tried a few close up shots of flies with the close up mode today..
https://plus.google.com/109037229823351410961/posts/acre6m6yxXx
peter
https://plus.google.com/109037229823351410961/posts/acre6m6yxXx
peter
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83x anyone? The new Nikon P900 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Marcobf
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Bird_Huszar
Active member
I agree with BH, in that people's needs and perceptions are very different. Some love the SX60; I had a miserable time with it, even though I'm a long time SX50 user. That makes it hard for me to tell someone else to take the leap; all I can do is tell you what my experience has been so far.
The camera's big, but comfortable to use. I have neck problems so I wear it on a harness that distributes the weight on my shoulders....can bird all day like this.
I went from the SX30 straight to the SX50 and that was a "WOW" moment for me, cause speed was so improved on the new camera. The P900's auto focus is fast, but in every other way it's performance is sluggish compared to the SX60. However, the zoom and quality of the lens is so good it's worth working around. (IMHO)
Unlike BH, I prefer my Canon's color, but this too takes a back seat to reach and image quality. Color can be manipulated in PP, and there may be "pictures" settings that could tweak it in-camera....haven't gotten that far yet.
I don't like the layout of the camera much either. Why would you put "night scene" on the dial, and bury "sports mode" in the menu.....which one is more likely to necessitate quick access.....? Grrr.
Another gripe is that the zoom doesn't automatically stop at 2000mm, making it easy to go into digital zoom without meaning to. You can turn off digital zoom, but then you have to go into the menu to retrieve it.
I could bellyache about small things all day, but the bottom line is I'm getting better pictures than I was with my SX50, despite it's slowness and my ineptitude. Maybe these sorts of functional issues would matter a great deal to you, maybe not. That's why at some point you'll have to decide for yourself.
I put some more pics (birds and others) on flickr, here's a link to the photostream;https://www.flickr.com/photos/127980272@N06/with/16365836573/
PS, SX50 pics start with the bluebird with the ugly bug in it's bill.
Awesome pics! I just wanted to clarify that I got better iridescent colours (ie. on Ducks) than I did with the SX50. It seemed like the SX50 got blown out easily (by strong whites, strong reds etc) but then I used mostly auto settings so I take part of the blame.
Nice, Peter! I haven't used the Close-up mode much yet, mostly just switched on Macro when in P or A. Did you use the single or multiple shot close-up function?
Thanks, Bird Huszar! Have to say though, I got more blown out highlights than anybody on the SX50! I used it mostly in P mode and rarely took the time to adjust ex. compensation. I'm sure I could have gotten better results with some effort but like you, I'm more of a birder than a photographer.
Spring migration is getting off to a really slow start here, so I'm concentrating on learning my P900 while there's little else to distract me. Just trying to take lots of pictures of anything, hoping to improve my skill set so that when something interesting shows up I'll be able to get a decent photo, not just an identifiable one....at least some of the time! |:d|
I used the single shot today. didn't really understand the options as I homed in on the fly, so I went for the simple one!
Thanks, I don't understand it either, hence the avoidance!
BTW, is there a reason you set your zoom memory to 1800mm instead of 2000?
I tried a few shots in "close-up" scene mode this afternoon. I set it to "NR" (noise reduction burst) and was surprised when most shots I took were singles. It seems this function is like the HDR one, in that it only kicks in when light conditions are low. I also got the impression that just like in the HDR mode, one might want to use a tripod for best results.
I took the P900 down to Sydney for Easter. I seem to be having battery trouble. It's not charging very much and runs out after 10 mins.
Anyway here are a couple of wide to long tests. The first of the gulls at about 100 metres and the second of people on the beach at about 4kms.
Sydney,Australia
April 2015
Anyway here are a couple of wide to long tests. The first of the gulls at about 100 metres and the second of people on the beach at about 4kms.
Sydney,Australia
April 2015
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crazyfingers
Well-known member
So as an SX50 user, who skipped getting the SX60, I've been watching this topic. I skipped getting myself anything for Xmas and my wife gave me an IOU to get something nice when I want it. And my birthday is in a month.
mzettie has provided valuable perspective on the SX50 vs the P900. I'll keep watching this topic and hope to find some comparison reviews out there soon. How much bigger is the P900 than the SX50. Is it still comfortable enough to hang on my neck while bike riding?
mzettie has provided valuable perspective on the SX50 vs the P900. I'll keep watching this topic and hope to find some comparison reviews out there soon. How much bigger is the P900 than the SX50. Is it still comfortable enough to hang on my neck while bike riding?
Bird_Huszar
Active member
It's huge. But surprisingly well balanced.
crazyfingers
Well-known member
Thanks. That is handy. It is huge next to the SX50. And half again as heavy. I don't know if I would do a 25 mile bike ride with it on my neck.
At the very least I would want to handle it in a store before deciding.
I really value the go-anywhere every time size of the SX50.
Yeah, it's not a pocket camera by any stretch of the imagination! It feels good in the hand though, and isn't very heavy if it's weight is not on your neck but distributed on your shoulders.
Might want to try a binocular harness. On a bike, it would have the added benefit of holding the camera close to your body, so it doesn't swing around.
There are some that are elastic, some that are rigid and some in between. Even saw one somewhere (camera site?) that has struts that come up to support bins (or camera) when viewing at long distances.
They start at 10 bucks and go up, and I don't think more expensive necessarily means better quality. I bought an inexpensive rigid one at a local sporting goods store and adapted it to carry my camera below my bins so they'd both be easy to get to. I can bird all day and never feel the weight at all.
Here's a link to one of the hybrid types....not promoting it, was just one of the first that came up when I googled;
http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/aca...25881418-adType^PLA-device^c-adid^51684504318
crazyfingers
Well-known member
That's a good tip on the bicocular harness.
Does the P900 allow something like the Canon Flexizone that forces the focus in a box in the center?
I will see if I can download the user manual. I never buy anything like this without first reading the manual.
There are a lot of options re focus square. There are a lot of options for everything....almost too many, in my book. Anyway, there's normal, wide and spot, figured I'd like spot since pinpoint was my preferred setting on SX50, but actually normal seems to work better. But I'll continue experimenting.
What we'd call continuous focus on SX50 is called AF-f (for full-time) and I don't like it, I stick to AF-s (for single.)
Of course there's all that tracking stuff too, and I stay away from it as well.
The manual's available online, and it's even worse than the SX50's. But familiarizing yourself with it is a great idea, especially if you end up getting the camera.
Chris B.
Well-known member
Although I've been a forum member for several years, I've rarely logged on and pretty much just read for information. I am a photographer first, birder second and I have a good chunk of $$ invested in Canon lenses and bodies. But there are many times when I'm in the car and I lose out on a good photo opportunity because I didn't have a camera with a decent range sitting on the seat next to me.
My wife has had a Canon SX40 for several years and it's her "go-to" camera to take on her local and world-wide travels... she has come back from Kenya, Namibia and Alaska with some exceptional images... and she won't let it out of her sight!
I have tried her SX40 and also a friend's SX50 but just didn't like the EVF... Can any users comment on whether this Nikon one is any better? This camera would certainly fulfill my "want" to have a camera with a great range for those grab shots...
My wife has had a Canon SX40 for several years and it's her "go-to" camera to take on her local and world-wide travels... she has come back from Kenya, Namibia and Alaska with some exceptional images... and she won't let it out of her sight!
I have tried her SX40 and also a friend's SX50 but just didn't like the EVF... Can any users comment on whether this Nikon one is any better? This camera would certainly fulfill my "want" to have a camera with a great range for those grab shots...
Hi Chris, the crummy EVF on the SX50 was my only complaint with that camera. The P900's EVF is small, but the resolution is much better. I was a bit disappointed with it til I discovered that it can be brightened (by going into the menu,) now it's fine.
A real problem I have with all bridges' EVFs is light leakage in bright conditions. I haven't found a commercial eyecup for the P900 yet, so I rigged one I made for the SX50 temporarily. With the popularity of this camera, I'm hoping one will come onto the market soon.
crazyfingers
Well-known member
On the SX50 the only time I had issues with light leakage looking into the EVF was just this winter when with so much snow, snow blindness made it very hard for me to switch immediately to looking into the viewer. I needed time to adjust and would also cup my hand around the viewer.
