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Newbie moving up to an SX520HX

Started Apr 28, 2016 | Discussions
millervt New Member • Posts: 3
Newbie moving up to an SX520HX

So, i'm a newbie to 'real' cameras, i've used P&S cameras in the past due to cost and portability...in the past, 99% of my pictures were "family and friends" for which a decent P&S was perfectly fine.  I'm currently using a Nikon P310 (16MP, 4X optical zoom).

I anticipate wanting to do more sophisticated photography (for lack of a better word) doing more outdoor shooting as I have more time for vacations and such.  I like photography, but have never had time before to worry about doing anything beyond P&S work.  Not sure where i'll go from here, but I guess i'll see as I have more time, but I wanted to get a "better" camera to do some exploration with.

Found a reburb SX520HX on the canon website for $90, which seemed like a great deal on an upgrade (not ready yet for a full DSLR rig, not sure I ever will be).  I took it on a trip out west and got some amazing zoom pictures (which was really the feature that I was attracted to..42X vs 4X..wow..what a difference!).

My question to you guys is...what other features of this camera would really make significantly "better" pictures as compared to my nikon?  For "regular" pictures (snapshots of my wife from 10 feet away for example) the quality seemed similar, so it was easier to take a lot of those shots with my easy-to-carry smaller camera.  What other kinds of situations would I find that I should use this camera instead of my smaller one?  I know that's a broad question, but I can't even figure out how to test my new camera since i've never had anything similar.

Thanks for any suggestions!

Canon PowerShot SX520 Nikon Coolpix P310
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robbo2 Contributing Member • Posts: 986
Re: Newbie moving up to an SX520HX

The SX520 is a superzoom camera. It's main strength is taking shots of distant people and objects. For the money you got a good deal. However, if you want noticeably better image quality, you will probably have to spend a bit more.

 robbo2's gear list:robbo2's gear list
Sony RX10 IV Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 Panasonic G95
rpm40
rpm40 Senior Member • Posts: 2,411
Re: Newbie moving up to an SX520HX

While you are seeing the benefits of the longer zoom reach, you have also noticed that the two cameras will produce pretty similar image quality. The biggest factor for image quality is the size of the image sensor in the camera. Both of your cameras have pretty standard sensors for compact cameras, slightly bigger than those in most cell phones for a little better image quality, but not a huge difference.

The typical DSLR has an aps-c sized sensor which is about 13 times larger than the sensor in your compact cameras, so can produce higher quality images. You would especially notice the difference if you shoot in low light, crop your photos, or print/view them at large sizes.

Here is a chart that illustrates the sensor sizes you find in various cameras:

As you have found out, Canon has some pretty good deals occasionally on refurbished models. Currently you can get into a DSLR for $309, including 2 lenses (one standard like your Nikon, one zoom more like your Canon though does not reach as far)-

http://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/eos-rebel-t5-ef-s-18-55mm-is-ii-kit---ef-75-300mm-f-4-56-iii-usm-refurbished

Hope that helps!

OP millervt New Member • Posts: 3
Re: Newbie moving up to an SX520HX

thanks for the response...not sure if I do want better image quality in terms of having to spend more money (maybe in the future?).  Was curious which kinds of shooting scenarios (besides long distance) this type of camera would buy me significantly better pictures? action, night, sunny days, or anything else? In other words, i'm trying to decide when to bring this larger camera given my expected pictures versus just throwing my smaller P&S into my cargo shorts and hitting the road.

thanks for any insight!

robbo2 Contributing Member • Posts: 986
Re: Newbie moving up to an SX520HX

To tell the truth, I love superzooms. They get me shots that I could never get with a DSLR and a crazily expensive zoom lens. However, image quality wise, they can't compete with more expensive equipment and much larger sensors.. I don't care. For me, they're enough. I take pictures of birds, of baseball players from the center field bleachers, of distant landmarks. With almost all these superzoom cameras at full zoom, you need good light, especially for action shots where you need a shutter speed of 1/500 second or faster. With a new DSLR you could hike the ISO to 3200 or more without too much noise, but with point and shoots you are probably best at ISO 800 or lower. If you are happy with the shots you are getting from your cameras, don't worry about upgrading. If you want an improvement, you might see if you can find a refurbished Canon S100 or S110 for less than $150.

My sister got an SX520 just before Christmas for 10 bucks more than you spent. She is thrilled with it.

 robbo2's gear list:robbo2's gear list
Sony RX10 IV Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 Panasonic G95
OP millervt New Member • Posts: 3
Re: Newbie moving up to an SX520HX

again, thanks for the replies..didn't really understand the whole sensor thing, that makes sense that both of my cameras seemed to have "equally good" pictures in terms of quality.

I think i'll just experiment with this one and see if I need to move up.  I am totally thrilled with the zoom aspect, it was something I felt was lacking in my small P&S cameras.  Having to carry a camera separately is a bit of a drag sometimes when hiking and such, so i'm going to try to work out a strategy that maximizes picture value without being too much of a pain to carry...

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