Thanks to all the great information from the UHH community, my thoughts of just getting an SX50 HS was sidetracked. Reading everyones thoughts comparing the three camera's it came down to: SX50 HS, FZ70 and FZ200, the one thing the comments that hit home were the ones that suggested holding the cameras for comfort. I found the SX50 a bit small for my hand while the FZ200 seemed to have more space to grip..although it is a bit larger. OK. So I won't have a 1200mm zoom. I'll get closer to the subject--unless its the moon and that could be problematic. I'm not a bird watcher unless its in my backyard and I wont need 1200 for that! Grandkids, travel, family, usual stuff. Probably will experiment with landscapes or other things as I see fit. The good news is that the cot isn't breaking the bank and this will give me what I believe is a wonderful learning tool.
Anyway, thanks for all the reading pleasure. You folks know your stuff. I weighed things out as carefully as I could and pulled the trigger. Camera is coming next week so be ready to see some pretty awful stuff for critique. As a relative newbie to digital (I have vast experience with p&S and phones!) I'm looking forward to making myself a better photographer with the help of the UHH'ers.

Hi to you all, I have been asked to take some pictures of a Bonfire night at a local pub, purely on the grounds that the landlord had seen that I had a large camera and so took it upon himself that I knew what I was doing. I have explained to the guy that I am purely an amateur and that I will be there any way with my camera and that he is very welcome to any images that I take for his own use, but I would like to do well with this challenge purely for my own satisfaction. My question would be as follows; what ISO, what SS and what and where to meter from. I do like to shoot manual and RAW but what about the white balance, can that be set in camera or in post processing because I am shooting with the Nikon D 700 but I do not know which preset WB would be correct. I will be aiming to use my Speedlight Flash unit for fill flash pics of the crowd but not quite sure what the camera settings would be to achieve the overall correct exposure, or would Lightroom software be able to assist in this. So many questions, So keen to learn the art. Many thanks in advance for all your very much appreciated advice and I will be sure to post some pics to show my appreciation for your kind help. Keith

I've been considering purchasing the Nikon 5300 with 85 mm macro lens primarily for photos of jewelry and weaving for posting on my small business' website. Getting true color for stones, metal & textile/fiber is important to me, and recently I've had to make do with my iPad (I know, I know- please!). Now I'm wondering if the new Leica V-lux could be a substitute. Certainly would save me some money, has great features, and a lot to offer for other uses. In my youth, I learned on my dad's Leica 35 mm, always loved it. Anyone have any experience with the V-lux for macro work?