radiosky's Journal

My pictures have been dreadful. So I found the least expensive camera that had good reviews from birders and purchased it for about $300 new. It is a Panasonic Lumix DC-Fz80 DSLR which has a good optical zoom and important for me, it is very light. However, I am not sure I really like it because I have such a terrible time focusing it. Probably just my ineptitude, but if I can't master this I may return it.

By luck, I did get a good picture of a Yellow Billed Cuckoo from quite far away.

I sent back the Panasonic $300 camera. I just could not get the auto-focus to work. What I need is a camera that can compensate for my inexperience with digital SLRs. So I now have the Nikon CoolPix P900, which gets top ratings from some birder sites. Just messing around, the auto-focus does seem to work a bit better. Hope this works, because I cannot spend more money on a camera than I do my average car.

New icon - Yellow Billed Cuckoo

This camera runs about $500, which is about all I can justify for my need, which is to simply document the living things I see. I don't expect to win any contests or end up on peoples walls. So I think I am much happier with camera than the $300 Panasonic. It is easier for me to focus, though it is a bit heavier and more un-wieldy. These are some of my first pictures with the P900. The indigo bunting was at least 70 meters away, only a dot to the naked eye. Having that much telephoto ability is going to require some practice with steadying by hand.