Beginner camera question

[Chuckanut]

Well, I don't know about "fantastic" but I use a monopod. Image stabilization is nice, but I belong to the school that believes there is no such thing as a camera that is too stable. Here's the setup in use, game drive in Africa Feb. 2020:
Monopod leg from Benro carbon tripod, Acratech SP ball head, Acratech lever lock Arca-Swiss clamp. A monopod is far more versatile and far less bulk than a tripod.

For the OP, don't worry about 'pods. If DW decides she is losing too many shots to instability, that will be the time to start shopping.

FWIW, I have a small, about 6 inches, Gorilla pod that screws into the socket on the bottom of my cameras. By grabbing the pod firmly with my left hand and the camera body with my right had, I get far less shake than any other hand-held method. If possible I use the flexibility of the Gorilla pod to brace the camera against a wall, pole or other stable object.

 

[OldShooter]

... By grabbing the pod firmly with my left hand and the camera body with my right had, I get far less shake than any other hand-held method. If possible I use the flexibility of the Gorilla pod to brace the camera against a wall, pole or other stable object.

Bravo! There is no such thing as a camera that is too stable. I don't use a Gorillapod but when shooting sans monopod you will always find me braced against something unless there is absolutely nothing nearby including DW. If she is nearby, I'll use her shoulder as a support.

I am happy to have cameras and lenses that try to help stabilize the camera but I don't count on this at all when shooting. Anything I get from stabilization is a gift.

OP: Good luck with the superzoom. That is a nice category for the kind of shooting you mention, assuming your wife will actually carry a camera that big. As I said, mine won't. We have a photographer (woman) friend who sells a few pictures once in a while and after I showed her a Canon Powershot G9, she sold her big camera and now carries a Powershot -- everywhere.

 

[CincyDave]

Thanks OldShooter. It looks like there are some compact superzooms out there. Sunset mentioned the Nikon a900 in post 2 which looks to be about the same size as the Cannon Powershot G9 but has a 35x zoom and goes for under $400. Thinking something along those lines would work.

Bravo! There is no such thing as a camera that is too stable. I don't use a Gorillapod but when shooting sans monopod you will always find me braced against something unless there is absolutely nothing nearby including DW. If she is nearby, I'll use her shoulder as a support.

I am happy to have cameras and lenses that try to help stabilize the camera but I don't count on this at all when shooting. Anything I get from stabilization is a gift.

OP: Good luck with the superzoom. That is a nice category for the kind of shooting you mention, assuming your wife will actually carry a camera that big. As I said, mine won't. We have a photographer (woman) friend who sells a few pictures once in a while and after I showed her a Canon Powershot G9, she sold her big camera and now carries a Powershot -- everywhere.

 

[easysurfer]

OP here. Thank you all again VERY MUCH for all the input and valuable information. After reading all the posts and doing some more research online, I'm thinking a superzoom might be a better choice than a DSLR where you would need to buy additional expensive lenses to get the same zoom as a superzoom. I realize the quality of the photos may not be quite as good as a DSLR but from what I've read a superzoom will still take very good pics. I'm thinking something with a 30x+ zoom would be great for her needs, particularly birding photographs at a distance.

I've seen these cameras referred to as "bridge cameras" which I assume means bridging between a simple point and shoot and a more professional DSLR camera. So many choices out there.

Yes, you are right about the term "bridge camera". I own a Panasonic Lumix FZ300 bridge camera (my profile picture of the moon was taken with that camera). Price was about $500 (I also have a few smaller cameras, including a Sony RX100 III... too many cameras ) . I think the bridge camera I have is 25x zoom. It covers the range 25mm - 600mm optical zoom. No changing lenses is great.

I brought the camera out to a baseball game a couple years ago. I was sitting about 20 rows back behind the right field line and still got some good shots of the batters and infield action zoomed in.

On that camera, I like to automatic mode (just point and shoot) and the ergonomics feels really good in my hands.

However, what I do not like is the manual focus. But many folks don't use manual focus so might be a non-issue.

With a bridge camera one of the tradeoffs to the convenience of single lens is smaller sensor. My bridge camera might struggle in low-light situations like if I was sitting in an auditorium in the stands during a graduation ceremony.

 

[Ian S]

Go for a mirrorless or advanced point and shoot. DSLR's are just too big to carry around. For bird photography, a compact mirrorless might be the way to go as long as you get an additional lens for the telephoto shots.

 

[Dave J]

Sunset mentioned the Nikon a900 in post 2 which looks to be about the same size as the Cannon Powershot G9 but has a 35x zoom and goes for under $400. Thinking something along those lines would work.

Don't get caught up in the 35X or 50X touted on some. Most are just digital zoom into the photo. Look at the sensor size in the camera. Bigger is better. Not pixels, but the physical size of the sensor. And look at the actual native focal length of the lens.

 

[CincyDave]

Don't get caught up in the 35X or 50X touted on some. Most are just digital zoom into the photo. Look at the sensor size in the camera. Bigger is better. Not pixels, but the physical size of the sensor. And look at the actual native focal length of the lens.

Thanks Dave J. The Nikon referenced above is actually 35 X optical zoom. And I've seen some cameras with up to 50 x optical zoom. I understand the digital zoom isn't really something you need to worry about. I have read that the larger sensor size does equate to better quality pictures. I guess it's a trade off between a large DSLR with a larger sensor and a more compact super zoom with a smaller sensor and what you want to carry around. That's why I'm leaning towards a compact superzoom. Smaller and not a lot of extra lenses and things to carry.

At the end of the day, it is still DW's decision. We do still plan to go to a camera shop and talk to someone and get some hands on time. At this point I've just researched online.

 

[Freedom56]

Thanks Dave J. The Nikon referenced above is actually 35 X optical zoom. And I've seen some cameras with up to 50 x optical zoom. I understand the digital zoom isn't really something you need to worry about. I have read that the larger sensor size does equate to better quality pictures. I guess it's a trade off between a large DSLR with a larger sensor and a more compact super zoom with a smaller sensor and what you want to carry around. That's why I'm leaning towards a compact superzoom. Smaller and not a lot of extra lenses and things to carry.

At the end of the day, it is still DW's decision. We do still plan to go to a camera shop and talk to someone and get some hands on time. At this point I've just researched online.

I also have 60x Panasonic Lumix FZ80 bridge camera that I bought three years ago for about $270. It's a bit more bulky than a compact interchangeable lens mirrorless camera but it has incredible zoom capability. I made this video a few years back to give you and idea of the reach you have with this type of camera. If you are considering bridge cameras, buy one with a 1" sensor like the Lumix FZ1000 Mk1. They sell for under $500.

 

[Dave J]

Thanks Dave J. The Nikon referenced above is actually 35 X optical zoom. And I've seen some cameras with up to 50 x optical zoom. I understand the digital zoom isn't really something you need to worry about. I have read that the larger sensor size does equate to better quality pictures. I guess it's a trade off between a large DSLR with a larger sensor and a more compact super zoom with a smaller sensor and what you want to carry around. That's why I'm leaning towards a compact superzoom. Smaller and not a lot of extra lenses and things to carry.

At the end of the day, it is still DW's decision. We do still plan to go to a camera shop and talk to someone and get some hands on time. At this point I've just researched online.

freedon 56 gives good advise on going with a 1" sensor. Also, the Lumix FZ1000 MK 1 is a sound choice(has a 1" sensor), I owned one. The Nikon you mentioned has a 1/2.3 sensor, which is tiny. That is how they get the 35X. She would outgrow the Nikon in no time at all if a tiny bit serious. I may go back to a bridge camera when I get older. Good luck! Have fun.

 

[easysurfer]

The discussion of camera sensors has me doing some "Googling". Here is a chart of different sensor sizes for a frame of reference.

Have you thought about what the “best” camera sensor size is? The importance of camera sensor size plays into choosing your manufacturer, lenses, bodies, and so much else about your photography! Some genres gain significant advantages when using one format over another. The general trend is larger is better but you might find some surprises below!

In this guide to understanding camera sensor size, I’ll be going over not only the most popular formats but how to make the best of them. We’ll look at everything from the sensor size of smartphones to medium format professional bodies and what each has to offer to your photography. Handy sensor size comparison charts will also give you a clearer picture of what you’re working with.

https://capturetheatlas.com/camera-sensor-size/

 

[Tailgate]

The secret about photography is there's no secret.

That said, there are techniques. First and foremost, take lots of pictures.

Second, frame the shot. Make sure that tower or lighthouse is plumb, the horizon is level, or you have some interesting parallax or whatever.

The huge advantage a "real" camera gives you over a cell phone is the ability to zoom. This can turn a boring landscape or crowded event into a clear shot of one structure or person. Be sure to get something with a half-decent, stabilized optical zoom.

Oh, and the other advantage is you'll be more likely to frame the shot the "right" way. I'm so tired of seeing narrow vertical photos because people don't realize they can turn their phones to "landscape" mode.

+1... I think photography is 90% technique and inspiration and 10% equipment. I"m big into iPhone photography and have about $700 invested in lens (telephoto
, macro, fisheye, anthropomorphic and wide angle) and other equipment. I like it because there are dozens of photo apps free or cheap that you can edit on your phone, tablet or desktop. I've attached a few of mine and I'm a beginner (evidenced by the horizon mistakes ) I'm just saying that these phones are incredible when paired with simple easy to learn editing apps. Good luck with your choices.

 

[braumeister]

I love my Nikon D500 with its four great lenses, but the whole package including accessories fills a small backpack and is utterly impractical for most travel. Fantastic photos, though!

For travel purposes, I recently bought a Nikon Coolpix P950 (Yes, I've been a Nikon user since the Photomic FTN I bought in 1971). A marvelous compromise in all the important features IMHO and the 83x optical zoom is truly impressive. There are other similar cameras available, and I think the best bet for most people is to just go for the best point&shoot you can find.

 

[stepford]

I wouldn't be so quick to steer a beginning photographer toward larger sensor sizes. They are indeed better for low light and depth of field control, but if you want to take a picture of something small and far away then small sensors (or more particularly, high pixel densities) are what you want.

Compare a compact camera with a relatively large 1" sensor and a mid-range max zoom length of 400mm (like the Lumix FZ1000 Mk1 mentioned above) with a high pixel density supezoom with a max focal length above 1000mm and unless you can fill the frame with your subject the longer zoom camera will take the better, more detailed, shot every time. The smaller focal length will lead you to cropping and enlarging to see detail in your subject and detail just falls apart when you do too much of that.

For general snapshots, for portraiture, for smooth noise-free landscapes then yes, go with a larger sensor - just not for bird photography.


PS.Google the term "pixels per duck" for volumes of discussion about why pixel density and long effective focal length are what you want in bird photography. I was part of some of these debates 10-15 years ago when I was *way* into bird photography.

 

[Ronstar]

I don't haul this around much, but I do take it hiking when I'm looking for some wildlife. Not too bad if I put it in a backpack for a while. But carrying the whole time it can get tough.

But I can't picture using a point and shoot or something similar for wildlife or landscapes.

 

[CincyDave]

@Freedom56 – thanks for posting the video made with the Lumix FZ80. Looks like something from National Geographic. Really neat! That zoom is incredible. As I understand it with most of these cameras you can also make photos of any of the single frames in the video too, right?
So maybe a dumb question, but I’m just learning this stuff. If you can lift single images from the video, would there be a difference in image quality doing this vs using the burst mode on the camera?

@Freedom56 and @Dave J - Thanks for the advice on going with a larger sensor and @easysurfer, thanks for the link on sensors. Not sure I totally understand it all, but I plan to read it over again. Looks like larger image sensor is better for low light.

@Tailgate - Cool pics. Hard to believe those were from a cell phone. The guy in the black and white photo looks a little like Willie Nelson.

@braumeister - thanks for another option in the Coolpix 950. 83x zoom sounds incredible.

@stepford – Thanks for another perspective on sensor size. Something I definitely need to learn more about. I Googled "pixels per duck" but I’m too much a newb at this point to understand it all.

@Ronstar – Impressive rig! I don’t see DW with something like that though

So many good choices out there. Makes deciding tough. Thanks for all the input!

 

[Freedom56]

@Freedom56 – thanks for posting the video made with the Lumix FZ80. Looks like something from National Geographic. Really neat! That zoom is incredible. As I understand it with most of these cameras you can also make photos of any of the single frames in the video too, right?
So maybe a dumb question, but I’m just learning this stuff. If you can lift single images from the video, would there be a difference in image quality doing this vs using the burst mode on the camera?

@Freedom56 and @Dave J - Thanks for the advice on going with a larger sensor and @easysurfer, thanks for the link on sensors. Not sure I totally understand it all, but I plan to read it over again. Looks like larger image sensor is better for low light.

You can grab frames from a 4K video but they will be 8 megapixels vs 18 for normal stills. The burst mode gives you individual photos at 4K resolution. This camera can do just about anything from photos, time lapse, panoramas, stop motion animation, HD and 4K video all in one package. The only downside to this camera is the small 1/2.3" sensor which becomes a liability when you shoot photos and videos indoors or in low light conditions. Most mobile phones today use the same size sensor. If you want to shoot photos of the moon, wild life, and general everyday stuff it will do the job. I have seen it sell new for $227 so you can't go wrong with it for the price.

However, if I was looking for a bridge camera today, I would buy the Lumix FZ1000 Mk1 or MK2. It has a better lens (Leica) and a larger sensor that will give you better image quality. You won't have the same zoom range, but 500mm equivalent in a small package is not bad. The 1" sensor is still small relative to M4/3, APS-C, and full frame.

Bridge cameras are pretty convenient for travel and you don't have to worry about changing lenses.

I shoot mostly videos and time lapse these days so my requirements are the smallest form factor interchangeable lens camera with the best quality video.

 

[Sunset]

Here is a shot in Puerto Rico from the ship on a cloudy day, in the distance in the middle of the water is a pelican, the next shot is zoomed up (physical zoom, no digital) with my A-900 camera.

 

[Gadabout]

A really great option to consider is an Olympus Tough series camera; they are up to TG-6 now and my DH and I have owned several models over the years and they keep improving. We initially got them because they are terrific, easy to use and can be used underwater. They are also freeze and shock proof. (We inadvertantly tested all of the above when our camera was blown into a swimming pool on the roof of a hotel in Quebec City in winter. It survived that and also a two-week+ snorkeling trip that had us in the water for six hours or so a day. ) It is compact, has great features including a decent zoom for its size - much better than a phone camera. We don't worry about it when in a canoe or out in the rain. Olympus currently has $100 off, making a new one a bargain @$349.

 

[JK7255407]

I like cameras that have a built in GPS, and GPS isn't a very common feature for some reason. Since retiring I have purchased two used cameras and I am pleased with both of them.

I bought a Sony DSC-HX50V, a compact camera with GPS and a 30x zoom. It is easy to put in the backpack or a jacket pocket before we head out for a hike or bike ride. This is similar in size to the Nikon Coolpix A900 that you are considering.

The other camera that I bought is a Sony DSX-HX400V. The is a larger camera, similar in size to an SLR. It has a 50X zoom and GPS. I use it at my grandkids baseball games, where the zoom serves us well.

Both camera use the same batteries and are the same in terms of use and features. That is a big upside for me.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[imnontrad]

You most likely are looking for a single lens, autofocus camera. But it still won't be light. However, the photos surpass what you can take with a camera and a tripod plus a remote shutter device will produce great pictures.

 

[FreeBear]

This thread has got me thinking about a bridge or superzoom camera, mainly for landscape and quick documentary pics, as opposed to "fine art", when walking around birding. Still, decent superzooms for birding are expensive and DW would want one too. I doubt I'd escape for less than $1000 or $1500 for two cameras.

I've had decent digital point-and-shoots zooms, although not strong enough to be superzooms. The problem is that I never did end up using them much past a brief honeymoon period.

We have used our 10 year old DSLR's extensively along with some nice glass that is 2 decades old. At the other end of the spectrum, we also use our iphones tons for landscapes, even printing them out big to 13x19 inches on our large format inkjet.

I suspect I'll shell out the $$ for the triple lens iphone (with moderate telephoto and wide angle) before I buy a bridge/superzoom or even upgrade our ancient DSLR's.
Even if I don't use the fancy phone camera much, then at least I've have a cute phone I can use many several years before it goes unsupported/slows to a crawl.

 

[CincyDave]

A really great option to consider is an Olympus Tough series camera; they are up to TG-6 now and my DH and I have owned several models over the years and they keep improving. We initially got them because they are terrific, easy to use and can be used underwater. They are also freeze and shock proof. (We inadvertantly tested all of the above when our camera was blown into a swimming pool on the roof of a hotel in Quebec City in winter. It survived that and also a two-week+ snorkeling trip that had us in the water for six hours or so a day. ) It is compact, has great features including a decent zoom for its size - much better than a phone camera. We don't worry about it when in a canoe or out in the rain. Olympus currently has $100 off, making a new one a bargain @$349.

I like the idea of a waterproof camera, but at the end of the day, the superzoom was the number one factor we wanted. 4K video was a plus too. We ended up going with the Panasonic Lumix FZ 80, based in part on the impressive video Freedom56 had posted. Had most everything we wanted including 60X optical zoom for a budget price around $300. Bought a package from Adorama which had a bunch of extras for a really good price.

Now to figure out how to use it. Been watching some YouTube videos.

Big thanks to all for your input!

 

[2177V]

To all the photographers out there. DW has decided she wants something better than her cell phone to take pictures with. Neither of us really know anything about cameras or photography. It would mainly be used for things like vacation pics, grandkid pics, and bird photography (she is into watching bald eagles).

Don’t want anything too expensive or complicated. A quick search for cameras for beginners seems to bring up the Nikon DS 3500 a lot. Any thoughts on this one? Pros and cons? Anything in a similar price range that might be a better choice? It looks like this one goes for around $500.

Thanks for any thoughts.

My thoughts: Any DSR should be sufficient for a beginner. Be aware that most DSRs are sold as a kit which comes a starter lens that partially zoom. This starter lens allows you to frame easily without moving the camera toward or away from the subject.

However, I strongly recommend getting a "portrait" lens that does NOT zoom. Professionals know that it is the lens that really matters. A good portrait lens will blow away your starter lens and your photos will look like a professional took it. It can be inconvenient on vacation because it does not zoom but that is the point. It is designed for one thing: Take an outstanding portrait photo of a subject between 6 to 10 feet away. I have a 50mm, f/1.8 lens for my Canon and I use it to take family photos. Here is a link to learn about a similar 50mm, f/1.8 lens. Read the reviews on the bestbuy link and the photos taken by other buyers of the 50mm non-zoom lens.

https://photographylife.com/reviews/nikon-50mm-f1-8g

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/nikon-...VYgh9Ch0Mgg_qEAQYASABEgJbSfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Estuaryman]

Get the Canon SX60 or SX70

She will have lots of fun.

 

[CincyDave]

She will have lots of fun.

We looked very hard at the Cannon SX70 but ended up on the Lumix FZ80 for about half the price.