What Now?

[Black_Fly]

I want a better camera. Something that zooms and has good image quality and exposure control features. My Olympus Stylus 8010 is getting harder to find batteries for (at a decent price) and frankly, the image quality has been poor except in perfect conditions. I'd also like better telephoto capability for wildlife. I'm thinking about a digital SLR, but worry that the size and paraphernalia required would be cumbersome and fragile. My last SLR was a film camera back in the 80s. I got the wife a Nikon Coolpix 300 a year ago and for her it's perfect. Much better resolution, color and control than the Olympus, but not great for that must have shot from a distance.

What do you guys use, and does anyone use a housing?

 

[stripperguy]

I had a Nikon D80 DSLR for about 11 years...it served me well.
Last year, I bought a used Nikon D7200 body with 125 shutter actuations on it. I'm extremely pleased with it, it's quite a step up from my old D80 in all respects, image quality, battery life, ISO range. And yes, it does work at 0 degrees F.
It does still weigh the same 3.5 lbs with an 18-200 zoom on it, but I would rather leave some food home than not carry my camera. It is also bulky, but I would rather leave my sleeping bag home than not carry my camera.
In all the years with my D80, and over a year with this D7200, I have never gotten either of them wet enough to damage them. My camera is always in the canoe, in all weather and water conditions. The only time I'm concerned about it getting wet is while sailing, where I tuck it in a hatch. Never bothered to use a dry bag, and certainly not a case, any protection would take too long to get the camera out, and those bald eagles rarely sit still and pose for me!

BTW, I only converted from transparency film in 2003. I used to use a Nikon FM, and before that, a Pentax MX, both were all manual, all mechanical bodies that never failed in any weather.
These DSLR's are pretty close to those old film cameras in their feel and use.

Edit:
Sensor size for the D7200 is 23.5 x 15.6 mm
YC's HS 70 SX has a sensor size of 4.55x6.17mm
Depending on what you plan to do with your images, a tiny sensor might be OK, might not

Also consider shutter delay, very common in P & S cameras but non existent in true DSLR's
And wait, there's more!! What about interchangeable lenses? Most modern DSLR's will accept any compatible legacy glass that you might have, maintaining full original capabilities

 

[yellowcanoe]

I have a Canon HS 70 SX bridge camera that I use for in boat wildlife shots.. I hope to find the loon on her nest tomorrow from a respectful distance and make use of that 1300 mm equivalent lens.
Its only a daytime camera but shoots RAW and has several automatic and priority modes but will shoot full manual too. Best the price is OK so I can self insure.

You know the most annoying thing about new cameras is they only come with the most basic instructions in a manual.. You have to find the more advanced ones on line.. and its a PITA to read those in the field!

https://www.pcmag.com/review/368111/canon-powershot-sx70-hs

Sony also makes good outdoor superzoom cameras..

This was mama loon last year. from 200 feet away..

 

[Pringles]

That’s a wonderful image, Yellowcanoe.

I have a Nikon P900, which goes to 83x. I don’t know much about the settings, and I don’t think it shoots RAW, so you probably aren’t interested, but it does let me take pictures of grizzlies in Yellowstone without worrying about being eaten, or even attacked.

 

[yellowcanoe]

I just hope we can point BF in a general direction.. We aren't paid reviewers, so we know what we have mostly.. Frozentripper reviewed another camera somewhere in this forum recently though... I fergit where.

 

[Black_Fly]

Outstanding shot!

 

[yellowcanoe]

Outstanding shot!

OK so we know you want some sort of optical zoom.. Do you want waterproof? Mine is not.. Most super zooms arent I think. not sure
take a look at this
https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/buying-guides/the-best-bridge-cameras
and note the Panasonic Fz100
Lots of folks like the Olympus Stylus Tough TG5 . Its waterproof but limited zoom.. I had a Nikon Coolpix AW 100 and hated it purely for its limited zoom . It was waterproof. but my loons and moose looked like dirt patches.

 

[Holmes375]

I've been using the FZ1000 since it was introduced. Can't say enough about the camera for use in the natural world. Came from Nikon DSLRs.

 

[Paddlinhal]

I have a Pentax WG III. Waterproof, great image quality, works underwater. But the zoom is limited. The other thing I don't like is the optional remote. I read the reviews and everyone said it didn't work, and just thought it was a bunch of naysaying. I bought one for like $30 and it truly worked about twice then stopped. Waterproof is a must for me, I keep it clipped to my pfd.

 

[Terry Q]

I recently bought a Nikon P900 with canoeing in mind. I got tired of hauling a bunch of lenses around, trying to keep them all dry and protected, only to have the wrong one on when I needed to take a photo.

The P900 has an optical zoom equivalent of 24-2000mm. It does not do raw, but the newer model, the P1000 does (and has a 3000mm equivalent zoom). At $600 the P900 isn’t a budget buster and weighs less then 2.5 pounds. The P900 still allows considerable control of the photographic process even though it is marketed by Nikon as a point and shoot camera. Best of all, it easily fits in a dry bag.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Pringles]

I bought my P900 as a refurb, so it was only about $450. I don’t take it backpacking/canoeing, but I now take my older, less sparkly, Canon SX50 which has a 50x zoom lens. It doesn’t shoot RAW (I don’t think), but it does give you lots of manual control options. I haven’t checked lately, but I think you could get a used one on Amazon for $175 or so. When I bought it, a new one was $330. I’m not particularly hard on equipment, but I take to places that the owner’s manual would cringe at.

 

[S.Shepherd]

what is your budget and what are you wanting to do ? Print photos? Share with friends and family/ post on the internet ?

 

[Cruiser]

I second SGs suggestion to look at Sony ... I use the HX-80, it is my 2cd Sony and I have been very happy with them ... here's a link

https://www.sony.ca/en/electronics/cyber-shot-compact-cameras/dsc-hx80

Brian

 

[stevet]

Wife uses Canon HS 60 SX ( similar to yellowcanoe) for birds And gets good results.

 

[yellowcanoe]

Patience is back. This year the water level was higher and I used more zoom as I could be farther away.

 

[Cruiser]

This was from about 50 feet away zoomed in from the patio .... the Sony does a great job IMO and is pretty small