Canon SX50 Specs (2 Viewers)

[Roy C]

A couple of ugly close-ups (LOL) from my walk this afternoon. Aesthetically poor due to the crap perch for the Barn Swallow and the bland mud/sand for the Shelduck but not too bad a IQ IMHO.Both shot with the 1.5x digital converter at 1800mm hand held.

 

[Eddie H]

Is there a downloadable online manual for these cameras.

I'm going to buy one of Monday, and would like a read up before I buy one.

Cheers Eddie

 

[pshute]

Is there a downloadable online manual for these cameras.

I'm going to buy one of Monday, and would like a read up before I buy one.

Cheers Eddie

Here's one:
http://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/0/0300008700/01/pssx50hs-cug-en.pdf

 

[Roy C]

Doesn't sound physically possible. Perhaps they mean a faster shutter speed for the same effective focal length. Then, because the real focal length is half what it says it is, you have a wider maximum aperture available than you otherwise would.

There are two ways of extending the 'reach' past the max optical focal length (both digital of course), one is to use standard digital zoom and the other is to use a digital converter. The shutter speed using a digital converter gives a faster shutter speed than using standard digital zoom at the same effective 'reach'. So if you want,say 1800mm you are better off using full optical + the 1.5x digital converter rather than just standard digital up to 1800mm.

If you wanted 1200mm 'reach' you could use just standard optical at the max or zoom to 600mm and use a 2x digital converter -in this case using the 2x will give a faster shutter speed although IQ will obviously be inferior to optical reach.

All the figs quoted on this cam with regards to so called focal lengths are just comparable field of view when comparing to a full frame camera which is why I prefer to call it effective 'reach'. At the end of the day the max real focal length is 215mm (and you only get that when shooting at infinity).

 

[Eddie H]

Pshute,

many thanks for the link. Will spend the weekend reading that before I order one on Monday.

 

[Roy C]

A couple more from a few days ago. The Shelduck was at the full optical (1200mm full frame FOV) and shot in RAW whereas the Swallow was at 1800mm (full frame FOV) with the 1.5x digital tc.

 

[PaulShanghai]

2800 RMB today from a Canon dealer. Includes case, spare battery, card reader and 8Gb SD card.

 

[pooleparrot]

Macro Shots

Took some shots on Macro this morning, the first Dragonfly(4 spotted chaser I think) that let me get near it this year. Taken within 1metre, shutter 1/320, App 6.5 , ISO 160 Jpeg.

 

[WHIMBREL]

Very nice Four-spotted Chaser images pooleparrot, it looks as if the SX50 has a very decent close-up/macro image quality to go with that long range ability.

 

[Atricapilla]

A few shots from the other day,trying out different settings,macro etc.
I still think Crazy fingers settings are the best so far.
The Cattle egret was around 100 yards away.

 

[Bob Thompson]

Ashot from a couple of days ago at 1200mm hand held

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

:t:Cracking shot Bob:t:

Rich

 

[pooleparrot]

Redstart

Redstart from yesterday, settings in P mode, shutter 1/125, Aperture 6.5, ISO 400, 1200mm, JPEG. Taken from about 10 metres , in a shady glade. For comparison the 1st Image has been cropped and PP'ed for contrast, brightness etc, 2nd image straight from camera just resized to load onto here.

PP'ing actioned using freebie program, not an expert on PP'ing.

Ian

 

[gadus]

I bought mine a month ago for £289 and got the cashback so ended up paying £239.

I just scanned a copy of the invoice and filled out the claim form on-line (they prompt you for the invoice attachment).In addition to a UK receipt you have to supply the Camera serial number which could scupper some grey import jobs although you never know.

Where was it you were able to get it at this price?

Thank you

Peter

 

[Roy C]

Went to the coast today with my DSLR landscape gear but decided to take along the little SX50 just in case. The landscapes were no good due to a lot of mist but I did manage a few bird snaps - attached are Stonechat's all shot hand held at 1800mm, nothing special that's for sure but better than the landscapes :-O

 

[crazyfingers]

I had a pretty remarkable day out for me.

I can't say that any of these are remarkable but...

A first for me, I have never seen a Prairie Warbler before and got several OK not so great shots.

I had only seen a Baltimore Oriole once before and got several OK shots.

Also the Eastern Towhee I have only seen once before.

And finally this is a first time signing and photograph of an eastern kingbird.

The kingbird is probably the best overall shot of the day.

Besides the 4 attached, I also got:

Eastern bluebird
Mockingbird
Great blue heron
Cowbird
Blue Jay
Cat bird
Tree swallow
American crow

 

[Roy C]

Another Stonechat pic from yesterday. Much too big in the frame for a pleasing image but I was shooting at 1800mm and did not have time to zoom out and get a nicer composition. Reasonable IQ considering using the digital converter though.

 

[Roy C]

Here is an interesting focal length comparison - both shots were taken yesterday from the same spot. The close-up was handheld with the 2x digital converter giving 2400mm, the landscape (not with the SX50) was taken from the same spot at 27mm (full frame equivalent). The bird show in both shots is the same one on the same rock. Not sure of the distance but would estimate about 150 yards (450 feet).
While the IQ the 2400mm shot is obvious iffy compared with a decent DSLR shot it is not bad all thing considered IMHO.

 

[DavidNB]

Here is an interesting focal length comparison - both shots were taken yesterday from the same spot. The close-up was handheld with the 2x digital converter giving 2400mm, the landscape (not with the SX50) was taken from the same spot at 27mm (full frame equivalent). The bird show in both shots is the same one on the same rock. Not sure of the distance but would estimate about 150 yards (450 feet).
While the IQ the 2400mm shot is obvious iffy compared with a decent DSLR shot it is not bad all thing considered IMHO.

Roy, what sort of lens would a DSLR require to get the quality of that sort of cormorant shot? I don't imagine that blowing up a 3x zoom would be able to hack it, even with huge pixelage, and a very high quality lens - but I really have no idea what sort of zoom it would take to equal it. 300? 400? 500?

Actually what I'm really concerned about is how much money a DSLR/lens set-up that could equal that shot at that range would cost, as retirement approaches, and if I could afford a DSLR.lens tripod system to go to specific places to sit, photograph and watch through the scope I already have, then I would.

Normally I would just have binoculars and SX50 with me when going for a walk or drive.

BTW, any chance of you getting a good estimate of the distance of it by using the ruler on Google Earth?

Yours is way better than my full zoom and 2x pics of cormorants sitting on Sker Rock in Tenby, which I have measured on Google Earth at approx 1150 feet

David

 

[Roy C]

Roy, what sort of lens would a DSLR require to get the quality of that sort of cormorant shot? I don't imagine that blowing up a 3x zoom would be able to hack it, even with huge pixelage, and a very high quality lens - but I really have no idea what sort of zoom it would take to equal it. 300? 400? 500?

Actually what I'm really concerned about is how much money a DSLR/lens set-up that could equal that shot at that range would cost, as retirement approaches, and if I could afford a DSLR.lens tripod system to go to specific places to sit, photograph and watch through the scope I already have, then I would.

Normally I would just have binoculars and SX50 with me when going for a walk or drive.

BTW, any chance of you getting a good estimate of the distance of it by using the ruler on Google Earth?

Yours is way better than my full zoom and 2x pics of cormorants sitting on Sker Rock in Tenby, which I have measured on Google Earth at approx 1150 feet

David

David, the thing is with DSLR shots there is much more room for cropping heavily due the the much bigger sensors. A long DSLR lens could probably equal this IQ by cropping heavily although shooting at this distance I doubt if you could better it by a lot even with a £5k + lens. Of course the nearer the bird is then the better quality you would get from a DSLR set-up. Serious bird photographers would not even bother to attempt a shot at this distance as they are looking for ultra fine feather detail etc.
Probably the biggest advantages of a DSLR set-up for birds apart from the IQ is the auto focus speed and accuracy, lots more AF options plus the much better continuous shooting frame rate.