jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

I agree with this. Later when you can afford more camera and lens then upgrade to a full on DSLR and a good lens.

Someone else said to get a Canon 7D. You can pick one of those up used pretty cheap now. But for a pretty good zoom lens you'd have to cough up $800-$1100.

sethro84 Loc: Iowa City

Thank you for all of the advice, especially as a first time user of this site. It came highly recommended from a trusted friend and I can see why. I feel I have a much better idea of what to start looking for.

backroader Loc: Wherever we park our motorhome

I use my Canon SX50 for birding sometimes instead of my 5D. It is good for IDing birds that are a long way off with the 1200mm zoom. I do not like the SX50 viewfinder, however, and that can be very troubling while birding.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

Check out this article, Mrs. Stokes, a professional Birding Author prefers the SX50 over the SX60.
http://stokesbirdingblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/canon-sx-50-hs-for-bird-photography-i.html

SX50 vs SX60
http://stokesbirdingblog.blogspot.com/2014/04/review-canon-sx-60-for-bird-photography.html

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

You can get an entry-level Canon Rebel T5 camera with 18-55mm IS II and 55-250mm IS STM lenses for $550 right now ($300 discount).

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1101964-REG/canon_eos_rebel_t5_dslr.html

This would be a pretty darned good starter kit, capable of better image quality and higher ISO shooting than many (most?) point-n-shoot models can manage with their considerably smaller image sensors. A basic DSLR also would offer future upgrade potential.... such as more powerful telephotos (though 250mm is pretty darned good); more specialized macro and ultrawide lenses; or eventually a better camera with more advance autofocus systems; plus compatibility with accessories such as powerful portable flash; and much more.

There's also a $100 cheaper kit that has the EF 75-300mm lens instead of the EF-S 55-250mm IS STM.... but the latter is a much better telephoto zoom with image stabilization and better autofocus performance that's well worth the extra cost, IMO.

Elliern Loc: Myrtle Beach, SC

Thanks, Linda for posting those links. Makes it easier for me to reply.

To sethro84: I recently purchased a Nikon P610 bridge camera after my Canon sx50 bit the dust.

I think it is a very good beginner camera for birding. It has a little longer reach than the sx50 and much less chromatic aberration.

The P610 has a specific mode for birds as well. Can't get much easier than that 😏 I have not yet gotten a really good shot of a bird in flight, but have been close. Hope that with practice I can get there. The colors are true and the vr is pretty good so hand held will work well.

You can click on the links that Linda from Maine so kindly provided to see some examples. But I will post a couple of shots below to make it easier for you.

Happy birding, no matter which camera you get.

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MarkD Loc: NYC

For shooting birds the longer the lens the better. A DSLR with an appropriate lens will be well above your budget. The best camera for you, IMO, is a bridge camera. These cameras have zoom lenses that go from wide-angle to very long telephoto, and they are not very expensive. Some that I recommend are the Nikon P900 and P610, Canon SX50 and SX60, Sony HX400V, and Panasonic FZ70.

sirlensalot Loc: Arizona

Although I would consider the 7D coupled with a 100-400 as a great place to start, it will not come close to your budget. Many birders argue 400mm is an average place to start. Less of an argument - a DSLR with a good lens, will outperform bridge cameras. Sensor size in most cases, faster AF, and AF tracking I would think are key for birding. That said, a bridge camera would fit your budget nicely, and could very well be a better overall set up for you. Good hunting.

davyboy Loc: Anoka Mn.

their is another kind of birding its called back yard birding you build a blind feed the birds set up a perch and shoot them from within 20 feet you do not need a real long expensive lens and you can attract over a dozen bird species

rbfanman

Almost any camera with a shutter speed of 1/1000 of a second, or faster, would do for birding. The LENS is more important. The longer telephoto lenses-500mm, 800mm, 1200mm, etc-would be great...if you could afford them. If you can't, you may have to make do with a 300mm lens, and try to walk a bit closer to your subjects. If possible, go with a Prime (single focal length) lens...one that is just 300mm...rather than a zoom lens of the 28-300mm, or 100-300mm, etc, type.

One lower cost option to try would be a mirror lens in the 500mm, or 800mm, range. They are: manual focus only, manual exposure only, one aperture only, and rather 'soft focus' (less sharp), and require a t-mount adaptor for the camera brand (Canon, Nikon, etc)....but they are lower cost than non-mirror items of similar focal lengths. If you use one, forget 'The Rule Of Thirds', and place your subject in the center of the lens / viewfinder....as it will be sharpest there. You can also get a 2X teleconverter adaptor, for a mirror lens,and so turn the 800mm into a 1600mm, or the 500mm into 1000mm. If yo use such on a crop frame camera, yo will get the crop factor multiplier too...1.5X on the Nikon, or 1.6X on Canon. So, a 500mm, plus 2X converter, on a Nikon DX camera will give you a 1500mm field of view.

You can find a mirror lens in prices ranging from $100.00 to $300.00, or so, with sales lowering prices to around $80.00 for some. I use a Bower 500mm, f/8 lens, with Nikon adaptor on my Nikon D3300 DSLR. It works well enough. The images this combo produces won't be appearing in National Geographic any time soon, but they suit me. Other cameras-most Sonys, Nikons, Canons, Pentaxes, etc-would work well. The faster shutter speed is your main requirement. Apart from that, the more focus points, and more cross type focus points, you can get, the better it will be. The faster the Continuous shooting capability-6 FPS, 10FPS, etc, you can get, the better it will be.

An articulated / flip out screen may be useful, if you build a 'blind', and hide in it, and set the camera up so just the lens is visible from outside. You can use the flip out screen to view the birds from hiding. You may want a more feature laden, and more expensive, camera than I use, and even a different brand...or not. Compare the makes, and models, with regards to focus points, flip out screen capability, shutter speed, etc, and see what you like amongst those which fit within your budget.

Use a tripod with a long telephoto lens...especially with a mirror lens. Let us know what you decide to go with, and how it turns out for you.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Surely you can find a few still usable items of camera gear?

Busch Loc: San Diego

If you want one with interchangeable lenses the Nikon D3300 is a great beginner camera.

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

The OP said that he wants something Not to bulky. The 7d with any X-300 lens is a very bulky set up. According to his statement the 7d is not for him

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

Bird photography and landscapes are two different ends of the spectrum. Landscapes need a wide angle lens and a tripod. It doesn't even have to be an autofocus lens, as you will often be focusing at infinity. For landscapes a FF sensor is optimal.

Bird photography needs accurate and fast autofocus, and serious telephoto capability. To get that capability a smaller sensor with a larger crop factor is preferable if you don't have many thousands to spend. I use a Nikkor 55-300mm Autofocus VR lens on a Nikon J1 with an FT1 f-mount adapter to get a 35mm equivalent focal length of 810mm.

Since your budget will not buy you two dslr's and lenses I'd recommend you get a bridge camera. Tha Panasonic FZ70 wih a 20mm to 1200mm zoom lens would get you started for just $224 and free shipping at Amazon. As you get more experience you can determine what (and if) you are willing to invest for higher end equipment.

AR Farm Gal Loc: Piggott, AR (NE AR)

Probably true, but they probably also bring more than a few dollars to your local economy! I heard similar stories in MT this summer about wanna be cowboys, too, but they were happy to take their money. :)

I guess I fall somewhere in the middle. Not enough time to be a great birder and not enough money to be an awesome bird photographer! But, I'm trying to learn with the resources I have.