Need help deciding a pocket zoom camera for Bird Photography - Canon SX740 HS vs Sony HX99

[runnyrum]

I am mainly looking for a basic beginner's pocket camera specifically for zoom.

I was happy using Samsung Galaxy SS20 for everything until I started birding. I am an amateur at both Bird Watching and Photography.

So, I am looking to buy a camera for around $500 to $1000, specifically with optical zoom.

I don't think I will carry a large camera (even a bridge camera) everywhere. I'd rather carry a small camera to easily click photos to identify every bird that I see.

Also, I do not intend to do much editing/ printing of the photo. Mostly just record it in eBird and share it with friends. I may try Manual mode to help shoot better pics but I don't see myself getting into good vs great photo/ editing too much as of now.

I read about the 1" sensor pocket cameras but they don't seem to have a large enough zoom for birds.

I narrowed down my choices to these cameras simply based on compact, high-zoom :

1. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS (21MP, 40X zoom, no touchscreen)- I bought this to try out. I love the photos on this. I love the color and the photos from this. I actually used the 40X end of the zoom a lot to take photos of birds on wires and treetops. I was super excited by the fact that I could see the bird so clearly even though it was so far away. But, I always use AUTO and it does not focus properly sometimes. So, with a heavy heart, I am wondering if I have to return this camera. Some images I shot with this camera (apologies for any beginner mistakes): https://www.dpreview.com/galleries/8483089550

1. Nikon Coolpix A1000 (16MP, 35X zoom, has a touchscreen) - Lower MP (given everything else constant) turns me away from this.
2. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX99 (18.2MP, 28X zoom) - I bought this one since some comparisons (versus.com) rate Sony HX99 higher, and I thought that touchscreen would make focusing easier. But, I am not liking the feel of the photos yet. I find the touchscreen not as responsive; and at max zoom (28X), the camera is shaking so much for me to accurately click on the point to focus. I see that it has AF tracking which other cameras here don't; and might actually help with clicking pics of birds in flight - but I did not try this yet.
3. Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS80 (TZ95) (20MP, 30X zoom) - seems like a good choice. Haven't tried.

Should I stick with Canon PowerShot SX740 HS and try Manual Focusing?

Should I stick with Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX99 but request an exchange of the product? Is it a known issue to have touchscreen issues?

Are there any other cameras that I should try out? If not, which of these cameras would be best for Bird Photography?

Are there any other features that I should watch out for?

 

[theworstphotographerontheinternet]

1. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS (21MP, 40X zoom, no touchscreen)- I bought this to try out. I love the photos on this. I love the color and the photos from this. I actually used the 40X end of the zoom a lot to take photos of birds on wires and treetops. I was super excited by the fact that I could see the bird so clearly even though it was so far away. But, I always use AUTO and it does not focus properly sometimes. So, with a heavy heart, I am wondering if I have to return this camera. Some images I shot with this camera (apologies for any beginner mistakes): https://www.dpreview.com/galleries/8483089550

Have you tried changing the focus mode on your SX740 to center/spot focussing? Cameras often have trouble working out what it is that you want them to focus on, especially if there's something between you and your subject (e.g. branches/leaves). With center focussing you should be able to place the AF point directly over the bird. That might help. (You may have tried this already of course!)

 

[FrancoD]

I don't have a direct experience comparing those cameras but I think that what you are getting now is pretty good from a camera of that type.

Don't forget that a lot of bird photos are heavily processed. I am not good at it but this is my attempt on one of your photos





I have read that you don't like nor intend to do much editing, neither do I, but the above took about 2 minutes and it is just a few clicks. (could be done much faster ...)

 

[Rambow]

Birding via touchscreen? Sounds like a bad idea to me.

How do you plan on stabilising the camera while you play around with the touchscreen? Holding the camera steady as is is very challenging. Unless you want to carry a tripod around, which I assume you don't.

The HX99 is a fine pocket camera with excelent IS, but shooting birds is difficult no matter how much you spend on gear.

There is no easy solution here, but the first thing you should do is to learn how to operate a camera.

Forget about the touchscreen, use the EVF to frame and stabilise the camera.

Last but not least, you will 100% have to learn basic jpeg editing to obtain usable images from the basic cameras you plan on using for this.

 

[runnyrum]

I did not try it before this, thank you!

But only focusing in the center is a bit restrictive.. I literally just had to take a photo where the birds were on two sides of the center point. I supposed I can try focusing always in the center and then cropping whatever I desire but it may be too much work. I wonder if it's worth that.

 

[runnyrum]

Whoaaaa this looks awesome! How did you do it?

I am just extremely lazy. If I could get this in a few minutes, I definitely want to try! I love to see all those colors on the birds!

 

[FrancoD]

BTW, I don't have your camera so I am not sure how good the built in VF is but I would suggest you use that to find and photograph birds and not the rear screen.

(try it anyway....)



when I stated that I am not good at PP , it wasn't false modesty, I am just too lazy to learn how to do it correctly so I just use Auto settings.

So I cropped the image, then used Highlight and Shadows and the sharpened that image a bit.

This is after loading the same image on Topaz DeNoise, using All Clear





starting with the original file would give a bit better results.

 

[theworstphotographerontheinternet]

I did not try it before this, thank you!

But only focusing in the center is a bit restrictive.. I literally just had to take a photo where the birds were on two sides of the center point. I supposed I can try focusing always in the center and then cropping whatever I desire but it may be too much work. I wonder if it's worth that.

It won't always be a good option, that's for sure. But when you're taking a shot of a single bird, it might make things a bit easier. And if you have a mode in which you can move the AF point around the frame (sometimes called spot focussing), then you aren't always stuck with the same middle-of-frame composition. Worth playing around with anyway, to see what results you can get.

 

[labrie]

But only focusing in the center is a bit restrictive.. I literally just had to take a photo where the birds were on two sides of the center point.

Another possibility is focus-and-recompose. Just press the shutter button halfway to get the bird in focus, then, holding the button, move camera to find your desired composition. Simple and much faster than moving focus point around.

You need to have "continuous AF" and "servo" turned off for this method to work. Also, IIRC, it's not possible in Auto mode, use P or Tv.

 

[runnyrum]

So many great suggestions!

I think I have been intuitively trying this out. kind of half-pressing, then looking at where the camera was focusing and then moving the camera to put the bird in that spot.

I think my best bet with Canon SX740 HS is to def get off AUTO and try P + either center focusing or focus and move (with AF off)

But, I still have some return window for Canon SX740 HS. So, do you know if there any other cameras I can try out for this purpose?

 

[davidedric]

No, I don't think that is quite the same thing.

I use "focus and recompose" a lot for wildlife in general. Some purists will say that you risk losing the most accurate focus, but with your subject matter and the distances away it is nt a problem.

So many great suggestions!

I think I have been intuitively trying this out. kind of half-pressing, then looking at where the camera was focusing and then moving the camera to put the bird in that spot.

I think my best bet with Canon SX740 HS is to def get off AUTO and try P + either center focusing or focus and move (with AF off)

But, I still have some return window for Canon SX740 HS. So, do you know if there any other cameras I can try out for this purpose?

 

[PhotoTeach2]

"Pocket" and "bird" photography can be conflicting goals.

Birds usually mean "longer" zoom, (read larger).

Bird photography is best with "faster" lens, (read larger)

Outdoor (sun) photography is much-better done w/ EVF vs LCD, (read larger).

Auto-Focus can be a problem w/ (shadowed) bird in tree, (behind other branchs).

The smallest sensors (1/2.3") can be smallest cameras but larger sensors can have better IQ, (especially w/ lower exposure if higher ISO is needed).

The Sony RX100 series are the smallest cameras w/ (4X larger) 1"-type sensor, but can be more expensive.

All that being said, I tend to prefer the DFD-AF in Pannasonic cameras ... and some have a "pinpoint" AF-spot that can help.w/ birds behind limbs/branches/leaves that can confuse even typical "spot" AF.

 

[runnyrum]

From the Canon website for SX740, they suggest something that sounds exactly like what you said (focus and recompose) :

• To compose shots so that subjects are positioned at the edge or in a corner, first aim the camera to capture the subject in an AF frame, and then hold the shutter button halfway down. As you continue to hold the shutter button halfway, recompose the shot as desired, and then press the shutter button all the way down (Focus Lock).
• The AF frame position is enlarged when you press the shutter button halfway and [AF-Point Zoom] is set to [On].

I did not try this yet, will try!

I decided to keep the Canon SX740HS. I really like the images when they are focused, I love that it is so light and I don't think I can easily carry even the most basic beginner birding cameras like Nikon Coolpix P1000 or Canon Powershot SX70 HS. I may end up buying them later anyway Let's see..

Thank you for the tips!

 

[runnyrum]

Birding via touchscreen? Sounds like a bad idea to me.

How do you plan on stabilising the camera while you play around with the touchscreen? Holding the camera steady as is is very challenging. Unless you want to carry a tripod around, which I assume you don't.

You are absolutely correct! The touchscreen was pretty much unusable on the field. (I can still use it to some extent near the feeders since the birds stay in the same position for much longer)

The HX99 is a fine pocket camera with excelent IS, but shooting birds is difficult no matter how much you spend on gear.

I agree!

There is no easy solution here, but the first thing you should do is to learn how to operate a camera.

You're right! I played around with the idea of getting either a Nikon Coolpix P1000 or Canon Powershot SX70 HS but as you said, I think I will explore more options with the pocket camera first. And if I have a pocket camera, I will not hesitate to shoot more and learn with it.

Forget about the touchscreen, use the EVF to frame and stabilise the camera.

Last but not least, you will 100% have to learn basic jpeg editing to obtain usable images from the basic cameras you plan on using for this.

This is very much in line with what I've read here in other forums as well. And seeing the images I actually get from the camera (at the very least the brightness seems o"ff"), I think you and everyone else here is right

 

[PhotoTeach2]

From the Canon website for SX740, they suggest something that sounds exactly like what you said (focus and recompose) :

• To compose shots so that subjects are positioned at the edge or in a corner, first aim the camera to capture the subject in an AF frame, and then hold the shutter button halfway down. As you continue to hold the shutter button halfway, recompose the shot as desired, and then press the shutter button all the way down (Focus Lock).
• The AF frame position is enlarged when you press the shutter button halfway and [AF-Point Zoom] is set to [On].

'

The PROBLEM w/ focus & recompose is that your focus plane is not "flat", it is curved.

So when you recompose your subject is now FURTHER AWAY from your original focus-distance. To remedy this you can lean-back to focus, then LEAN FORWARD before shooting to compensate for the geometry.

Note that "macro" lenses may indeed have a flat plane.

I did not try this yet, will try!

I decided to keep the Canon SX740HS. I really like the images when they are focused, I love that it is so light and I don't think I can easily carry even the most basic beginner birding cameras like Nikon Coolpix P1000 or Canon Powershot SX70 HS. I may end up buying them later anyway Let's see..

Thank you for the tips!

 

[davidedric]

From the Canon website for SX740, they suggest something that sounds exactly like what you said (focus and recompose) :

• To compose shots so that subjects are positioned at the edge or in a corner, first aim the camera to capture the subject in an AF frame, and then hold the shutter button halfway down. As you continue to hold the shutter button halfway, recompose the shot as desired, and then press the shutter button all the way down (Focus Lock).
• The AF frame position is enlarged when you press the shutter button halfway and [AF-Point Zoom] is set to [On].

'

The PROBLEM w/ focus & recompose is that your focus plane is not "flat", it is curved.

So when you recompose your subject is now FURTHER AWAY from your original focus-distance. To remedy this you can lean-back to focus, then LEAN FORWARD before shooting to compensate for the geometry.

Note that "macro" lenses may indeed have a flat plane.

I did not try this yet, will try!

That's geometrically accurate, of course. However, if shooting with a long telephoto and moving the subject part way across the frame I think the effect will be small. I'll dust off my old trigonometry book and actually do the calculation.

 

[Booted Cat]

I am mainly looking for a basic beginner's pocket camera specifically for zoom.

I was happy using Samsung Galaxy SS20 for everything until I started birding. I am an amateur at both Bird Watching and Photography.

So, I am looking to buy a camera for around $500 to $1000, specifically with optical zoom.

I don't think I will carry a large camera (even a bridge camera) everywhere. I'd rather carry a small camera to easily click photos to identify every bird that I see.

Also, I do not intend to do much editing/ printing of the photo. Mostly just record it in eBird and share it with friends. I may try Manual mode to help shoot better pics but I don't see myself getting into good vs great photo/ editing too much as of now.

I read about the 1" sensor pocket cameras but they don't seem to have a large enough zoom for birds.

I narrowed down my choices to these cameras simply based on compact, high-zoom :

You've now come to the right reply... Last night I did a study to compare exactly these four pocket superzooms using SIDE-BY-SIDE PHOTO COMPARISON, which is the ultimate evidence to judge IQ. Read it.

1. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS (21MP, 40X zoom, no touchscreen)- I bought this to try out. I love the photos on this. I love the color and the photos from this. I actually used the 40X end of the zoom a lot to take photos of birds on wires and treetops. I was super excited by the fact that I could see the bird so clearly even though it was so far away. But, I always use AUTO and it does not focus properly sometimes. So, with a heavy heart, I am wondering if I have to return this camera. Some images I shot with this camera (apologies for any beginner mistakes): https://www.dpreview.com/galleries/8483089550

I own an SX740 too. To set focus on something, you can use P Mode and the "center AF" AF mode. That will show a small box at the center of the LCD screen which you can aim at your target and half-press the shutter-release to focus on that target, and then recompose the picture (move the view around if you don't want the target to be at the center of your picture) and finally full-press the shutter-release button.

1. Nikon Coolpix A1000 (16MP, 35X zoom, has a touchscreen) - Lower MP (given everything else constant) turns me away from this.

That lower MP count is actually one big factor that gives the A1000 better IQ than all other three cameras, especially for darker areas.

1. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX99 (18.2MP, 28X zoom) - I bought this one since some comparisons (versus.com) rate Sony HX99 higher, and I thought that touchscreen would make focusing easier. But, I am not liking the feel of the photos yet. I find the touchscreen not as responsive; and at max zoom (28X), the camera is shaking so much for me to accurately click on the point to focus. I see that it has AF tracking which other cameras here don't; and might actually help with clicking pics of birds in flight - but I did not try this yet.

A touchscreen is actually not very useful for focusing. My A1000 has a touchscreen, but like you said, if I focus with the touchscreen, the camera may shake. So I use the A1000's equivalent of the above-mentioned "center AF" method to focus, recompose and shoot.

1. Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS80 (TZ95) (20MP, 30X zoom) - seems like a good choice. Haven't tried.

Should I stick with Canon PowerShot SX740 HS and try Manual Focusing?

Should I stick with Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX99 but request an exchange of the product? Is it a known issue to have touchscreen issues?

Are there any other cameras that I should try out? If not, which of these cameras would be best for Bird Photography?

Are there any other features that I should watch out for?

 

[PhotoTeach2]

I am mainly looking for a basic beginner's pocket camera specifically for zoom.

I was happy using Samsung Galaxy SS20 for everything until I started birding. I am an amateur at both Bird Watching and Photography.

So, I am looking to buy a camera for around $500 to $1000, specifically with optical zoom.

I don't think I will carry a large camera (even a bridge camera) everywhere. I'd rather carry a small camera to easily click photos to identify every bird that I see.

Also, I do not intend to do much editing/ printing of the photo. Mostly just record it in eBird and share it with friends. I may try Manual mode to help shoot better pics but I don't see myself getting into good vs great photo/ editing too much as of now.

I read about the 1" sensor pocket cameras but they don't seem to have a large enough zoom for birds.

I narrowed down my choices to these cameras simply based on compact, high-zoom :

You've now come to the right reply... Last night I did a study to compare exactly these four pocket superzooms using SIDE-BY-SIDE PHOTO COMPARISON, which is the ultimate evidence to judge IQ. Read it.

1. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS (21MP, 40X zoom, no touchscreen)- I bought this to try out. I love the photos on this. I love the color and the photos from this. I actually used the 40X end of the zoom a lot to take photos of birds on wires and treetops. I was super excited by the fact that I could see the bird so clearly even though it was so far away. But, I always use AUTO and it does not focus properly sometimes. So, with a heavy heart, I am wondering if I have to return this camera. Some images I shot with this camera (apologies for any beginner mistakes): https://www.dpreview.com/galleries/8483089550

I own an SX740 too. To set focus on something, you can use P Mode and the "center AF" AF mode. That will show a small box at the center of the LCD screen which you can aim at your target and half-press the shutter-release to focus on that target, and then recompose the picture (move the view around if you don't want the target to be at the center of your picture) and finally full-press the shutter-release button.

1. Nikon Coolpix A1000 (16MP, 35X zoom, has a touchscreen) - Lower MP (given everything else constant) turns me away from this.

That lower MP count is actually one big factor that gives the A1000 better IQ than all other three cameras, especially for darker areas.

1. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX99 (18.2MP, 28X zoom) - I bought this one since some comparisons (versus.com) rate Sony HX99 higher, and I thought that touchscreen would make focusing easier. But, I am not liking the feel of the photos yet. I find the touchscreen not as responsive; and at max zoom (28X), the camera is shaking so much for me to accurately click on the point to focus. I see that it has AF tracking which other cameras here don't; and might actually help with clicking pics of birds in flight - but I did not try this yet.

A touchscreen is actually not very useful for focusing. My A1000 has a touchscreen, but like you said, if I focus with the touchscreen, the camera may shake. So I use the A1000's equivalent of the above-mentioned "center AF" method to focus, recompose and shoot.

I agree that touch-scteen may not be best for selecting focus spot.

1. Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS80 (TZ95) (20MP, 30X zoom) - seems like a good choice. Haven't tried.

Should I stick with Canon PowerShot SX740 HS and try Manual Focusing?

Should I stick with Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX99 but request an exchange of the product? Is it a known issue to have touchscreen issues?

Are there any other cameras that I should try out? If not, which of these cameras would be best for Bird Photography?

Are there any other features that I should watch out for?

 

[SteveY80]

. I find the touchscreen not as responsive; and at max zoom (28X), the camera is shaking so much for me to accurately click on the point to focus. I see that it has AF tracking which other cameras here don't; and might actually help with clicking pics of birds in flight - but I did not try this yet.

A touchscreen is actually not very useful for focusing. My A1000 has a touchscreen, but like you said, if I focus with the touchscreen, the camera may shake. So I use the A1000's equivalent of the above-mentioned "center AF" method to focus, recompose and shoot.

Personally, I love a touch screen for focus point selection, especially when shooting wildlife/birds. I find tapping the screen much faster than nudging the point around with a joystick/buttons, or trying to focus and recompose for each shot.

I don't really get the complaint about the camera shaking when touching the screen. To me that's only an issue when using the screen to fire the shutter. If you focus and recompose then surely you're moving the whole camera, not just shaking it a bit?

To me the main advantage of moving the focus point, rather than moving the camera, is being able take follow up shots without having to focus and recompose each time. For example, if the bird moves a little, or the first shot wasn't sharp for whatever reason, I just have to press the shutter again. I also like being able to use AFC for moving subjects while still maintaining composition.

 

[Vjal]

So which one you found best.... I have the sx740hs and I have taken some great photos with it.... but focus is an issue... I am thinking about sony for sometime now.. what'd your take?