MadMikeOne Loc: So. NJ Shore - a bit west of Atlantic City

No, no, no!
I will have all the Nikon lenses I need for the Galapagos trip. The requirements there are much different from the Arctic. The bridge camera is NOT intended for the Galapagos.
I know what works for me and my location and what doesn't.

amehta Loc: Boston

:thumbup:

Basil Loc: New Mexico

I have a Canon 7D and the SX50HS. I love the SX50 as a camera I can grab quickly and go. It is light and not too bulky. The optics is very good (not as good as the 7D with L lenses, but very good nonetheless). I will be traveling to DC on a business trip in a couple of weeks and plan to pack the SX50 to have a nice touristy camera and not have to drag the 7D with all it's lenses around. I also love that the SX50 shoots RAW images and of course I love the 50x zoom with very good IS.

tramsey Loc: Texas

Take a look at what a comparison site has to say about the two cameras.



http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon-PowerShot-SX50-HS-vs-Nikon-Coolpix-P600

MadMikeOne Loc: So. NJ Shore - a bit west of Atlantic City

The very good IS is really important in this situation. What is the real story with the hood and filters?
Is an adaptor required?
Can you use a hood with a filter?
Can you stack filters? (I don't plan to do so, but just would like to know.)

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

No problem, sir, on the clarity. I am still wondering what you will see from the zodiac to photograph that will not still be there when you go ashore from the Zodiac. I guess it could be wildlife that will have run off etc. No matter.

I see you are somewhat new to the Hog. As so many people answer questions or reply in some manner it is easier to see who your reply is addressed to if you click on, "Quote Reply", before answering that specific person. It gets to be a habit after the first three times and you won't think about it.

I just looked at my wife's Panasonic FZ200 and yes it does take a filter. Before leaving the store I purchased a filter for it but it has been a few months and I wanted to check to make sure. As somebody who can't remember what I had for lunch it helps to double check. It is threaded for a 52mm filter. It comes with a lens hood that seems perfectly acceptable. It also has a pop up flash. One thing I like about it is it has a viewfinder but also has and rear screen if you want to use it. The rear screen pops out and then can be rotated so you could take a picture of a flower or bug at ground level without you having to get eye to eye with the viewfinder.

Leica makes a similar camera with the same lens but the cost is almost twice the price of the Panasonic. Basically the same camera that I can see but just with a Panasonic name rather than Leica. Still the Leica lens though. The zoom is 25-600mm. I believe the Canon SX50 goes out to 1200mm.

My wife likes it because it is lightweight. She used to have a Nikon D90 but it was just too heavy for her as she has some neck problems. So far she likes the pictures from the FZ200. I have used it to take maybe 5 pictures and they all came out well and seemed sharp to me.

In the end it comes out to what you need for your photo needs. I suggest going to a camera store and handle a few that are recommended to see what you like.

Have a great trip. It sounds like fun.

Dennis

MadMikeOne Loc: So. NJ Shore - a bit west of Atlantic City

Dennis,
Thank you for all the really useful and very specific info. I will definitely check both those cameras out. It seems as though finding what I "need" all in one camera may not be possible. At least I already know what my absolute gotta haves are.
Oh, you were right about the wildlife on shore moving away by the time the humans managed to get ashore. Also, I have to guess the shots would be more natural with the humans so far away.
Antarctica is also on the bucket list. I am sooo not normal. Most people want to see Paris, Rome, Greece - me, I like wild animals - just not the human kind!

LaurenT Loc: Northern California

Yes, I printed the manual as a PDF file.

LaurenT Loc: Northern California

Welcome to the club! Thats why we moved to Alaska for one year. Unfortunately, we will be returning to our "regular lives" in August.

firtree Loc: Florida, USA

My input is that I read reviews on both of the cameras you mentioned and The NikonP600 faired a little better overall than the Canon SX50. I have a Nikon P510 and am going to upgrade to the P600 when my budget allows (due to said reviews). I am hoping other than the longer zoom it will be as easy to use as my current Nikon (which does have a view finder which you do have to adjust to use with a small dial which sits right next to it). Good luck with your choice and enjoy your amazing trips.

wrightwrjr Loc: Paducah, KY

Also, check out the Sony HX300, it has an awesome Carl Zeiss 50X zoom lens and it accepts filters.

Ctrclckws

Have the p520, and the sx50. The nikon has gps, if thats desired otherwise, i think the sx50 checks boxes better. With the filter adapter, you could put on a 67mm screw on hood.

The p600 may have a little longer reach. But no raw, filters are a clumsy addon no gps. Etc.

Wahawk Loc: NE IA

The full manual is on the CD in the box.

Wahawk Loc: NE IA

Once you get the filter adapter (67mm) you can put anything that would go on a normal lens. If you don't use the hood designed for the bayonet mount directly on the lens, you can use the filter along with any filter you want. Also, if needed you can then stack several filters. If you get the right rubber lens hood, you can put it onto the adapter first, then screw the filters into the front of the hood.

Wahawk Loc: NE IA

Just a bit of misconception here!! The 150-600mm zoom lens is maybe optically/technically longer than what the SX50 has built on, however the effective focal length of the SX50 is 24mm-1200mm which is MUCH longer than the 600mm!!

Amazing how some people love to bash bridge cameras!! Just search for SX50 photos on UHH, Flickr, 500pix, etc and look at the great results that people are getting!!