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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jim M." data-source="post: 1223187" data-attributes="member: 60675">I am glad you have a camera that works for you, but have you tried the latest generation of superzooms, such as the FZ18?  I do not think you can lump all point-and-shoot cameras together.  In burst mode, you can shoot 4-7 shots per second, which is all I ever would have a need for.  Changing many settings is easy, but I find I really rarely have the need to do so.  Moreover, as I have said before, you can make all the generalizations you want about image quality, but when I look at actual photos I do not see much difference between the output of DSLR's and the more advanced ultra zooms.If you do not mind the extra weight and bulk of a DSLR and a telephoto lens then by all means go that route.  But if you prefer something lighter (or less expensive -- though that was not a concern in my case), I think the superzooms are a great option that can also produce high quality shots-- and certainly better shots than from a camera that is such a bother that you leave it behind in the car or that has the wrong lens attached when a great bird photo opportunity arises.  I will attach my recent shots of a Gray Jay and Double-crested Cormorants as further examples of the many posted on these forums of FZ18 output. And I only consider myself to be a casual photographer; someone more dedicated (and better with post-processing) should be able to improve on these.  Here is a link to some additional samples of mine:  <a href="http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=1130683#post1130683" target="_blank">http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=1130683#post1130683</a>I think if you mixed these types of shots together with typical DSLR shots from non-professionals, few people would be able to tell which camera took which shots.  I also see you have a few shots in your gallery (<a href="http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/54010" target="_blank">http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/54010</a>); they look very nice, but I do not see a major difference in image quality that would be attributable to different cameras taking different shots.Best,Jim</blockquote>

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