock was taken through a dirty window at close range but still shows good detail, the Little Owl was in near dusk & hand held at 800 ISO ! & the Drone Fly was again hand held on maximum zoom at minimum focus range.
A few pages back I believe it was Roy who mentioned turning the noise reduction down. I`ve found this on the high ISO option but is it available for use generally ?
Rob.

That Drone fly is very good Rob.
Re the high ISO NR, I am not sure at what ISO it actually kicks in - also it should be noted that it has no effect if you shoot RAW.

 

[punta]

Just a quick question regarding shooting in raw. Can you still use the 1.5 and 2x convertor when shooting in raw?

 

[greenwell]

Bowes museum

Still amazes the reach this cam as,this is 434Yrds measured on google from my window to the bowes roof spike.
I realize they are not the best but were a quick snap shot of a couple of Rooks.
Chris.

 

[Hobbes2]

Hi Hobbes
Never tried the Lumix with a TC, so can`t comment on that, but I`ve already found that the extra reach on the Canon makes a big difference to the distance needed to get good shots of birds etc & as I said at the beginning of my post I also believe that the overall image quality is superior to the FZ150. Here`s another sample image

Thanks for your reply, Rob. I shall have to take a closer look at the SX50, I think :t:
Hobbes

 

[Roy C]

Just a quick question regarding shooting in raw. Can you still use the 1.5 and 2x convertor when shooting in raw?

Nope - when using RAW you can only use the optical focal range. I shoot mostly in RAW but have superfine jpeg with a digital converter invoked on C2 so I can quickly change if needed - I also have the digital converters set-up on the short cut button so I can quickly flip between 1.5x - 2x- off when in jpeg mode.

 

[punta]

Nope - when using RAW you can only use the optical focal range. I shoot mostly in RAW but have superfine jpeg with a digital converter invoked on C2 so I can quickly change if needed - I also have the digital converters set-up on the short cut button so I can quickly flip between 1.5x - 2x- off when in jpeg mode.

I thought as much - cheers Roy.

 

[Hamhed]

Hi, All -

I recently joined the Canon SX50 buyers. Thanks to all for this thread which helped me choose between the many options out there.
I got a shot yesterday after the sun had dropped below the horizon. The Wood Thrush was in the wooded area behind our house, singing but difficult to locate. When I did, it was in a tangle of branches. The perfect spot for the camera to prove itself. Low light, focusing challenges, full zoom. I am pleased with the shot, especially considering my lack of experience with this model.
I'm not doing well with the program that came with the camera. It seems much less intuitive and more restrictive than what I am used to. So, the picture is cropped but I can't say how much and the quality is cut to get Birdforum to accept the file size.

Steve

 

[brucelythe]

From SA

All untouched straight from the camera. Some I am very pleased with, some not so.... Simply re-sized to conform with site requirements....

 

[brucelythe]

~More from SA

more

 

[brucelythe]

~ from SA

one last one. Thanks for the help in camera set up....