jdub82 wrote:
Welcome to the forum! In my opinion, the Canon SX50 is a great camera to start with. It is a very capable little camera, especially for outdoor pictures and also indoor shots with good lighting. The easy to navigate features of the camera, a great auto mode, manual controls available, as well as the 50X zoom, make it a great place to start. I love my Canon SX50, and use it as a travel camera, when I don't want to travel with the bulk of a DSLR and lenses..
Here is site for a bird photographer who uses the SX50.