Help with choosing a good digital camera: I am looking to upgrade my camera. At the moment I am using a Nikon Coolpix L100 with a 15x zoom. When I zoom in on wildlife and birds they...

Lorima Loc: Colorado

I am looking to upgrade my camera. At the moment I am using a Nikon Coolpix L100 with a 15x zoom. When I zoom in on wildlife and birds they are fuzzy and need something with a stronger zoom lens.
I am still fairly new to photography and need something fairly simple and must be a digital.
There are so many out there and so confusing finding the right camera. I am on a budget and will probably get a used one.
Any help or thoughts would be much appreciated. Thank you.

Lori

Pepper Loc: Planet Earth Country USA

Lorima wrote:

I am looking to upgrade my camera. At the moment I am using a Nikon Coolpix L100 with a 15x zoom. When I zoom in on wildlife and birds they are fuzzy and need something with a stronger zoom lens.
I am still fairly new to photography and need something fairly simple and must be a digital.
There are so many out there and so confusing finding the right camera. I am on a budget and will probably get a used one.
Any help or thoughts would be much appreciated. Thank you.

Lori

Are you looking to stay in the P&S or move up to a bridge or DSLR?

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

A stronger zoom is only part of the problem. A larger sensor would make a big difference too.

RaydancePhoto

Lorima wrote:

I am looking to upgrade my camera. At the moment I am using a Nikon Coolpix L100 with a 15x zoom. When I zoom in on wildlife and birds they are fuzzy and need something with a stronger zoom lens.
I am still fairly new to photography and need something fairly simple and must be a digital.
There are so many out there and so confusing finding the right camera. I am on a budget and will probably get a used one.
Any help or thoughts would be much appreciated. Thank you.

Lori

As far as a used camera, the Fujifilm S100fs is a great camera. The lens is fantastic, very sharp photos. It has a larger sensor than most bridge cameras. I have one and it takes great pics, I have not used mine in 6 months or more, I got a Sony p/s that replaced it.

http://www.amazon.com/Fujifilm-Finepix-Digital-Stabilized-Optical/dp/B0012Y541S

travlnman46 Loc: Yakima WA

Lorima wrote:

I am looking to upgrade my camera. At the moment I am using a Nikon Coolpix L100 with a 15x zoom. When I zoom in on wildlife and birds they are fuzzy and need something with a stronger zoom lens.
I am still fairly new to photography and need something fairly simple and must be a digital.
There are so many out there and so confusing finding the right camera. I am on a budget and will probably get a used one.
Any help or thoughts would be much appreciated. Thank you.

Lori

Hi Lorima: You say you're working with a budget, my question to you would be how big of budget. The Nikon Coolpix L100 is a decent point and shoot camera. Unfortunately even at a 15x zoom, it doesn't appear to have the range you wish for wildlife and bird shots. The camera does have built in image stabilization which should help. Here is my suggestion, go down to your local camera store, if you have one. If not try places like best buy and physically hold as many different cameras as you possibly can. When you find one that is comfortable in your hands. You can go on line and check for used cameras and lenses at some of the following on line stores. B&H, KEH, Adorama, Camata, Amazon to name a few. All of these stores have good reputations.
Check their prices on used cameras as well as their return policies. By doing some judicious shopping you can have a quality camera for an affordable price. Hope this helps.

tlbuljac Loc: Oklahoma

A great starter DSLR camera is either the Nikon D3100 or the D5100 both have many bells and whistles you will enjoy

JR1 Loc: Tavistock, Devon, UK

Impossible to answer without knowing

1. A budget
2. What you intend to shoot

Griff Loc: Warwick U.K.

The first thing is to decide why your pictures are 'fuzzy'.
I suspect camera shake.
Perhaps you would like to post one of your fuzzy results for experienced comment.
Failing that, take a picture of a distant object by your normal 'full zoom' method. Then take it again with the camera on a firm surface and the shutter fired by the delayed action.
Compare the two and see if there is any difference.
Tell the forum what you find.

Ugly Jake Loc: Sub-Rural Vermont

Wahawk will be by with his Canon SX 50 to woo and wow you - gets my vote,too!

plewislambert

If you set the ISO on your camera to the minimum you ought to get sharper pictures than you do at high ISOs. Unfortunately you can only do this if the light is good because the zoom lens in your Nikon is not very bright and in any event would be at its least crisp wide open.
Small cheap cameras with long zooms have small sensors whilst cameras with bigger sensors and long zooms that give better results than you are getting will cost more.
www.dpreview.com gives you a lot of information comparing a range of cameras and I have found it very helpful.

Philip

Wahawk Loc: NE IA

Ugly Jake wrote:

Wahawk will be by with his Canon SX 50 to woo and wow you - gets my vote,too!

:thumbup: :thumbup: :lol: :lol:
But as a Nikon user, she might be satisfied with the Nikon L810 or P510.

Personally I prefer the fully articulating screen on the SX40/SX50 and a very few of the other bridge cameras. Then of course, if the budget allows and the desire is there, could always move up to a dSLR!

ggttc Loc: TN

Lorima wrote:

I am looking to upgrade my camera. At the moment I am using a Nikon Coolpix L100 with a 15x zoom. When I zoom in on wildlife and birds they are fuzzy and need something with a stronger zoom lens.
I am still fairly new to photography and need something fairly simple and must be a digital.
There are so many out there and so confusing finding the right camera. I am on a budget and will probably get a used one.
Any help or thoughts would be much appreciated. Thank you.

Lori

Here is my usual rant about the Canon sx50.

I have one and love it.

*Great zoom...even in digital which is a farce on most bridge cameras
*Shoots in RAW
*Articulating LCD
*Remote shutter release
*Priced under $400...but a decent tripod is a must to use the zoom

If you are going to be tramping thru the woods in seach of winged creatures...its relatively compact and very lightweight.

Here are some pics.

50x optical zoom from about 40ft

Same distance 50x optical

100x digital at 248,000 miles

alf85 Loc: Northumberland, UK.

Hi, i would suggest a Canon SX-50, it has a 50x magnification, and cost around 300 pounds, i have one and it is the best buy i have ever made.
Here are a couple of images taken with it.
Regards,
Alf.
PS, these were taken through my double glazed kitchen window, the first one was 59 feet away, the second was 12 feet away.

egw45911

The Nikon P510 is a nice upgrade to what you have or if you want to make the switch to DSLR look at the D3000 as an entry level to that style.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Lorima wrote:

I am looking to upgrade my camera. At the moment I am using a Nikon Coolpix L100 with a 15x zoom. When I zoom in on wildlife and birds they are fuzzy and need something with a stronger zoom lens.
I am still fairly new to photography and need something fairly simple and must be a digital.
There are so many out there and so confusing finding the right camera. I am on a budget and will probably get a used one.
Any help or thoughts would be much appreciated. Thank you.

Lori

Used and refurbished can save you lots of money. If you decide on a DSLR, make sure you get a shutter count from the seller. It's not the only consideration, but it's something. I've gotten cameras on eBay with under 500 clicks.

Shutter Count
http://www.camerashuttercount.com/
http://kentweakley.com/blog/photo-tip-photos-camera/
http://regex.info/exif.cgi
Get Irfanview (free) and also get the plug-ins for it. Start the program, open a photo, click on Image > Information > Exif info.
Get ExifInfo - also free. Unzip and get the icon onto the Desktop. Find a photo and drag it onto the icon. A window will open with loads of info. Look down the list for Shutter Count (or whatever they call it).
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com):For Canon users, try this: http://www.astrojargon.net
For Nikon users check this: http://drchung.new21.net/previewextractor/
http://www.astrojargon.net/EOSInfo.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
http://www.nikonshuttercount.com/
http://myshuttercount.com/
http://www.picmeta.com/products/picture-information-extractor.htm

Canon try http://www.ideiki.com/astro/ Look toward the bottom of the page, and you will see that it shows the shutter count for Canons.
Camerashuttercount.com for Canon EOS 1000D / Canon EOS 1D Mark II / Canon EOS 450D/ Canon EOS 500D / Canon EOS 50d / Canon EOS 5D / Canon EOS-1D / Canon EOS-1D Mark II / Canon EOS-1D Mark II N / Canon EOS-1Ds / Canon EOS-1Ds
http://www.astrojargon.net
http://www.eoscount.com/
http://download.cnet.com/ExifTool/30...-10791213.html
For the 1Ds - http://exphose.com/tm.aspx?m=7&mpage=1&key=&
http://blog.planet5d.com/548

UHH
October 9, 2012

http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-26506-1.html