MadMikeOne wrote:
My spouse and I are heading for a trip to the Arctic (Greenland, Iceland, Norway) in September, and I am having major angst about what camera(s) and equipment to take with me.
I have a Nikon D5200 with a 55-300 zoom that I will take, but that lens will probably not be long enough. We will be out on the water in Zodiaks probably quite a distance from the life on shore. I do not want to miss any great photo ops. I considered a bridge camera but decided to try something else first.
Sooo - I got myself a Sony Cybershot HX50V. Great little point and shoot with lots of tweaking available that goes out to around 720 mm - perfect or so I thought. BIG problem is - no viewfinder. I took it out to our local bird observatory (right on the Altantic Ocean) and lost so many shots of birds in flight due to no viewfinder. No matter what I do, I cannot view what I need to on the LCD - turned it up as bright as it will go, tried a hood - no good.
Now I seem to be back to a bridge camera to get the viewfinder, but still keep the equipment I need to keep very accessible and on my body. When I first started this research, I got it down to the Canon SX50HS and the Nikon Coolpix P600. I have no allegiance to either brand, so let's not go down that road.
I am leaning toward the Canon ONLY because I want to be able to put filters on the lens. I was told by a tech at a big camera shop in NYC that the Nikon would accept filters but not a hood. This is definitely not so. I actually looked at one and what appear to be threads on the lens are not. The store I was in had the correct size filter so I tried it out. It does not screw on. The Canon will take a filter but and adaptor is needed - no problem there. And the Canon will take a hood. Just cannot use the hood with a filter on. Good grief! I really don't know if I will really need a hood and a filter at the same time. Keep in mind, there will be lots of light reflected off the snow and the water. My readings indicate that an ND filter and/or a polarizing filter will be needed.
I don't want to lug around lots of equipment; but I don't want to miss good shots, either. Also, I am new to DSLR photography and am trying to learn my way around the menus, etc. and I do not PP at this time.
Thoughts, comments? The view finder in combination with a long zoom are the critical considerations.
All input is welcome. My brain is fried and my head is spinning. Thanks.
My spouse and I are heading for a trip to the Arct... (
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what you need might be the Nikon 1 v3 and the new 70-300 lens for it. That would give you fastest autofocus available today, electronic viewfinder and hood and filter.