Which camera would be best for ME (Page 2): I'm an SLR / DSLR guy , but my neighbor is into birds and has a Nikon P900 . It's a bridge camera with an amazing 24-2000mm zoom range . If...

machia Loc: NJ

I'm an SLR / DSLR guy , but my neighbor is into birds and has a Nikon P900 . It's a bridge camera with an amazing 24-2000mm zoom range . If you don't plan on blowing up photos beyond an 8X10 this might be the camera for you .

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

People can give you suggestions, but until you actually have hands on with a camera, those suggestions & specs are meaningless. Everyone is different & what works for one person will not work for another. Remember the old adage "One person's trash is another's treasure" The best advice given so far is to go and handle (or rent if possible) the different models to see what best fits your needs.

machia Loc: NJ

Screamin Scott wrote:

People can give you suggestions, but until you actually have hands on with a camera, those suggestions & specs are meaningless. Everyone is different & what works for one person will not work for another. Remember the old adage "One person's trash is another's treasure" The best advice given so far is to go and handle (or rent if possible) the different models to see what best fits your needs.

Suggestions aren't meaningless at all . You take suggestions and then try those suggestions out for yourself . As I said , the P900 " might be " the camera for him .

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Gene51 wrote:

I think you'll find that in camera stabilization is best at shorter focal lengths.

https://photographylife.com/lens-stabilization-vs-in-camera-stabilization/

That is also what I have read in several places. You will do far better with in lens IS for a lens like the 300mm. Nikon and Canon I know have small and very light bodies available with excellent grips for ease of holding the camera and long lens combo. Look at the Canon Rebel series or the Nikon 3xxx or 5xxx small lightweight cameras.

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

Maybe meaningless was the wrong choice of words, but it's difficult to know exactly what someone else needs. People are different & have different needs. Imagine how boring it would be if everyone was the same. A manufacturer may say a camera or lens has X amount of stops of stabilization. Well they like to toot their own horn & more often than not that number is an "estimate" and is inflated by the manufacturer. As I said before though, the best scenario is for the OP to handle, if not rent & use different models suggested till they find the one that best suits their needs.

machia wrote:

Suggestions aren't meaningless at all . You take suggestions and then try those suggestions out for yourself . As I said , the P900 " might be " the camera for him .

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

Think "tripod".

orrie smith Loc: Kansas

Shel wrote:

My hands are not steady and I would like a camera with an in body stabilization, like the Sony A6500 or the A7II. My hesitation in regard to Sony is the dearth of lenses. My primary interest is photographing birds and my problem is at its worst when shooting with a 300mm lens. Guidance would be appreciated.

Rather than changing your camera setup, try learning to use a gimbal head and tripod. It will give you the ability to track birds and will give the stability to your photography that you are looking for. It will take more setup time and patience, but will be worth the effort.

machia Loc: NJ

Screamin Scott wrote:

Maybe meaningless was the wrong choice of words, b... (show quote)

Agree .

Shel Loc: Lecanto FL

I am using the Nikon D7000 with a Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD. I am far from being a professional. It is just a hobby for me and I don't have a great eye but if I shoot enough pictures, I can get a few that I really like. I would like to be able to print bigger than letter size and possible load images for viewing on my Sony 4K large screen TV. I would use a tripod (which I have) but it is too heavy and bulky to carry around when going, for example, to a bird sanctuary. I would like to capture the details of the feathers of birds. My problem (among others) is that at 83, my hands are not steady and even with the stabilization of the Tamron, I can't get good image sharpness. I do try to set shutter speed as high as the lighting permits.

jackpi Loc: Southwest Ohio

Shel wrote:

My hands are not steady and I would like a camera with an in body stabilization, like the Sony A6500 or the A7II. My hesitation in regard to Sony is the dearth of lenses. My primary interest is photographing birds and my problem is at its worst when shooting with a 300mm lens. Guidance would be appreciated.

You should really consider the micro 4/3 option. Micro 4/3 has a very large number of lighter, smaller lenses and in-body/lens stabilization worth up to 6.5 stops. Image quality is very good except for very low light, and the 6.5 stops of stability control goes a long way in offsetting the low light problem.

Reinaldokool Loc: San Rafael, CA

Shel wrote:

My hands are not steady and I would like a camera with an in body stabilization, like the Sony A6500 or the A7II. My hesitation in regard to Sony is the dearth of lenses. My primary interest is photographing birds and my problem is at its worst when shooting with a 300mm lens. Guidance would be appreciated.

I shoot mostly with an a6300, but the a6500 does have the in-body stabilization which would be good for you. You can use, with an adapter, most Nikon or Canon mount lenses, some with full automation--cheaper adaptors like mine don't pass through, but some of the good, expensive ones do a marvelous job.

I don't shoot birds--at least not often--but use an adaptor with my Nikon 400mm and my Rokinon fisheye.

Vince68 Loc: Wappingers Falls, NY

The Nikon P900 has VR in the lens, not the body. As Gene51 said, in body stabilization is not as effective at longer focal lengths, more at shorter lengths. Here are two links for the P900, one from Nikon and the other a review on Photography Life.

http://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product/compact-digital-cameras/coolpix-p900.html#tab-ProductDetail-ProductTabs-TechSpecs

https://photographylife.com/reviews/nikon-coolpix-p900/ John Sherman did the review and there are some really good photos included. For the size of the sensor, this camera does a good job. It really comes down to what you want to do with the images you take. According to the review, you will get good results for web-sharing or printing 8x10" with this camera. But if you want to print larger than that or view your images at 100% you will need a camera with a larger sensor.

Here is the Photography Life review for the Sony A7 II camera with in-body stabilization. This is a very in-depth review, culminating in the summary of the positives and negatives of the Sony models, the A7S, A7, A7 II, and the A7R https://photographylife.com/reviews/sony-a7-ii/

You may want to look at the PL reviews of Fuji Cameras also. These are APS-C cameras, not full frame, so depending on what you want to shoot, print, view, and the sensor size you want, will be the deciding factor in camera make and model.

https://photographylife.com/reviews/fuji-x-t1/
https://photographylife.com/reviews/fuji-x-t2/

If you want a Full Frame camera with in body stabilization, you may want to consider the Pentax K1 model. http://us.ricoh-imaging.com/index.php/component/eshop/pentax-k-1

If APS-C size sensor is okay, check out the Pentax K-3 II, http://us.ricoh-imaging.com/index.php/component/eshop/pentax-k-3-ii

Best thing you can do is go to a camera store and check out different models. See how they feel to you, bring a memory card with you and take some shots and see how they come out when you bring them home and process them. Good Luck.

ole sarg Loc: south florida

The answer is not the camera, though I am a great fan and owner of Sony cameras, but rather the willingness to learn how to use a tripod. Even the steady of hand have blur with a handheld 300mm lens!

Shel wrote:

My hands are not steady and I would like a camera with an in body stabilization, like the Sony A6500 or the A7II. My hesitation in regard to Sony is the dearth of lenses. My primary interest is photographing birds and my problem is at its worst when shooting with a 300mm lens. Guidance would be appreciated.

Just Trying To Focus Loc: Jackson County, Michigan

Shel wrote:

My hands are not steady and I would like a camera with an in body stabilization, like the Sony A6500 or the A7II. My hesitation in regard to Sony is the dearth of lenses. My primary interest is photographing birds and my problem is at its worst when shooting with a 300mm lens. Guidance would be appreciated.

I have a Sony A6000 and I personally wouldn't consider it a good "birding" camera, because there aren't many long zoom lenses available, unless you get an adapter and use A mount lenses.

I have a Canon 80D and Tamron 150-600 lens that I can use for birding (stabilization is in the lens, not the camera, though.) That said, I find myself reaching for my Nikon P900 FAR more than the Canon 80D with the big Tamron lens when it comes to birding. The P900 is a small sensor camera, so the image quality is not that of an slr, but with its great image stabilization and 83x zoom it is just plain FUN.

Here is a link to some of my photo samples with the Nikon P900.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyhowell/albums/72157669935023610

Shel Loc: Lecanto FL

Thanks for the website address. Your photos are great. I am amazed at the quality of the photos at such high zoom setting and with a small sensor camera. Of course, your ability with a camera far overshadows any loss in image quality of a larger sensor slr.