Canon PowerShot SX50 HS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 50x Wide-Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Black

I'm an experienced nature photographer, having been at it for over 50 years. I have been using Canon's PowerShot cameras going back to the S3. My relationship with these cameras has been a love-hate one, but the SX40 was a "Like" and this is "Really-Like-but-Love-is-too strong-a-word."See uploaded photos (click on "most recent") many of which have been published in birding magazines as well as with Audubon societies. But remember, I know this camera...This should NOT be your first-time-digital point and shoot camera! The learning curve is way too sharp because this camera is quite complex, and has unnecessary bells and whistles that you should avoid (at least until you learn the basics).What did I think about this camera? Well, after doing an awful lot of research, *I bought two* even after there had been a "recall" which I still don't understand! (One of these was for my wife.) I am a pro turned amateur nature photographer, and have been for many years. As for digital, I have had the Canons S3, S5, SX10, SX20, SX30 (returned immediately), SX40, and now the SX50.After you've played with the SX50 for a couple of days, I'd be happy to send my standard settings if you just email me. Here are the improvements over the SX40 and all SX models that preceded this (you can see the progression on my web site (see my profile).The good:1. Shutter lag is minimal! You can shoot in burst mode of 7-9 frames per second depending with the mode you're in, but shutter lag has been cut by 70%. Canon says that you can shoot up to 13 frames per second. Not with this camera, but 7 should be sufficient.2. Fast focus with center metering. The SX40 (and other like cameras) want to focus "on an average" of all the elements in a shot. Unfortunately, anything that uses the term average is like the guy with his head in the refrigerator and his feet in the oven, and on average, he's comfortable. It just doesn't work that way ... which is why you should also steer clear of "Auto." (More later) So, basically, if there's a bird on a branch in the center of a bunch of branches and twigs, the SX50 WILL focus on the bird and usually on the first try.3. Super Fine Mode. The SX40 goes to Fine resolution, but still left noise (the "snow" you'll see when cropped a distant shot of a bird etc.). For lack of a better way of putting this, Super Fine Resolution gives you many more pixels making the shot "tighter" and easier to crop without losing definition.4. Burst (continuous) Mode: This will hit a top speed of 9 frames per second. That's maximum, but if you can find a bird in flight, you stand a pretty good chance to get at least one frame in focus. It could be the bird's butt as it's leaving, but it will be in focus. There IS a locking device called High Speed AF (two buttons to the left of the lens). I am still trying to master this, and it will come to me ... I hope. So far, it feels like I'm trying to play an accordion with both hands doing something. I am pretty good at panning, but finding a bird in flight in the fully extended zoom is difficult. High Speed AF should correct that problem.NOTE: In order to get the most from burst mode, reducing shutter lag, etc., be certain to get a SDHC card! You need a fast card to maximize some of the aspects of the camera. Also, because the files will be much larger than what some are used to, I use a 16GB CLASS 10 card,* but 32GB CLASS 10 when on vacation in Yellowstone, Rainier, Bryce, Yosemite, in other words, anywhere where I'll be taking as many as 1,000 shots a day. And yes, especially with burst mode, you can easily take 1,000 pix on a vacation day. A Class 10 card will transfer 10 MG per second. If you want to - and you will - take pictures in burst mode, you need that speed between card and camera processor.5. Low light: Well, it isn't a disappointment because I expected this. You're buying a camera with a one chip sensor as opposed to 6-9 with a DSLR. The lens does allow more light than the SX40, but it still isn't a DSLR. Indoors, I recommend a flash.6. I have 9 settings that I use very often, but not all the time. One of the most critical difference is the white balance so that I don't blow out the whites of birds, goats, even recently bathed dogs. You can store ALL of your favorite settings in two modes C1 and C2. I store my settings for bright, sunny days in C1, and for low light or cloudy days in C2.7. IMAGE STABILIZATION: There's IS and then there's IS. The SX50, for a one-bit processor, has marvelous IS. I took shots of my TV's "What's playing" menu at 1/5 of a second (that's SLOWWWW!), hand held, and it was so sharp that my optometrist could actually see what I was complaining about, ghosting of letters and numbers on a white background. There are several photos I posted here that were taken hand-held at 1200mm (full zoom), and they're tack-sharp. Note that I haven't used a tripod or monopod since my 35mm SLR film days.8. Weight: 21 ounces and a 1200mm zoom! Those who carry a 6 pound camera around on a hiking day, often wish for the SX50. (I have a friend who carried a 34 pound camera and tripod who recently underwent back surgery, no kidding! Of course, neither of us is a young, fit 45.)The disappointments:1. RAW. All I've heard from my brother - a photographer for 65 years (but he takes pix of people and buildings, not of birds, bugs, bees, badgers, or bison) - has been touting the value of RAW. Well, the SX50 gives you a choice of shooting in RAW or RAW AND jpeg. Because the size of these files is 4 times more than a jpeg alone, continuous/burst mode just doesn't work. The processor can't process that much without a delay. And it increases shutter lag like waiting for a dialup connection!2. Auto. I don't like Auto. As I said Auto is "average," and that's the results you'll get. I suggest you learn TV, AV, and then Manual to get the most of this camera. (Again, I'll be glad to send my settings and save you trouble. 99% of the time, I shoot in shutter priority, Tv = "Time value" whatever that means.)3. MINOR disappointment: battery life. Look, this camera is doing so much more and processing so much information that it uses more battery power. I change the battery at least once every time I go out. At least it uses the same battery as the SX40. I carry two extra batteries - reasonably priced on Amazon - whenever I hike.4. Related to battery life, the SX50 doesn't give you a choice to leave the camera in an "always on" mode. The camera will turn off in 2 minutes which can be problematic when you see something you want to shoot at the last second. Turning the camera on can take 2 seconds. Birds, dogs, and kids under the age of 10 don't sit still for more than 1.5 seconds.5. The Viewfinder: I will not buy or even use a camera without an Electronic Viewfinder. The one on the SX50 is still small, no bigger than on the SX40. It does the job, but not until you get your photos on a 23 inch monitor will you be absolutely sure that they're in focus. I use the LCD for a preview of what I just took, but remember that a 3" LCD will make your pix look sharp whereas a HD monitor will tell the truth. The LCD is perhaps a good way to take a macro (though I usually zoom and crop).6. The ISO "Button:" For some stupid reason, Canon went and switched the ISO setting button from the right side to the bottom of the wheel in the back, and they went and put the Self-Timer on the right. That exactly where you're most likely to hit the button with your right thumb. It's a terrible idea because the getting out of the Self-timer is a two step button pushing process, and that takes a couple of seconds or more while you're trying to get a shot of something that won't wait for you.Of interest, but not to me: I won't take videos with this camera (I did once with the SX40), but I really think that if you're looking for a camera for movies of your kid's soccer, little league, or gymnastics, start with some step up from a smart phone and, if you have the money, a camcorder with image stabilization. If you do want to shoot wildlife videos, you definitely will want a tripod.Also, don't ask me about the Clear Face, Fireworks, parties, Color Accept, Swap Colors, or the other whistles (I'm a bell man) that I find gimmicky. I mean, you'd think that "Clear Face" would also get rid of acne! I understand the marketing value, but fooling around with these should wait until you can take a sharp photo of your dog or weasel or kid before you decide that they'd look nicer with a green complexion and yellow fur.If you're willing to take some time (2 to 4 weeks) to nail the basics, then this may well be THE camera for you. It is NOT for rank amateurs, and it probably won't satisfy most pros who are already into DSLRs. But if you want photos that are tack-sharp with a camera that's easy to use AND carry, and you're willing to learn the basics beyond Auto, this is the camera for you.

I'm an amateur who has long been curious to learn more about photography. I bought this particular camera for two reasons: (1) to help promote organizations of which I'm a member by taking photos of our events, often in low-light conditions and (2) to teach myself more advanced photography through its manual controls, such as ISO, aperture, and shutter speed.Surprises:Although the zoom certainly seemed nice when I bought the camera, I had not realized how useful its 50x zoom would be. (With digital enhancement, the zoom can reach 200x, but with heavy digital zoom, the image quality suffers.) I can sit in the rafters of a sporting or singing event and easily photograph the faces of the performers across a crowded gym or auditorium from me. As long as the images are with the optical zoom, they are good enough quality to be used in a newsletter or on Facebook. The zoom has also been useful to photograph wildlife. For example, I went to a lake, and while there, I was able to isolate ducks as they swam and even when they reached land. I also was able to be closer to the ducks without causing them to alter their routine. I've since learned through research that obtaining equivalent zoom functionality with a DSLR would require lenses that could cost 3-4 times as much as this camera.Various reviews, particularly on professional websites, had commented that a tripod was necessary to capture the benefits of the SX50's zoom, and I now agree. At 50x zoom, very small movements of the camera can cause you to go from watching a bird in a tree to staring a random, out-of-focus leaf on another tree. A tripod usefully reduces such opportunities for human error.I was also pleasantly surprised by the self-timer. It's not a reason to buy this particular camera, but I had not realized how useful self-timing 3 shots in a row would be, especially when I'm gathering the family for a photo on the sofa.Pros:So many of these reviews have "Pros" and "Cons," and my thoughts won't differ from those to any great extent. The biggest pro is that this is essentially a very advanced point-and-shoot camera that gives you customization options akin to a true DSLR. In this way, it is a "bridge" between the two camera categories, but you may alternatively encounter "superzoom" as describing its category in professional reviews. The photo quality is solid and the auto focus is adequate. Unlike other point-and-shoot controls that I've encountered, the on-screen controls treat you like an adult, In fact, the scroll wheel and function button are quite easy to manipulate while staring at the image through the viewfinder.Cons:The biggest con is that this is not a DSLR camera -- though it's still a very good camera. The auto focus and shutter speed can be slower than ideal when I'm trying to photograph a speaker using Auto mode, but when I switch to the Sports mode and take bursts of photos, I'm often able to capture the images that I strive for. When I read reviews, a line like that will sometimes cause me to pause and over zealously think "Oh no, I need a camera that has a faster or better X feature!" Still, provided that you aren't trying to be a professional photographer at a college football game, it's pretty good functionality.Various reviews state that the viewfinder is inadequate, and I agree that the viewfinder is subpar, especially when compared to the SX50's beautiful optical screen. Nonetheless, as a practical matter, the weak viewfinder does not cause me to take bad photographs. That is, when I photograph an object by viewing it through the viewfinder, I tend to believe that the image has some flaw in it, but often, when I look at the photograph on a computer or through the screen, the image looks quite good despite the sometimes unclear quality displayed in the viewfinder. I credit the auto focus with making me come across as a better photographer than I actually am.Fulfilling My Motivations to Purchase:Earlier, I mentioned my two primary motivations to purchase. As to photographing events, the camera does so well. I've even discovered that the zoom, particularly at a setting like 75mm-100mm equivalent, has a nice effect of flattening the image and improving the appearance of the subjects (though that's not a phenomenon unique to this camera). In low light, the camera distinguishes itself from a typical point-and-shoot camera. Again, it's not going to create miracles and I've seen DSLRs do better, but for an amateur photographer like me using it for promotion of my organizations and family photos, I'm satisfied with the results.As to teaching me more about photography, it really is a fun camera to use because it has a serious side that treats me like an adult. I've gone the EasyShare route with two cameras that used icons to suggest particular functionality, and the Canon SX50 has similar icons for preprogrammed functionality without being limited to those. I really like how the camera has hands-on features that let me bypass those preprogrammed settings. In particular, I have experimented with ISO and shutter speed settings. The scroll wheel in combination with the menu screens is fairly intuitive to use. As a result, I have a much better understanding of digital photography than before I bought the camera.Conclusion:In reviewing, sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between my own ineffectiveness with photography and true limitations with the camera. Nonetheless, it's clear that this is a good camera that satisfies my needs, and I'm able to take better photographs than friends who have DSLRs but don't know how to use them. When I some day buy a new camera, it must, at a minimum, have the functionality present in this camera. More likely, I will purchase a DSLR and will research that purchase based on what I have learned from using the SX 50 during my ownership of it.