Thanks for posting those photos. I'm still fairly new at this DSLR thing, and I'm very much a hands-on/visual learner; so these are a great help to me!

And the RX100M2, which also captures RAW beautifully, but admittedly doesn't have all the updated bells and whistles -- which may or may not be important to you -- is under $600 at B&H.

Last year when I was researching the secondary market for my own starter DSLR, I discovered there's a lot of people out there who have no idea what they have. I purchased my Canon Rebel T3i with kit lens, neck strap, battery and charger for $300 on Mercari.com. It might have been taken out of the box, but it had clearly never been used. Mercari works a little differently than Ebay. Mercari holds the Buyers money UNTIL the Buyer acknowledges receipt of merchandise and satisfaction. Only then does the Seller get paid. Seller promises to ship within a certain number of days, you are sent tracking information all along the way. I've had several good buying and selling experiences there. Also picked up a Canon 55-250mm lens for $84 -- which I later sold at a higher price to buy a better lens from BHA.

God bless you Cape Codder; I'll hold you in my prayers.

A stressed bird does not go toward the cause of its stress, the bird goes away from it.

mdsiamese may not have appreciated the info about "other tutorials," but I did! Thanks for the recommendations!

Ok, guys, I'm still new at this, so be kind! What do you use a lens like that for???

Welcome to the Hog . . . and more importantly, thank you for your Service.

I bought mine on ebay -- it was a 'slightly handled display model' and came with the leather case, as well as everything 'in the box.' I got a screaming deal on it, AND it was in pristine condition! Yes, I know, some ebay sellers misrepresent their merchandise (I've experienced that, too), but my experience with ebay is that if the buyers complaint is legitimate, ebay will back up the buyer. I have never been burned. Aggravated, yes! - but never burned.

Welcome to the Hog. I'm fairly new myself, having recently acquired a DSLR. That being said, I have a Sony RX100ii, and I absolutely LOVE it. I, too, enjoy bird photography, and that little Sony has not disappointed! I find it has plenty of zoom for my needs.

Yup. Cardinals. Male and female. They come to the bird feeder right outside our window everyday; they often retract their crests.

Gerald, interesting bit of trivia I learned this week. Folks in the military (and their families) stand at attention during the Nat'l Anthem; they don't place their hands over their hearts. No argument from me when it comes to showing respect for our Anthem, though . . . just a thought to consider.

I LOVED my Canon PowerShot SX-20is! I believe the latest version of this camera is the SX-60hs. Easy to use; great pictures; HUGE zoom lens, so she can capture every little detail and some of it from a great distance! If the 60 works as well as my 20 did, she'll be very happy!

As a newbie -- who knows very little of 'the art of photography' and who recently moved from a Canon SX-20is to a Rebel Ti3 -- I feel her pain!! So many buttons, so many controls! And I completely agree with CHG CANON. Your friend will do very well in the Auto Mode, and she'll get some excellent photos, along with a feeling of accomplishment. And it just may spur her on to WANTING to delve deeper into all those buttons and really find out what she and her camera can do!

Tom, I'm (very) new at this, and I plan on going out by myself while I get comfortable with my camera and (lol) figure out what I'm doing! But I'm also planning on some shooting days with a friend, during which we will hopefully be learning with and from each other. Do what you're comfortable doing!