Looking for a new camera...

[Chickerdoodle13]

...and I need some advice! I have finally saved up enough money to get a new camera. I have been using a sony cybershot for the past four years, but now I want something more serious, and with a much better zoom.

I was looking at the canon rebel, but my uncle (who works in a camera shop) showed me an Olympus with an 18X zoom. I got to play around with it for a little while and it seemed pretty nice, but I want some advice from you guys. What would you recommend?

I want something that will take nice animal photographs, especially of birds (bird watching). I would also like something with a good macro. Having a good zoom is very important to me.

I have about $400 to spend, so what do you recommend? Also, has anyone tried B&H? I have heard good things about that company.

 

[ChickenToes]

A Canon Rebel would be my choice, but most serious photographers use Nikons.

 

[punkin]

I use a Cannon Digital Rebel. I take lots of different photos (macro, portrait, action, nature) I have never been disappointed with it.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I did really like the rebel when I played around with it. The only thing that tears me between the olympus and the canon is that the olympus has an 18X zoom, which is a little more than the rebel. However, the canon rebel was almost $100 less than the olympus, which is also a plus. I liked the macro on both of them though.

Punkin, do you have any example photos I could look at? I would love to be able to compare photographs!

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

I just purchased a Canon PowerShot A720IS. It was Consumer Reports Best Buy winner. The cost here in TN was around $200. It's 8 megapixels, 6x optical zoom, has image stabilizer and a whole host of other things I have no idea what they are. I had a Canon Powershot before and it took a licking and kept on ticking. It lasted for years and years even after I dropped it on the concrete.

Check out the last couple of weeks' posts on my website www.farmeranne.blogspot.com
There are tons of chicken pics made with this camera.

This may be a simpler camera than what you are wanting. It is more or less a point and shoot with the option to control it manually.

 

[punkin]

Quote:
I have just a few on Viewbug, www.viewbug.com under my same user id.

 

[chickiebaby]

anything by canon is generally better than anything that's not. Just got one of the budget cmeras - 440? something 40? for a kid - its terririf, and cost 129. Better by far than most at three times the price.

Best.

 

[punkin]

I agree with chickiebaby. Before I got my Canon Rebel, I had a Canon SureShot (think that was the name). Anywho, I left it outside one night in a terrible downpour.

I thought I had ruined it. I let it airdry and it was just fine.

 

[flakey chick]

Quote:
B&H is fantastic: the best prices around and really good info. on their site. I have spent a good deal of $$ there over the years and have never been disapointed with them. One thing of note, they do keep the jewish calendar and do not take orders on the sabath or holidays. They do post when they will be closed.

Nikon USED to be the only camera for serious professional photographers. Now Canon is preferred. One thing of note though, Canon has ultrasonic motors. I'm not sure how birds would react, but I have seen the reaction of a robot where I work. We had a robot that tracked ulstronic emissions. When a visitor took a picture with a canon, it honed in on that source instead of the one it was supposed to track.

Lots of birders to use canons, so ultrasound is probably not that big a deal. I would consider which camera can respond the fastest (autofocus, startup and frame rate).