Canon SX50 Specs (1 Viewer)

[AlanTh]

The lens hood kit I bought came with a UV filter. I only used it a couple of times as there was noticeable drop off in image quality.

The lens hood is well worth buying as it helps cut down glare when conditions are bright.

Not wishing to appear lazy or anything, but can you recommend the best to get? (With a link preferably).

I know great deals are to be had on Ebay, but some stuff is also really poor quality knock off rubbish.

Thanks in advance .....

 

[eddy the eagle]

Remiss of me I know but I have to admit that I have not read all 1221 posts on here but I have not seen anything about battery life.My present camera eats two fully charged batteries in a days birding with less than 100 frames shot.Has the Canon SX50 got a decent battery life.If it has I will possibly but one in the new year.Tank you in advance for your replies....Eddy

 

[crazyfingers]

Remiss of me I know but I have to admit that I have not read all 1221 posts on here but I have not seen anything about battery life.My present camera eats two fully charged batteries in a days birding with less than 100 frames shot.Has the Canon SX50 got a decent battery life.If it has I will possibly but one in the new year.Tank you in advance for your replies....Eddy

I've easily gotten in excess of 400 in a day without flash. On vacation. Charge each evening and get another 400 the next day. I may have gone to 500 on one charge. I have never had it run out on me doing the 400+ shots so long as I charge in the evening.

The bottom line is I don't know how many it will really do on a charge. Setting it only focus when the the shutter is half pressed and only image stabilize when when the shutter is half pressed saves power. And I never use the LCD screen when shooting. I only use the viewfinder.

 

[pshute]

Remiss of me I know but I have to admit that I have not read all 1221 posts on here but I have not seen anything about battery life.My present camera eats two fully charged batteries in a days birding with less than 100 frames shot.Has the Canon SX50 got a decent battery life.If it has I will possibly but one in the new year.Tank you in advance for your replies....Eddy

Just curious, what sort of camera is it that gets so few shots per charge?

 

[pshute]

I have seen hundreds of post on the web where someone has bought a new lens and have been very disappointment with the IQ - the first question asked is always "are you using a filter - if so take it off" that almost always solved the problem.
As a side issue the best protection for something like the SX50 is to always use a lens hood (you can pick them up for a few pounds on the web). I never shoot any lens without a hood in place (except when using a circ polariser on my 17-40 but that is different than than a protective filter of course).
I remember someone on Birdforum getting a protective filter for a SX40 but they soon ditched it when they saw the IQ degrading that it caused.

I too rely on a hood to protect the lens. When this issue comes up, I like to post this link:
http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2008/10/front-element-scratches

 

[IanF]

Not wishing to appear lazy or anything, but can you recommend the best to get? (With a link preferably).

I know great deals are to be had on Ebay, but some stuff is also really poor quality knock off rubbish.

Thanks in advance .....

I just got mine off ebay. It came in a kit with adapter, hood, UV filter and lens cap. The whole kit was less than £10. I've been using it for the last year. My only real gripe is that you can't fully rotate the lens shade to get maximum benefit, there is some movement for adjustment but not fully.

As regards battery life, I have no complaints at all. I bought a spare battery when I bought the camera. I carry it around with me but I've only ever used it once and that was after filling a 16Gb card with hundreds of stills and lots of video.

 

[eddy the eagle]

P shute,the camera is a Nikon Coolpix P 90 and is about five years old.It may well be the old batteries but it has never had a good battery life and I do use the play back regularly for ID purposes.The SX 50 sounds much better to me so may get one if they are discounted in the new year with the advent of the SX60.Regards ...Eddy.

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

I've had no issues with the battery so far but always keep a backup just in case.

Rich

 

[crazyfingers]

Happy New Year folks. In celebration, here's the Orion Nebula in Orion's sward. SX50 on handheld night shot.

 

[Geoff Pain]

I've said it before,but when a Robin poses for you you've just got to take its photo it would be rude not too.

 

[Bigshent]

A quick question for the sx50 film buffs. I attempted using the hd film which was quite sharp in poor light but the sound was horrendous loud clicking and whiring ect would that be my ds card isn't up to the job.

 

[Justfish]

Opened up a SX50 for Christmas. I am not a photographer but I would like to learn more. Here's some picture from my back yard. A couple are actually through a window. Critiques are welcome.

 

[therightangle]

Used it a bit for video. Everything from the past year on my YouTube channel was taken with this camera. It's hardly in the hands of an expert
http://www.youtube.com/user/thenaturalstone

Some great videos here recently,
Can I ask what tripods people here are using for video?
Planning on buying the SX50 shortly, thanks

 

[Brian Stone]

My videos are taken handheld, resting on something (e.g. car window) or mounted on the Velbon Ultra Rexi L Travel Tripod with a Manfrotto 128RC fluid head.

I replaced my old expensive Manfrotto carbon fibre tripod with the much cheaper Velbon last year so I could travel with hand luggage only. I don't feel a great deal of difference weight-wise but the 5 section legs collapse the unit down really compact. It's been great in use with the SX50 and my Leica 77 scope. I'm 5'9" and the scope is a straight through but there is height to spare in the tripod.

 

[Mick R]

A quick question for the sx50 film buffs. I attempted using the hd film which was quite sharp in poor light but the sound was horrendous loud clicking and whiring ect would that be my ds card isn't up to the job.

the 'clicking and whirring' is probably the cameras mic picking up the aperture changing & the zoom motor. Something the SX50 does with (sadly) great ease..

i tend to use external mics for most of my vids, but as the SX50 has no mic input (come on Canon...the SX60 needs one..!) i run it through a Zoom H1 recorder, then sync audio + video in editing software.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LopJ0t71oaQ

 

[Mick R]

Some great videos here recently,
Can I ask what tripods people here are using for video?
Planning on buying the SX50 shortly, thanks

like Brian, i use a Velbon (not sure the model, it's over 10yr old) that i originally bought for my Swaro' 65. The scope is long gone, & now it has a Manfrotto 700RC2 fluid video head on it....soley for use with the SX50.

 

[IanF]

A quick question for the sx50 film buffs. I attempted using the hd film which was quite sharp in poor light but the sound was horrendous loud clicking and whiring ect would that be my ds card isn't up to the job.

The only time I have any issues with such noises is when changing zoom or confirming focus by half depressing the shutter whilst recording video.

I quite like the fact that you can adjust the sensitivity of the microphone. I tend to leave mine set to maximum though educe it when sat in busy hides.

 

[Malcolm Stewart]

I've owned an SX40HS for around 20 months now, and yesterday, I noted that my local Currys had dropped the price of the SX50HS - possibly in their Winter Sale, or because of the SX60HS coming through soon. My SX40HS gets used for birding, and general photo note taking when my pocket compact isn't up to it.

What puzzles me, is what is it about the SX40HS & SX50HS that seems to make these models in particular so popular with birders? I.E. They seem to be much more popular than the similar models from Panasonic et al, and which offer similar-ish zoom ratios. Has anyone here ditched a Panasonic bridge in favour of an SX50HS? And why? Just puzzled...

(My other birding camera is a 1D IV.)

 

[crazyfingers]

I have not seen many people comparing the Canons to Panasonic but the Canon SX30/40/50 have just amazing image stabilization. That's a must when you're doing hand-held shots at the zooms that these offer.

I have not owned a Panasonic but I did have a Nikon Superzoom for a while and the Canon beat it hands down for it's ability to shoot through clutter such as twigs and leaves and focus in the bird in the bush.

Those two things together would be my guess why the Canon's are so popular.

 

[pshute]

I've owned an SX40HS for around 20 months now, and yesterday, I noted that my local Currys had dropped the price of the SX50HS - possibly in their Winter Sale, or because of the SX60HS coming through soon.

Has the SX60HS actually been announced yet?