JCam Loc: MD Eastern Shore

Lori,

I'm not really new to photography, but in 2011 I decided I needed to upgrade from a Canon 2000 pocket camera to something more versatile. I take a lot of pictures on the water when both my boat and the subject are often both moving, and got tired of the camera taking too long "to think" after I pressed the shutter button. After I read all the reviews I could find I decided the SX40 was the way to go; unfortunately I couldn't find one and ended up with my first Nikon, a P-500 P&S, and to say I'm unhappy would be putting it mildly.

I also photograph "back yard critters" & have been very unhappy with the Auto Focus. Even with the spot focus, you can't tell exactly where it is focusing, and it frequently focuses on the background rather than the bird. When I print the photos , the subjects on 4x6's are fine & 8x10's are less sharp; for larger prints or projected pictures, the out of focus is painfully evident.

With your "Limited Budget" and I tried to limit mine too, I'm not sure what the answer of what camera might be, but talk to friends or ask at a local camera club, but for what you want the P-500 isn't. The new 510 may be better, but you never know until you try it.

Good luck!

Jim

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

If you could find an extra $100, here is a great possibility:
http://shop.nikonusa.com/store/nikonusa/pd/productID.258575400

ggttc Loc: TN

MT Shooter...you must get royalty checks from Nikon...lol

Lori, that being said I compared the 510 and sx50 till I was bleeding from the ears...if you dont need remote shutter or RAW...this is an excellent idea.

PauloSee Loc: Tipp City, Ohio

I bought a Nikon D3200 for my wife and she loves the ease of use, it's size and the IQ is great. For around $600 including a good zoom lens you can't go wrong,

Wahawk Loc: NE IA

The SX50 adds Hot Shoe for external flash, fully articulating screen, saving in 'raw', remote shutter release, awesome shot-to-shot time.

P510 is nice but the SX50 offers a lot more for not much more. Even the SX40 (no remote release or 'raw' without a hack) gives more flexible shooting than the P510 and is available some places for around $300

dubach

even if you're new get a DSLR and just read the manual and a few photo books at the bookstore to better your understanding in techs. dont go point&shoot because you'll be limited. i recommend going with a full frame camera like the nikon D600, or if not full frame the D7000 which is at a very good price now. its what i use and am very happy with it. and i also want the D600. read the reviews on both. happy shooting.

Wahawk Loc: NE IA

You obviously don't have the budget issues the OP has!
And the upper end P&S and bridge cameras do a VERY good job!!

dubach

oh budget, the only point & shoot i would recommend is the canon SX260. i was very impressed with this camera and has a manual mode as well. the image quality is superb. see review. i bought this cam for a friend. about 250.00.

pugfan Loc: Carlsbad CA

Beautiful photos. Just a question...has anyone tried the Sony HX300 50 zoom? I wouldn't have to buy extra batteries if I got it because I have another camera that uses the same.

PNagy Loc: Missouri City, Texas

My wife has a Canon SX50 HS. It zooms from 24mm to 1200mm (optical). The incredible zoom allows her to zero in a rather distant bird, to frame it acceptably, and focus it properly. It handles all other kinds of photo challenges fairly well to exceptionally well.

Jack47 Loc: Ontario

http://en.nikon.ca/Nikon-Products/Product/Compact-Digital-Cameras/26329/COOLPIX-P510.html

My wife just got this one as a retirement gift. Very nice!!!

wlgoode Loc: Globe, AZ

And both discounted now because of new models introduced.

marcomarks Loc: Ft. Myers, FL

Low ISO changing the sharpness of a digital camera? Where'd you hear a thing like that? A digital pickup sensor also doesn't work like film that had creamier, smoother, and better color saturation results on low ASA film. Nothing is affected by ISO in digital photography except resulting nasty digital noise in the digital file caused by increased gain of the camera circuitry in low light situations when boosting ISO.

The biggest affect on sharpness is lens glass quality and accurate focus. Secondly, sensor size and number/size of pixels jammed onto the sensor.

I have a little Canon point & shoot that takes photos almost as clear as my dSLR in bright light because it has excellent lens glass but it sucks otherwise and the files are small enough that I can't enlarge to any more than 8X10 and that's pushing it.

I have a Panasonic point & shoot that is also as crisp as can be and it doesn't suck in any manner but its enlargements are also limited to 8X10 or less.

However, I have a Panasonic Lumix FZ-30 bridge model that is only 8MP but it has Leica glass and it is awesome even though it's 6 years old because of the glass. I've printed 13X19 with it and they were perfectly crisp. I could probably do 16X20 reasonably well if I didn't crop the file in any way. I take portraits with it and they are as smoothly creamy but tack sharp as you would expect from film in a camera that cost 10X as much - I'm sure it's because of the Leica glass.

I have a Sony Alpha 55 dSLR that has a kit zoom lens, a Minolta film camera zoom lens, and a Sigma ultra wide zoom lens. The Sigma takes it to a high level of clarity and sharpness the other two can't achieve.

So, I have to disagree with ISO having anything to do with sharpness except if you look at the digital noise about ISO 400 as being a form of ruining sharpness.

I also doubt the Nikon lens in question being sharper whether the aperture is open all the way or closed all the way unless that specific lens is known to have aberrations when open all the way. Aperture isn't supposed to affect sharpness on the spot that is focused on, although it dramatically affects the depth of field that will be in focus. Zoom position could certainly affect focus though because some zooms are not as good at their extremes as they are in the middle.

wlgoode Loc: Globe, AZ

Lenses are sharpest in their center so stopping down a lens does increase performance, to a limit because eventually diffraction distortion sets in from closing the aperture way down. This is a good reason to use FX lenses on a DX camera because the image comes through the "Sweet Spot" of the lens.

saichiez Loc: Beautiful Central Oregon

Your budget is just fine. I just sold two Olympus E-PL1 cameras with the interchangeable 14-42 lens in micro four thirds mount. How much... $225 and $230.

Qualities...

Extremely Sharp lens/camera combo
Bigger sensor than P&S, falling just shy of the size of APSc in Canon Rebels, etc.
Good ISO control and noise control.
About the size of most P&S, but with interchangeable lens for when there is more money in the budget.

I have used three of these almost exclusively for the last three years. Most are low count used, as people usually use them as backup to DSLR.

Not me. In fact I bought a new Canon T2i and carried the Canon and the Olympus together. Shot them side by side, image for image, for three months. The Olympus beat the Canon smartly and I sold the Canon at 100 less than I paid for it. Cost less than rent for three months. The Canon just couldn't match the image quality, the OOC sharpness and the size advantage of the Olympus E-PL1.

I now carry the new E-PL5 and will get a second body in a couple of months.

The Olympus PEN series were the first of the mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. Full featured, much like a DSLR, small, sharp, and a good range of lenses building up. In body Image Stabilization, so every lens is stabilized. Fastest focus in the industry. Documented.

I originally snapped up my first new Olympus PEN E-PL1 when it was ranked as the sharpest mirrorless camera on it's introduction and the focus was ranked at top of the mark in digital camera's.

And, it's awfully close to your budget, just a tad over. You won't be sorry with the E-PL1.