Best Megazoom Camera

[SilentVixen]

I'm going to Alaska and want a good megazoom camera for those far away nature shots. What would everyone here suggest?

 

[alfa147x]

Budget?


Canon EOS 1D Mark IV $ 4,999.00
+
Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM Autofocus Lens $ 10,900.00
=$15,899

With that setup you're going to want a large and sturdy tripod along with some memory cards.

 

[SilentVixen]

Ha ha. Not that much. I have a good DSLR, I'm looking for a point and shoot for the megazoom camera.

 

[Anubis]

if you have a DSLR why not just rent a decent zoom for it? something like a 70-200 or 100-300

 

[speedy2]

Yeah. Even with less zoom, you'd be better off with the DSLR and cropping your photos.

 

[SilentVixen]

I have an 18-200 that I used last time, but I wanted something slightly smaller and easier for the whole family to use.

 

[alfa147x]

Yeah a POS is not going to get anywhere near what a DSLR could / can do

Are you looking for a portable-ish camera?

 

[SilentVixen]

Yeah. Want some portability.

 

[ElFenix]

Yeah. Want some portability.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q110superzoomgroup/page19.asp

that's 'some' portability.

 

[corkyg]

I had the same issue year before last - a trip to South Africa. I did not want to be burdened with my 5D and extra lenses, so I bought a Canon SX-10 IS for the mission. It was perfect! Got many shots of animals from a very safe distance so as not to disturb them. The new SX20-IUS has even more pixels - and I plan to get one and give the SX10 to a grandson.

Here's a quick sample:

 

[SilentVixen]

Thanks Corky. I'll look into those two cameras

 

[Gooberlx2]

My dad used a Samsung HZ30W in Turkey. Certainly not comparable to a DSLR, but definitely respectable for a travelzoom. I believe it (HZ35W actually, has the gps) got the highest marks in dpreview's travelzoom roundup. I'm sure the SX20is would also do well (or better) for your purposes. My sister has a SX10is and loves it.

 

[slackerinabox]

If you want a compact, I really like my panasonic zs3. My dad has a kodak z712. I know kodak is frowned upon but it takes nice pictures and is easy to use. It's about as big as an SLR, but I wouldn't mind losing it, which makes it great for travel. Check responsiveness though - my dad doesn't take very demanding photos.

http://www.flickr.com/cameras/kodak/z712_is_zoom/

 

[Throckmorton]

I second the ZS3 recommendation. Or whatever the latest ZS is... I know it has a built in GPS receiver.

I just bought a used ZS1 and I'm amazed how good the zoom is, and how clear the pics are at 12x (at least in sunlight)


Here's a pic of a dove at full zoom, cropped and resized 50%

Don't remember what I did with this pic but I think it was at full 12x

Plus it starts at 25mm, which is effectively even wider when you use the 16:9 mode! And unlike an SLR, all you do is move the little knob, no changing lenses.

Zoomed in on the hillside in the distance

 

[Throckmorton]

ARGH. I just realized all the 16:9 mode does is crop the 4:3 photo. It's the ZS3 that actually uses different areas of the sensor.