Beginner Camera for Macro Photography

Obure · Jul 26, 2014

First I would like to say that I'm not looking to go pro, this is just going to be a little hobby of mine.

I have only ever used a DSLR camera once or twice, so I don't have that much experience with them. I'm interested in shooting small and far-away subjects such as insects, birds, and even plants. I don't know what type of camera is best for macro shots, that's why I am seeking advice here.

My budget is : $400-500 USD

I found the Canon PowerShot SX50 HS which seems to be an alright camera, except for the megapixels, but I would like your professional opinions.

rudimaes · Jul 26, 2014

The Canon SX50 is a good bridge camera. You also could look at the Panasonic FZ200.

https://www.flickr.com/groups/fz_200/

Rudi

Obure · Jul 26, 2014

I found out this about the Panasonic FZ200 VS POWERSHOT SX50 HS

SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGES OF THE DMC-FZ200 (VS THE POWERSHOT SX50 HS)

Wider aperture: f/2.8 vs f/3.4
Has an external mic jack
Takes 3D photos

SIGNIFICANT DISADVANTAGES OF THE DMC-FZ200 (VS THE POWERSHOT SX50 HS)

Much less zoom: 24x vs 50x
No 24p support
Significantly worse image quality: 37.0 vs 47.0

COMMON STRENGTHS OF THE DMC-FZ200 AND POWERSHOT SX50 HS

Very high speed movies: 240 fps vs 240 fps
Fast continuous shooting: 12 fps vs 13 fps
Flip-out screens

Can you explain what aperture is, I'm not really clear on it.

Edit: Never mind, I have a fairly solid understanding of it now.

rudimaes · Jul 27, 2014

Both are good bridge camera's. But don't depend op Snapsort to make your decision.
They give their points on specs and not on quality of the camera.
Wider aperture means the lens(camera) can take pictures with less light.
The aperture has also an influence on the DOF (Depth of Field)

Here you can find different tests and user reviews of both camera's:

Canon PowerShot SX50 (Digital cameras) Reviews
Panasonic DMC-FZ200 (Digital cameras) Reviews

Also the Sony Cybershot HX300 and HX400 are good.
Sony CyberShot DSC-HX300 (Digital cameras) Reviews
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400 (Digital cameras) Reviews

Rudi

Obure · Jul 27, 2014

I really don't know what to get. What would your #1 recommendation for wildlife photography within a $400-500 USD budget, including the lens, be? I will mainly be taking a mix between macro shots of insects/plants and long range shots such as birds.