SX40 Super Zoom (4 Viewers)

[snowyegret]

Need Advice on Filters

A friend suggested I buy a filter to protect the lens of my new camera. He said you can always replace a filter, but if the lens gets scratched, the camera is finished.

What type of filter should I get and can anyone recommend an inexpensive one? An internet search is confusing; there are so many types and sizes available. I am looking for lens protection, not special effects.

Also, it looks like I need an adaptor to connect the filter to the camera. The manual mentions a 67mm adaptor.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[woody66]

A friend suggested I buy a filter to protect the lens of my new camera. He said you can always replace a filter, but if the lens gets scratched, the camera is finished.

What type of filter should I get and can anyone recommend an inexpensive one? An internet search is confusing; there are so many types and sizes available. I am looking for lens protection, not special effects.

Also, it looks like I need an adaptor to connect the filter to the camera. The manual mentions a 67mm adaptor.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you![/QUOTE


Dont know if you can get stuff from here ; http://www.digitalmediastore.co.uk

but theyve got just what you need its a lens set for the sx40 which in the uk costs £25
just have a look , they might ship to the states i dont know . or try this link

http://www.digitalmediastore.co.uk/...pter_Set_with_Lens_Hood__Filters__KIW-SX30K-D

 

[Robert L Jarvis]

Took my Wife's SX40 out the other day to have a try. Not much about but this Peregrine was obliging.

It was quite some distance away about 130 metres. Attached are two shots, the second at max opt zoom and the first is a cropped image with a mite of sharpening and noise reduction. Exposure was fine and needed no work. Considering the distance involved the cropped shot is not bad, okay not showing very fine detail like a 7D with 400mm prime would show but IMO a decent image.

What do you think?

 

[Roy C]

Took my Wife's SX40 out the other day to have a try. Not much about but this Peregrine was obliging.

It was quite some distance away about 130 metres. Attached are two shots, the second at max opt zoom and the first is a cropped image with a mite of sharpening and noise reduction. Exposure was fine and needed no work. Considering the distance involved the cropped shot is not bad, okay not showing very fine detail like a 7D with 400mm prime would show but IMO a decent image.

What do you think?

That is very good from that distance Robert - I must admit the thought of one of these cameras as opposed to hauling around a DSLR and all the trappings is very appealing if only for the occasional walkabouts.
That full frame shot is superb imo.

 

[Tarsiger]

That is very good from that distance Robert - I must admit the thought of one of these cameras as opposed to hauling around a DSLR and all the trappings is very appealing if only for the occasional walkabouts.
That full frame shot is superb imo.

My FZ150 is out with me everytime now in place of 40D/500F4/converter/tripod
and it's a delight.Virtually featherweight and, once you realise its not an SLR,
then capable of pretty decent images and video footage.Thoroughly recommend this type of camera to anyone.
Russ

 

[Neil]

Took my Wife's SX40 out the other day to have a try. Not much about but this Peregrine was obliging.

It was quite some distance away about 130 metres. Attached are two shots, the second at max opt zoom and the first is a cropped image with a mite of sharpening and noise reduction. Exposure was fine and needed no work. Considering the distance involved the cropped shot is not bad, okay not showing very fine detail like a 7D with 400mm prime would show but IMO a decent image.

What do you think?

Nice record shot Robert. I like the SX40HS for HD video too. It would do a good job on that Peregrine. Was that a nest?
Neil

 

[Robert L Jarvis]

Neil I found video is good as well however it cannot cope with fast moving birds, they blur. It is mentioned in the manual and stated as not a fault!! What I do like about the video is that it keeps focus very well in fact better than my Panasonic HDc-Sd60 camcorder. I intend weather permitting to go out and do back to back tests soon.

In fact I did video the falcon as well but really too far to get a good result, the bird is the same size as in the still at max opt zoom. I have other video of birds and the result is very very good. IMO better than the 7d.

What I want to try is scaling down to 720p as then the camera does video at 30fps. I wonder if that is better. Have you any experience of that Neil.

For others who are thinking of taking it out more often bear in mind the focusing is not a fast as a DSLR, however you can control the camera extremely well in manual mode. Also there is a fix to enable one to shoot in raw. Would also advise careful reading of the manual regarding focus tracking and burst rates.

 

[Froggy]

A friend suggested I buy a filter to protect the lens of my new camera. He said you can always replace a filter, but if the lens gets scratched, the camera is finished.

What type of filter should I get and can anyone recommend an inexpensive one? An internet search is confusing; there are so many types and sizes available. I am looking for lens protection, not special effects.

Also, it looks like I need an adaptor to connect the filter to the camera. The manual mentions a 67mm adaptor.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

It's 50/50 split with the ongoing debate whether to use them at all .
Threads like this one convinced me not to :
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1171055

 

[woody66]

Im going to try a tulip lens hood with the lens cap on each time and i might stand a chance of escaping any damage to the main lens if dropped , ive just got to keep remembering to take off the lens cap when needed .

 

[Paul Jarvis]

Just for comparison reasons here some shots with different crops from the 7D plus 400.

 

[crazyfingers]

I love the colors.

 

[Froggy]

Just for comparison reasons here some shots with different crops from the 7D plus 400.

Difficult to make a comparison , can't tell if the forum limits are causing problems or those crops are at the limit of their respective cameras .

From those samples the bridge camera has done extremely well !

 

[Robert L Jarvis]

Both cameras were side by side on tripods all other factors being identical, light etc.. As my son points out he was limited to the magnification provided by the 400 prime and the crop factor of the 7D. The Sx40 was at max opt zoom of 840mm. Therefore the unprocessed image will be closer in than that of the 7D (smaller FOV).

As you comment the SX40 has done pretty well.

 

[Froggy]

Both cameras were side by side on tripods all other factors being identical, light etc.. As my son points out he was limited to the magnification provided by the 400 prime and the crop factor of the 7D. The Sx40 was at max opt zoom of 840mm. Therefore the unprocessed image will be closer in than that of the 7D (smaller FOV).

As you comment the SX40 has done pretty well.

Confused me then for a minute until I saw the son part !

The optical difference makes sense now .
The 7/400 seems almost pixel sharp though , must be a killer combo within the right range .

These bridge cameras have really come a long way since I had one (dimage 7i) .
Thanks for the info and the shots

 

[Robert L Jarvis]

The 7/400 is a great combo, mnay on here use it. See my son's gallery, or website, sopme excellent images there.

PS I see you are in the Northwest, where? is a big place or PM me.

 

[Atricapilla]

Both cameras were side by side on tripods all other factors being identical, light etc.. As my son points out he was limited to the magnification provided by the 400 prime and the crop factor of the 7D. The Sx40 was at max opt zoom of 840mm. Therefore the unprocessed image will be closer in than that of the 7D (smaller FOV).

As you comment the SX40 has done pretty well.

Going off at a tangent and having seen the quality of your digiscoping in the past Robert,I would love to see a comparison digiscoped shot of this bird.
I think we would get an interesting result!!!!!

 

[lmans66]

Going off at a tangent and having seen the quality of your digiscoping in the past Robert,I would love to see a comparison digiscoped shot of this bird.
I think we would get an interesting result!!!!!

This is a good question...I would like to see quality between digiscoping and these bridge cameras. I am thinking they would be close and the ease of the bridge cameras as opposed to taking the scope plus all along, might be worth it. But make it a fair comparison with all sorts of light, distance, size of bird etc...

But...nothing like a scope for sea birds and far away creatures. The bridge cameras can't do that so, not too sure I want to get rid of my scope just yet.

I do know that there is a difference between the older bridge cameras and the new crop coming out whether it is the Canon Sx40 or Fuji, the Nikon P510 etc as opposed to my older Canon SX10 which is really only 3 years old. I have not popped for the new Canon SX40 yet and still have to think about it considering the price but wow, it is tempting, I must admit.... jim

 

[Atricapilla]

I have not popped for the new Canon SX40 yet and still have to think about it considering the price but wow, it is tempting, I must admit.... jim

I think you are right Jim.
Not sure which way to jump myself yet
SX40 or P510

 

[Roy C]

You never see many BIF shots with these superzooms, are they just not fast enough to focus or maybe they do not track a subject like a DSLR in AI servo mode?. Another thing I have noticed is that they tend to be very noisy at anything but lowish ISO's - guess this is down to the small sensor.
I suppose at the end of the day a £300 all in one Camera is never going to really compete with, say, a lens/DSLR combo costing over £2k, if it did the then likes of Canon would be shooting itself in the foot.

 

[Froggy]

You never see many BIF shots with these superzooms, are they just not fast enough to focus or maybe they do not track a subject like a DSLR in AI servo mode?. Another thing I have noticed is that they tend to be very noisy at anything but lowish ISO's - guess this is down to the small sensor.

The focus is normally a little slower , not sure about the ISO , you would think the smaller sensor is noisier at the higher ISO , but they are getting better .

The electronic viewfinder has an inherent lag (all evf do) and I should imagine that makes following the BIF very difficult .