Canon SX50 or Panasonic FZ200? Need a telephoto point&shoot and am torn between Canon SX50 and Panasonic FZ200. FZ just went on sale for $369. I know Canon has longer zoom but FZ has...

destair Loc: East Tennessee

Need a telephoto point&shoot and am torn between Canon SX50 and Panasonic FZ200. FZ just went on sale for $369. I know Canon has longer zoom but FZ has f2.8 through entire zoom range. I'm wondering about image quality comparison. I mostly shoot landscapes but need the camera for the occasional wildlife shot. Suggestions?

Ugly Jake Loc: Sub-Rural Vermont

destair wrote:

Need a telephoto point&shoot and am torn between Canon SX50 and Panasonic FZ200. FZ just went on sale for $369. I know Canon has longer zoom but FZ has f2.8 through entire zoom range. I'm wondering about image quality comparison. I mostly shoot landscapes but need the camera for the occasional wildlife shot. Suggestions?

My SX30 only stops down to f8 - what is the aperture range for the 50? I love the Canon, but for your area of interest, I would have to recommend the Panasonic.

infocus Loc: Australia

destair wrote:

Need a telephoto point&shoot and am torn between Canon SX50 and Panasonic FZ200. FZ just went on sale for $369. I know Canon has longer zoom but FZ has f2.8 through entire zoom range. I'm wondering about image quality comparison. I mostly shoot landscapes but need the camera for the occasional wildlife shot. Suggestions?

Go to Digital Camera Review on the net and look at a direct comparison of both cameras.

destair Loc: East Tennessee

infocus wrote:

Go to Digital Camera Review on the net and look at a direct comparison of both cameras.

Will do. Thanks.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

destair wrote:

Need a telephoto point&shoot and am torn between Canon SX50 and Panasonic FZ200. FZ just went on sale for $369. I know Canon has longer zoom but FZ has f2.8 through entire zoom range. I'm wondering about image quality comparison. I mostly shoot landscapes but need the camera for the occasional wildlife shot. Suggestions?

And the winner is...

http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon-PowerShot-SX50-HS-vs-Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-FZ200

This is just comparing specs, and what they think is important might not be important to you.

haroldross Loc: Walthill, Nebraska

jerryc41 wrote:

And the winner is...

http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon-PowerShot-SX50-HS-vs-Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-FZ200

This is just comparing specs, and what they think is important might not be important to you.

When you look at this page, near the top you will see three headings; High Level, Specifications, and Score. Under Specifications you will find the specifications of the two cameras matched up so the differences/similarities can be seen. Under the Score section you can see how they scored the cameras. A lot of good information. Just because a camera scores higher than another does not mean that it would be the camera you really want.

Snapsort is a great site to start your research.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

haroldross wrote:

Just because a camera scores higher than another does not mean that it would be the camera you really want.

:thumbup:

destair Loc: East Tennessee

haroldross wrote:

When you look at this page, near the top you will see three headings; High Level, Specifications, and Score. Under Specifications you will find the specifications of the two cameras matched up so the differences/similarities can be seen. Under the Score section you can see how they scored the cameras. A lot of good information. Just because a camera scores higher than another does not mean that it would be the camera you really want.

Snapsort is a great site to start your research.

Thanks.

Basil Loc: New Mexico

I had the same dilemma - between the SX50 and FZ200. I ended up with the SX50 after looking at all the reviews and reading a lot of posts on UHH. A small part of my decision was also the fact that I already owned a 7D and felt the learning curve might be less steep. I suspect I'd have been happy with either camera, but I'm ecstatic with the SX50.

I think the one thing that had be considering the FZ200 over the SX50 was the 2.8 across the entire zoom range, but in the end I decided that for most of the shooting situations where I'd be using the SX50 the wider aperture probably would not be a big factor, at least not very often.

amehta Loc: Boston

jerryc41 wrote:

And the winner is...

http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon-PowerShot-SX50-HS-vs-Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-FZ200

This is just comparing specs, and what they think is important might not be important to you.

In general, I would opt for the f/2.8 lens over the extra zoom, but the IQ numbers are an important consideration.

Basil Loc: New Mexico

amehta wrote:

In general, I would opt for the f/2.8 lens over the extra zoom, but the IQ numbers are an important consideration.

That was the one thing that almost made me go with the FZ 200. Almost.

destair Loc: East Tennessee

Basil wrote:

That was the one thing that almost made me go with the FZ 200. Almost.

Toss up, but just ordered the SX50 on sale until March 30 at B&H. $329
May have gotten it cheaper but have always had good experiences with B&H.
Wish me luck.

amehta Loc: Boston

destair wrote:

Toss up, but just ordered the SX50 on sale until March 30 at B&H. $329
May have gotten it cheaper but have always had good experiences with B&H.
Wish me luck.

Ordering from B&H or another reputable store is always a wise choice. If it's cheaper, there's usually a reason, and not a good one.

Have fun!

bee7474 Loc: Selah, Wa

Compare the pictures posted on UHH from both camera's. I know the Panansonic is good, but what I have seen on UHH the Canon is outstanding. Bee

Poison Ivey Loc: Mtn Brook, AL

I am a Canon Lover, but I chose the FZ200 over the Canon. The steady 2.8 is awesome. 1200mm vs 900mm, I would think one would need to put SX50 on a Tripod. I paid $600 Feb a year ago for my Lumix so $369 is a real bargain. If you buy it, get a large SD card, polarizer & split Graduated ND filters. For 1st few months of Learning Curve, I enjoyed the printed manual from Staples or Office Depot.