Advice please (1 Viewer)

[PaulCountyDurham]

Thanks all. I’m still just as lost as ever!

Based on where you're going to take pictures, i.e. the coast and wetland hides, I think you can safely rule out a superzoom. More often than not you won't be close enough to get the quality of picture you want.

You mentioned being in your 50s and having tennis elbow. Most of the fellas (and lasses) I see lugging the more expensive, heavier equipment around are over 50 and so your age shouldn't be a problem.

I'm not sure how restrictive tennis elbow is, but on another thread a lad (I think it was Original PaulE) said something like: he was finding it difficult to lug his equipment around and was only able to take about an hour of it, but then he bought a harness to put it round his shoulder and found that helped enormously and he could last 5 or 6 hours carrying the camera around. You may want to consider that.

In your situation, I'd go down the used route advertised as 'in good condition'. I've bought used stuff from the likes of Wex and in my experience they mean what they say when they advertise used products. You'll get equipment in good working order and get more for your money. And, used stuff from a reputable site will come with a 12 months warranty and so you're not really taking a risk on it.

As for being lost, for 2 grand you should get a camera set up that will get you nice pictures and so I wouldn't worry about it too much. What would be useful for you is someone posting pictures from a camera with the sort of reach you're looking at and giving you an idea of the distance when the pictures were taken. Words are one thing, but in the end you need to see the results in order to make an informed decision!

 

[etudiant]

Nice shots!
You also bring up an underappreciated aspect of bird photography by noting that "I heavily crop & process with Lightroom".
Computer processing really allows the photos to be at their best, but it does take time and is a learned skill.
Not all bird photographers can or wish to make that effort.

 

[Mono]

Can't really offer any advice on particular products but I can offer more philosophical advice.

The quest for more reach is never ending. You get a bigger lens and there will be a bird sitting that bit further away. You get a brighter lens and there will be a bird that much more in the shadows. You have to except that there will always be birds that lie outside the capabilities of your kit, whatever kit you have.

 

[PaulCountyDurham]

The quest for more reach is never ending. You get a bigger lens and there will be a bird sitting that bit further away. You get a brighter lens and there will be a bird that much more in the shadows. You have to except that there will always be birds that lie outside the capabilities of your kit, whatever kit you have.

Personally I never find myself wishing I had more reach. The Nikon P950 is about right for me in that there is enough zoom there to put the onus on myself to get into the right position rather than blame the camera for not having the reach. It's the sensor that's the problem with the Nikon P950 and there's nothing that can be done about it. If a superzoom came out tomorrow with the same reach as the P950 and a larger sensor, I'd walk miles over broken glass to buy it.

 

[Birdandcakes]

Can't really offer any advice on particular products but I can offer more philosophical advice.

The quest for more reach is never ending. You get a bigger lens and there will be a bird sitting that bit further away. You get a brighter lens and there will be a bird that much more in the shadows. You have to except that there will always be birds that lie outside the capabilities of your kit, whatever kit you have.

Good point. I’ve often wanted things I can’t have in a way! My hubby will say I’m never happy 😊

Personally I never find myself wishing I had more reach. The Nikon P950 is about right for me in that there is enough zoom there to put the onus on myself to get into the right position rather than blame the camera for not having the reach. It's the sensor that's the problem with the Nikon P950 and there's nothing that can be done about it. If a superzoom came out tomorrow with the same reach as the P950 and a larger sensor, I'd walk miles over broken glass to buy it.

 

[Birdandcakes]

That’s prob cause

Good point. I’ve often wanted things I can’t have in a way! My hubby will say I’m never happy 😊

Good point. I’ve often wanted things I can’t have in a way! My hubby will say I’m never happy 😊

Personally I never find myself wishing I had more reach. The Nikon P950 is about right for me in that there is enough zoom there to put the onus on myself to get into the right position rather than blame the camera for not having the reach. It's the sensor that's the problem with the Nikon P950 and there's nothing that can be done about it. If a superzoom came out tomorrow with the same reach as the P950 and a larger sensor, I'd walk miles over broken glass to buy it.

Funnily enough the p950 was my first choice last year until I read some reviews on it. Your photos look great so maybe I should just go for that! Won’t have a problem with reach! And as it’s a point and shoot it’s should be a little easier to use?

 

[PaulCountyDurham]

That’s prob cause



Funnily enough the p950 was my first choice last year until I read some reviews on it. Your photos look great so maybe I should just go for that! Won’t have a problem with reach! And as it’s a point and shoot it’s should be a little easier to use?

When I was looking, reviewers didn't agree with one another in terms of which of the superzooms they thought was better value.

As for point and shoot, I've seen this mentioned a few times but I've never understood its relevance given that people I know with the more expensive equipment 'point and shoot' also.

Somebody I know with the DSLR setup is at the bottom end in terms of price. Some of his pictures cannot be replicated with a superzoom (unless you're some sort of photography wizard who has been 'round the block for years and can get the very most out of cameras), 'doesn't matter what you do and how much effort you put in. There is a difference in the quality, which is what you would expect given the price of these cameras. He puts a lot of effort in mind you, but he gets his rewards.

I would be cautious when thinking of buying a superzoom. The main questions being: how do you take your pictures and what are your expectations. In the event you're someone with a couple of hours to spare here and there and expect to turn up at the coast for a couple of hours, a bird pop up while you're stood somewhere and you get your good quality picture; you have far more chance of achieving that with the DSLR set up.

I'd add that the P950 is not easy to keep still when you're standing up taking pictures and you really need to be able to hold the camera steady (I take most of my pictures sat down or lying down).

For the types of birds (and their habitat) you're primarily looking to photograph, I personally would go with the DSLR setup and I'd get myself a tripod for when at the coast and some sort of bag rest for when in a hide.

 

[PaulCountyDurham]

Birdandcakes,

I'm probably not explaining this very well, so I'll give you an illustration of what I'm trying to say.

I know a spot where a pair of kestrels regularly sit together around spring/summer (on a steep, pretty high grass bank). I was watching them quite a bit last year and like an idiot, I could see a seat (meaning people walk to that seat) on the bank directly above them but it never occurred to me to find out how to get to that seat and work out whether or not I could get myself into a decent position to photograph them together. So, I was below them taking pictures but given their position in relation to the path, the distance was a bit much. Since then, I've found the way to that seat. As luck would have it, where that seat is I can climb a bit down the bank on the other side (without them seeing me due to the lay of the land), go across a bit and come up the lip of the bank directly to the side of them; and in good range. It needs to be in a few months time when they've paired up and the sun is rising earlier and in the right position (the female hasn't been tolerating the male's presence since the summer and he's missing in action as it stands, he's flown in a couple of times and she's pounced on him and chased him off the minute he's reared his head and so I'm unable to get them together at good range; and this time of year the sun is in the wrong position even at 10am).

The point is this:

1) Take pictures from the path aiming up at the kestrels on the bank and the DSLR set up will undoubtedly get you better results than the P950.

2) Starting at the seat and sneaking across the grass bank and then up to peer just over the lip of the bank, you would not be able to lug the heavy equipment with you. You'd risk damaging it or rolling off the side of the steep bank to a swift exit from this life.

As I said earlier, the one advantage with the superzoom is portability. In the event you're going to take pictures like most people, i.e. stood up and from a pretty standard range, then you're gonna lose that one advantage which surely makes it a less attractive proposition.

 

[Birdandcakes]

Birdandcakes,

I'm probably not explaining this very well, so I'll give you an illustration of what I'm trying to say.

I know a spot where a pair of kestrels regularly sit together around spring/summer (on a steep, pretty high grass bank). I was watching them quite a bit last year and like an idiot, I could see a seat (meaning people walk to that seat) on the bank directly above them but it never occurred to me to find out how to get to that seat and work out whether or not I could get myself into a decent position to photograph them together. So, I was below them taking pictures but given their position in relation to the path, the distance was a bit much. Since then, I've found the way to that seat. As luck would have it, where that seat is I can climb a bit down the bank on the other side (without them seeing me due to the lay of the land), go across a bit and come up the lip of the bank directly to the side of them; and in good range. It needs to be in a few months time when they've paired up and the sun is rising earlier and in the right position (the female hasn't been tolerating the male's presence since the summer and he's missing in action as it stands, he's flown in a couple of times and she's pounced on him and chased him off the minute he's reared his head and so I'm unable to get them together at good range; and this time of year the sun is in the wrong position even at 10am).

The point is this:

1) Take pictures from the path aiming up at the kestrels on the bank and the DSLR set up will undoubtedly get you better results than the P950.

2) Starting at the seat and sneaking across the grass bank and then up to peer just over the lip of the bank, you would not be able to lug the heavy equipment with you. You'd risk damaging it or rolling off the side of the steep bank to a swift exit from this life.

As I said earlier, the one advantage with the superzoom is portability. In the event you're going to take pictures like most people, i.e. stood up and from a pretty standard range, then you're gonna lose that one advantage which surely makes it a less attractive proposition.

Thank you

 

[PaulCountyDurham]

Thank you

No bother, Birdandcakes.

Whatever you decide, it's meant to be enjoyable as opposed to being racked with worry that you don't have the right equipment. If two grand's worth of any camera setup isn't good enough to get some really nice pictures, I'd be extremely surprised.

Good luck!