Beginner Birding Camera for Hiker Help (1 Viewer)

[Smenos]

Hi everyone!

Brand new to this forum, although I’ve been lurking and readying threads for a couple weeks now…

Over the past year I have just gotten in to birding. I do a lot of walking and hiking and fell into being fascinated with the varieties of birds that are around. Now I find myself wanting to be able to go back and say “hey look at what I saw” - nothing super serious like high printing quality. So I now find myself in search of a beginners birding camera setup

From my initial research, I figured I was looking for something like the coolpix p950, then the cannon power shot sx740 hs, and then through recommendations on different threads here maybe thinking something else (the DS 3500 seems popular?)

And so feeling slightly (or very) overwhelmed at all the choices I come asking for any recommendations that may fit my desired use, or helpful resources for learning to make a more informed decision.

My use case is this:

Beginner setup, hopefully in the $300-600 range

Lightweight/not too bulky - I still will likely do most of my birding on hikes so I don’t want anything too massive/heavy

Ability to shoot birds (distance) and also up close (like flowers or something just off the trail) - I think a quick lens swap would be fine, not sure if the bridge options I mentioned previously would even be capable

Any help or information that could please be provided would be massively appreciated!

Thank you all!

 

[vupham]

You can try the Nikon P1000 or P900 for long-range shots, so you won't need to get too close to the subject. If you prefer something smaller, the Sony RX100 Mark 6 or Mark 7 has a decent zoom, but you might need to step closer to the subject.

Personally, I often use my Samsung for quick snapshots. It has a 10x zoom and a 100x zoom, plus it's lightweight, mobile, and always in my pocket.

 

[Gzoladz74]

Best of the lot right now is the Nikon P950 (or P1000, but heavier and bulkier). A few years old already and a good bit above budget. I think Canon released a new model recently but there are only minor changes vs its predecesos, also a few years old.

DSLR or Mirrorless will give you better image quality (although the Nikons above with good light deliver very good results), but depending on your lens + body combo they will be between heavier and bulkier to much heavier and much bulkier and much more expensive...I would advise against interchangeable lens in hikes as it may feel like a chore...you need to carry the extra lens, protect the equipement when you replace the lense, etc, etc.

I personally really enjoy the versatility of my Nikon P1000 and I am happy to compromise a bit of iq for something smaller, lighter, less bulky, lower cost, no lens replacement and the possibility to go from shooting a long distance subject to a butterfly posing next to me in matter of seconds.

 

[vupham]

Flagship smartphones today have better image quality (IQ) and video performance than older compact cameras, including the Nikon P series.

The only area where Nikon P compact cameras still stand out is their extreme zoom capabilities. But when it comes to overall image quality, modern smartphones have surpassed them with advanced sensors and AI-powered photo processing.

 

[Smenos]

You can try the Nikon P1000 or P900 for long-range shots, so you won't need to get too close to the subject. If you prefer something smaller, the Sony RX100 Mark 6 or Mark 7 has a decent zoom, but you might need to step closer to the subject.

Personally, I often use my Samsung for quick snapshots. It has a 10x zoom and a 100x zoom, plus it's lightweight, mobile, and always in my pocket.

Thanks! So the RX100 mark 6/7 is something more along the lines of the powershot sx740 it seems, would you have a reason to choose one over the other?

I'm also seeing the Powershot sx70 HS mentioned as a notably smaller alternate to the coolpix 950, but with not as much reach. Is this something you would recommend considering?

 

[Smenos]

Best of the lot right now is the Nikon P950 (or P1000, but heavier and bulkier). A few years old already and a good bit above budget. I think Canon released a new model recently but there are only minor changes vs its predecesos, also a few years old.

DSLR or Mirrorless will give you better image quality (although the Nikons above with good light deliver very good results), but depending on your lens + body combo they will be between heavier and bulkier to much heavier and much bulkier and much more expensive...I would advise against interchangeable lens in hikes as it may feel like a chore...you need to carry the extra lens, protect the equipement when you replace the lense, etc, etc.

I personally really enjoy the versatility of my Nikon P1000 and I am happy to compromise a bit of iq for something smaller, lighter, less bulky, lower cost, no lens replacement and the possibility to go from shooting a long distance subject to a butterfly posing next to me in matter of seconds.

Yes the 950 is a bit more than I would like to spend, but if it really is the one to go for I can always save up a bit longer (and stay active looking on FB marketplace).

I would definitely like to avoid any sense swapping, but just wasn't sure if that would be drastic limitation is all.

I'm also seeing the Powershot sx70 HS mentioned as a notably smaller (and cheaper) alternate to the coolpix 950, but with not as much reach. Is this something you would recommend considering?

 

[Ignatius]

Why not look into the Panasonix Lumix ZS series? They are small and pocketable, have up to 30x zoom and the 15x zoom models have a 1" sensor.

 

[Gzoladz74]

Yes the 950 is a bit more than I would like to spend, but if it really is the one to go for I can always save up a bit longer (and stay active looking on FB marketplace).

I would definitely like to avoid any sense swapping, but just wasn't sure if that would be drastic limitation is all.

I'm also seeing the Powershot sx70 HS mentioned as a notably smaller (and cheaper) alternate to the coolpix 950, but with not as much reach. Is this something you would recommend considering?

You can't go wrong with Canon but I think the P950 is much more capable and the lens is better...also pricier.

 

[vupham]

Thanks! So the RX100 mark 6/7 is something more along the lines of the powershot sx740 it seems, would you have a reason to choose one over the other?

I'm also seeing the Powershot sx70 HS mentioned as a notably smaller alternate to the coolpix 950, but with not as much reach. Is this something you would recommend considering?

The Mark 6 can expand ISO up to 25,600 and shoots at 24 fps, compared to the Mark 7, which shoots at 20 fps.

For slow motion, the Mark 6 can reach 1000 fps, while the Mark 7 goes up to 960 fps.

However, the Mark 7 was released in 2019 and the Mark 6 in 2018, making both cameras quite old in terms of image quality compared to today's technology—even smartphones.

You should consider trying a smartphone first (here's a video link to see the zoom:

) before buying these older cameras with very small sensors.

In terms of price, the Nikon P series offers great zoom range for the investment, but you'll need a tripod to keep the long zoom shots steady—the more you zoom, the shakier the lens gets. A tripod will help stabilize video and reduce image shake, but it adds extra gear to carry and increases the overall weight. Plus, the Nikon P series is much larger than the Sony RX100 cameras and smartphones.

 

[Gzoladz74]

Why not look into the Panasonix Lumix ZS series? They are small and pocketable, have up to 30x zoom and the 15x zoom models have a 1" sensor.

These are really good cameras too if the priority is even lower weight/size compromising reach and iq...I don't remember if they have a viewfinder, but for a while I used a pocket camera without a viewfinder and finding the subject was frustrating.

 

[Gzoladz74]

The Mark 6 can expand ISO up to 25,600 and shoots at 24 fps, compared to the Mark 7, which shoots at 20 fps.

For slow motion, the Mark 6 can reach 1000 fps, while the Mark 7 goes up to 960 fps.

However, the Mark 7 was released in 2019 and the Mark 6 in 2018, making both cameras quite old in terms of image quality compared to today's technology—even smartphones.

You should consider trying a smartphone first (here's a video link to see the zoom:

) before buying these older cameras with very small sensors.

In terms of price, the Nikon P series offers great zoom range for the investment, but you'll need a tripod to keep the long zoom shots steady—the more you zoom, the shakier the lens gets. A tripod will help stabilize video and reduce image shake, but it adds extra gear to carry and increases the overall weight. Plus, the Nikon P series is much larger than the Sony RX100 cameras and smartphones.

A tripod would help but 3000mm handheld is perfectly doable with 5 stops stabilization and the right technique i.e. leaning towards a post or wall for support. Another option is to carry a small beanbag, which are very light, place it on top of anything you can find and use it to support your camera on top of it.

 

[Roynato]

Hi everyone!

Brand new to this forum, although I’ve been lurking and readying threads for a couple weeks now…

Over the past year I have just gotten in to birding. I do a lot of walking and hiking and fell into being fascinated with the varieties of birds that are around. Now I find myself wanting to be able to go back and say “hey look at what I saw” - nothing super serious like high printing quality. So I now find myself in search of a beginners birding camera setup

From my initial research, I figured I was looking for something like the coolpix p950, then the cannon power shot sx740 hs, and then through recommendations on different threads here maybe thinking something else (the DS 3500 seems popular?)

And so feeling slightly (or very) overwhelmed at all the choices I come asking for any recommendations that may fit my desired use, or helpful resources for learning to make a more informed decision.

My use case is this:

Beginner setup, hopefully in the $300-600 range

Lightweight/not too bulky - I still will likely do most of my birding on hikes so I don’t want anything too massive/heavy

Ability to shoot birds (distance) and also up close (like flowers or something just off the trail) - I think a quick lens swap would be fine, not sure if the bridge options I mentioned previously would even be capable

Any help or information that could please be provided would be massively appreciated!

Thank you all!

I would consider a "bridge camera", a Canon SX70 or a Nikon P950 (my camera). The P950 is a bit newer than the SX70 and has a bit more zoom, but it's also a little more expensive.

Both would suit your needs very well. They can both shoot in raw, which at first can be something you think you won't care for, but as you play around with your photos, this becomes very important. Also, they both shoot 4k video. The P900, older model, can't do any of these, so keep that in mind.

Then, later on, if you find yourself hooked into this hobby and camera world, you start looking for body+lenses, which is a whole other world of choices and prices.

At least that's the path I took. I'm still with my P950, but already drooling on the cameras + lenses world. I got hooked. 😄

 

[Smenos]

Thank you all for your help! A pretty good deal for an SX70 came up on eBay, so I went ahead with that path. Couldn't beat the price, and I think I will appreciate that it is a pit shorter than the P950 as well.

Looking forward to taking it out soon! (Which will undoubtedly lead to reading more posts on hear about settings and editing haha)

 

[ArchStanton]

Thank you all for your help! A pretty good deal for an SX70 came up on eBay, so I went ahead with that path. Couldn't beat the price, and I think I will appreciate that it is a pit shorter than the P950 as well.

Looking forward to taking it out soon! (Which will undoubtedly lead to reading more posts on hear about settings and editing haha)

I’d appreciate your first impressions of the Sx70. I’m looking for a bridge camera for bird identification and the SX70 is one of the cameras I’m considering.

 

[MelospizaMelodiaFan]

Thank you all for your help! A pretty good deal for an SX70 came up on eBay, so I went ahead with that path. Couldn't beat the price, and I think I will appreciate that it is a pit shorter than the P950 as well.

Looking forward to taking it out soon! (Which will undoubtedly lead to reading more posts on hear about settings and editing haha)

Are you having fun yet? Used was the way to go, so I'm happy you went this route. You got a capable camera... If you become really hooked, then you can spend the big bucks.

 

[Smenos]

I’d appreciate your first impressions of the Sx70. I’m looking for a bridge camera for bird identification and the SX70 is one of the cameras I’m considering.

I have found it to be a pretty easy to use camera so far. Not top end for sure, but for me it seems to be working great, and for >$200 cheaper than the P950 it suits my needs well. It’s not that big, easy to use, seems to be a great beginner camera. Will definitely need to pick up some basic editing chops though

 

[Smenos]

Are you having fun yet? Used was the way to go, so I'm happy you went this route. You got a capable camera... If you become really hooked, then you can spend the big bucks.

Yes! I got one that was basically brand new (4pics taken) on eBay for like $400 so I’m more than happy at the price.

Enjoying the new challenges of not just getting a look through binoculars and the learning of a new tool - a good time for sure

 

[ArchStanton]

I have found it to be a pretty easy to use camera so far. Not top end for sure, but for me it seems to be working great, and for >$200 cheaper than the P950 it suits my needs well. It’s not that big, easy to use, seems to be a great beginner camera. Will definitely need to pick up some basic editing chops though

I bought a new Panasonic FZ300 but haven’t used it yet. It’s a little bulkier and heavier than expected. It’s only a 24x zoom, but there is a teleconverter available to increase the zoom. I guess I need to charge the battery and try it out. Thanks for the update!

 

[ArchStanton]

Yes! I got one that was basically brand new (4pics taken) on eBay for like $400 so I’m more than happy at the price.

Enjoying the new challenges of not just getting a look through binoculars and the learning of a new tool - a good time for sure

That was a great deal.

 

[Smenos]

I bought a new Panasonic FZ300 but haven’t used it yet. It’s a little bulkier and heavier than expected. It’s only a 24x zoom, but there is a teleconverter available to increase the zoom. I guess I need to charge the battery and try it out. Thanks for the update!

Good luck, can't wait to see the results!