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

Powershot SX50 HS (1 Viewer)

Mick50

Active member
After reading a blog post from photographer Lillian Stokes about the Powershot and using it as a lightweight, but still sharp, alternative to a DSLR and long lenses, I purchased a used one. My primary purpose was more convenience when carrying w/ binocs, and getting long distance shots for ID and record keeping/confirmation.

I've been very disappointed with it (several months). I've tried following all her recommendations for settings, and just find that it is nowhere sharp, barely acceptable, for birding.

Did I get a used DUD? I admit it has taken me a while to get used to the smaller view and I find it hard spotting birds, and the extreme light weight actually makes it more difficult to hold steady.

Any thoughts or recommendations? My other setup is a Canon 60D with either a 300mm L IS or a Sigma 150-600mm contemporary.

Thanks. Good birding!
 
Hi, I have been using the SX50 for a long time, for some of the same purposes. I find it very useful, but it does have serious limitations. Here are some thoughts:

-It is not great in low-light conditions. You simply wont get crisp, clear shots in dull-overcast conditions. However, it’s still pretty good for grabbing shots to record what you’ve seen for later reference. Surprisingly, I find it can actually help me ID distant birds under low-light conditions.
***EXAMPLE: the first two photos show birds that were just little black specks with my old beat-up 7x Zeiss (which I love for their amazing brightness). With the SX50 shots, despite the terrible quality, I was able to ID some Gadwall and Hooded Mergansers.

-As far as I know, the only way to use the most extreme zoom settings is to put the camera on the C1 or C2 setting. I haven’t actually figured out how to program these custom settings (I came here today to ask how!)...But I find that if I put it on one of these settings, I can go beyond the optical zoom of 50x to settings between 100x and 200x. This is no longer an optical zoom but I still find it best for getting record shots of distant ducks.
***EXAMPLE: The photo of the lone male Long-tailed Duck is probably taken at 100x; the photo of the pair is probably taken at 50x. On C1/C2 I usually jack up the ISO to somewhere between 500-800, and sometimes set the exposure compensation to -1/3 or -2/3 in order to get the highest shutter speed possible. Obviously, these have little aesthetic value and are useful only as record shots.

-The dynamic range of the SX50 is not great. In bright, direct sunlight, it’s practically impossible to get good shots of birds that are dark with white patches: the white will almost always be blown out, or the dark areas will be clipped, no matter what. Chromatic aberrations will abound. Still, you can get record shots, and if you shoot RAW you can sometimes salvage the images in Lightroom or PS.

-Photographing small, fast-moving birds in cluttered environments will always be frustrating. You will have to zoom out and zoom in a lot. You’ll lose your subject more often than not. Autofocus will be hit-or-miss unless you manage to isolate your subject against a relatively clean background. With patience, you’ll occasionally get lucky. I usually use live view, but I’ve tried using that tiny dark viewfinder as well. Both are frustrating in different ways. I’ve improved somewhat with practice, but it remains a challenging exercise.

BOTTOM LINE: The SX50 is a great little birding camera IF you manage your expectations:

-It can be great for record shots of distant birds in open habitats, if you can accept that the image quality will be poor.

-It performs best under the following conditions:
  • -In bright-overcast or low-angled (early morning/late afternoon) sunlight...And more generally, in situations where there is not enormous contrast between light and dark areas
  • -With medium-to-large subjects (gulls, ducks, shorebirds, herons, raptors, corvids, etc)
  • -In relatively open/uncluttered environments
  • -With birds that are prone to staying still for more than a few moments
  • -With birds that tend to perch or display out in the open (e.g. Red-Winged Blackbirds)
  • -With birds that allow close approach (e.g. hummingbirds, which despite their small size are good subjects for the sx50 because they often seem oblivious to human photographers. Also, as I’m sure you know, there are some places where birds that seem shy elsewhere are apparently less wary of human interlopers—e.g. Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Orange County, CA is always crawling with photographers for this very reason...)

-When two or more of the aforementioned conditions are met, the SX50 can perform pretty admirably (***EXAMPLE: the Semipalmated Plover).


-When the aforementioned conditions are NOT met, it can be a fun challenge to make artful images of birds within their larger environment (I’ll attach some examples in a separate post).

I hope this is somewhat helpful...Let me know if you have any more specific questions :)
 

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Hi. Thanks so much for your thoughtful reply and the pics. I agree with the things you've said on its limitations and uses. You might find this video helpful in programming for C1 and C2. It helped me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh3567vQQVY

Thank You for the video link!!!

Also, I just checked out that blog post by Lillian Stokes and I have to say, she does get some very impressive shots with the SX50!! I’ll have to try some of her techniques, because they’re mostly different from mine.

I’ve never tried shooting in Smart Auto or Sports Mode. I usually shoot in Av or Tv Mode (unless I need to zoom past 50x, then I switch to C1 and wing it —because, I have to confess, I have never read the darn manual! I wish they’d sent hard copy along with the camera.)

Have you managed to get any good shots with the SX50? In what sense is the quality disappointing you? Have you posted some examples somewhere?

Because of course, people can always cherry-pick their best shots, but I’m sure there’s many more throwaways...

.Here’s a few of my cherry-picked SX50 shots....Are you getting shots like these under favorable conditions? Or do you think there may be something amiss with the specific unit that you received?
 

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Also, here’s a few shots taken under less-than-favorable conditions, where I tried to get something good under more challenging circumstances....
 

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Also join Flickr. There are some SX50 Groups on there which will show you the art of the possible.
Second tip would be to search YouTube for SX50 videos; lots of helpful videos
HTH
 
Not sure if this helps but here goes. I have used the SX50 for a few years now, tried the Nikon equivalent and couldn't get on with it, so plumped for the Canon. It took me, 3 or 4 weeks to get used to it, and to find a way to get half decent pictures.
For birds, I program in one of the C buttons. Limiting the IS0 to 400, and then selecting a speed of 640 - if there is enough light I will crank up the speed, but in the UK, that is not often. The F stop is set on automatic.
When I first got the camera I found that pictures taken with an ISO over 400 where very noisy, whatever some reviews say. Trying to take pictures on Aperture priority was a nightmare, at least for me.
Birds are small, big birds are still small and usually some distance away, so you need reach. I never take it above 100x. If I recall correctly between 100-200x the digital enhancement is terrible, although for an ID or record shot, at least you wold have something.
Until I save a chunk of money, the SX50 is staying with a set of binoculars.
With practice, some decent light and some luck, you can get some decent shots I think. My flikr account is https://www.flickr.com/photos/157476475@N03/ all the pictures there are untouched by photoshop. See what you think.
Gareth
 
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