Monday, January 18, 2021

Buying a New Camera!

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We have been visiting the South Padre Island Laguna Nature Trail a lot where we have been taking nature photos of birds, plants and insects. I began to notice that my trusty Nikon Camera was not performing to its high standards. It use to take great macro shots (or close ups) of plants and insects but lately it has difficulty focusing.

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Also, I noticed that it struggled taking good photos in dim light like at dusk. Furthermore, I would often use it to zoom in on butterflies 4 to 6 feet away so I wouldn’t startle them and now it has difficulty focusing on them . All of this frustration  led me to begin researching new cameras.

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While I would love to have one of the Digital SLR’s I really don’t feel as if I would use it as much as I would one I can simply tuck into my pocket. So after a lot of mental debate I finally decided against getting an SLR and focused on the smaller compact high zoom cameras. After all, my Pixel phone takes fabulous photos but just lacks zoom capabilities.

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After scouring the web for camera reviews and features I finally narrowed it down to the Canon Powershot SX740 HS compact high zoom camera. While it is a bit larger and heavier than my older camera it offers a much better zoom. After all, what nature photographer wouldn’t want the biggest zoom they could get.

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Here are the features that sold me:  it has an impressive 40x optical zoom, it records videos in super-high definition 4K, it has built in WIFI and has a compact body relatively light in weight making it easy to carry.  I found a great package deal on Amazon and now it’s mine!

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The added bonus in my purchasing a new camera is that Sharon always has complained about not being able to zoom in on birds and wildlife with her Pixel phone. Although she has the new Pixel 5 which we recently bought, she still yearned for a zoom. We decided to repurpose my Nikon camera and it will become hers to use as a zoom for wildlife and birds because the Nikon still works great on bright sunny days and sports a 30x zoom as well. She was thrilled!

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So look out world Sharon will be learning how to take zoomed in shots and the blog will be filled with nature shots lovingly taken by us both!  We are really happy we decided to winter here in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas with all its birds, insects, plants and wildlife not to mention the beautiful ocean views.We really couldn’t be in a better place for us during this Covid-19 pandemic.

NOTE:  We are currently in South Padre Island in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas until March 1st…

14 comments:

  1. We both have the Canon Powershot Cameras meant for swimming with the Stingray, Manatee and Dolphins. They do a great job for Zoom and we don't worry if we get caught in the Rain.
    There are times we go out looking for special pictures that's when we bring the DSLRs out. They are quicker so you don't loose any shots though they are better for distant shots. You could always get a gently used DSLR on E-Bay for a fraction of the new price. Look for something without too many Bells and Whistles. Try to find a 18-300 Zoom lens and that will cover all situations.
    Be Safe and Enjoy the island.

    It's about time.

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  2. Hi I have followed your blog for quite awhile and want to thank you for doing the research. My wife and I are looking for a camera other than phones. Also thanks for the 25 must have items it is spot on. We are wintering in the Yuma area, first year as snowbirds, boondocking alot. We may try Texas next year so much to see. Again thanks alot.

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    1. I've had the camera a little over a week and am loving it so far! We wintered in Yuma once but found it a less exciting than either the Phoenix/Mesa area of the Tucson areas.

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  3. Great features on your Camera - Was totally satisficed with my old Canon G6, but replaced it with a Panasonic Lumix ... I should have pick another Canon :(
    Your pictures are GREAT!, I'm sure Sharon will get a lot of use from the new-to-her camera.

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    1. Yes, I read a lot about the Lumix as well. What don't you like about it?

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    2. The Lumix had excellent reviews, a better zoom than the G7 and lower price, but alas despite it having low light and night modes it does a a poor job in those conditions. Macro is iffy and it's bulky.

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  4. Hope this comment doesn't show up twice. It just disappeared off my screen so I'll retype it. That last shot is spectacular. Does your new camera have an eyepiece? The bright light and an LCD screen makes it really hard for me to use so I really want to also have an eyepiece.

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    1. No eye piece, and I know what you mean when the light isn't just right using the LCD.

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  5. Being in lockdown I have been taking bird and moon pictures. I have a Canon EOS T6, the zoom does okay but not what I want now. I'm going to check out what you researched.

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  6. Interesting to read your blog since we just did the same research for a new camera. We ended up with a Sony DSC-HX80 because of the eye piece. But it looks like you are having great luck with your new camera too!

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    1. I use to love having an eyepiece but have found that I now prefer not having one. That's a great camera as well.

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  7. Dave likes the Canon Powershot, he has the 540x version and really likes it. I imagine when it finally fails he get the latest version again.

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