7 replies to this topic

[dragon49]

Hi,

 

I just joined and this is my first post.  I walk a lot of nature trails in South Florida and need a better setup.  I few months ago, I dusted off and charged up my old Nikon COOKPIX S9100 - 18x zoom.  Hope I'm not making people laugh too much with the obvious, but this takes much better pictures than my iPhone 7 Plus.   The camera represents colors more accurately than the smartphone and has a better zoom.  I also find that iPhone pictures lose colors the more the pics are zoomed out.

 

I love the camera.  It is compact and easy to carry, and my SD card has plenty of space for my trips.  The problem is that the zoom isn't enough for my needs.  I can't always get close enough to the deer, birds, and alligators, to get good quality pictures.  

 

I see people on the trails all the time with tripods and huge lenses.  They generally tell me that their setups cost $3,000 or more.  I'm not going to spend that kind of money, and also need something reasonably compact.  I do love to capture great pictures of wildlife and scenery, but my main goal on the trails is to walk, so I need a camera that can comfortably fit in in my hand (with a strapped wrapped around it) or one of my pockets. Opportunities can pass quickly, and I won't always have the time to take off my backpack and get a larger camera out. 

 

With my needs in mind, can somebody please recommend a camera that costs less than $500.00?  I haven't looked online at all, but assume that zooms have gotten better since my 2011 model came out.  I'm not sure what max zoom I would need - 40 x -  50 x or more?  Not sure what the handheld models offer these days.

 

Is it possible to get some kind of converter and an extra lens for my existing camera?  I do suspect that it would neither be practical, not cost-effective.

Also, when I completed my profile, there was no option for my camera, so I chose the compact series.  If there is a more appropriate category, please let me know.

 

Thanks!

[Merco_61]

A Coolpix B600 seems to fill most of your criteria. It is reasonably compact, reasonably priced with a good lens. It is not a P-series, but it only costs about half as much.

 

A tele-attachment for your existing camera would not come close to the picture quality of the current superzoom bridge cameras.

[TBonz]

The P1000 is about $1000, so double the price you mentioned, but for the Point and Shoot cameras I believe it has the most reach.  There are other versions of both series which might suit you if you compare the features you want vs. the price.  The Nikon COOLPIX Digital Point and Shoot Cameras | Nikon site has the specs for all of their Point and shoot cameras at the link above along with information on all of their mirrorless and DSLR bodies and lenses.

 

[bluzman]

The Coolpix A1000 seems like it would be a good choice at an MSRP of less than $500. I owned an A1000 so I can say that it's a very capable camera. Size-wise, it's similar to the S9100, it weighs a bit more (240g vs 330g) but it uses the same EN-EL12 batteries as your current camera. It has a viewfinder and a touch screen, 35X vs 18X zoom, a 16.0 vs 12.1 megapixel 1/2.3" CMOS sensor, and can capture 4K video.

 

Here are images I took of mine with my B700 (similar in size to a B600) and P1000 cameras when I owned all three.

 

 

 

Here are a couple of wildlife shots with taken the A1000

 

1/320 sec, f/6.9, ISO 100, 151 mm (35mm Equivalent: 840 mm)

 

1/800 sec, f/6.9, ISO 100, 151 mm (35mm Equivalent: 840 mm)

[dragon49]

A Coolpix B600 seems to fill most of your criteria. It is reasonably compact, reasonably priced with a good lens. It is not a P-series, but it only costs about half as much.

 

A tele-attachment for your existing camera would not come close to the picture quality of the current superzoom bridge cameras.

 

I want to thank all the repliers.  I'm going to go with the Coolpix B600.  I'm going to upgrade the SD card as well, as my old one is only 8 GIG.  I am curious though if there would be any camera performance issues with what I use in in the S9100:

 

SanDisk Ultra 11 SDHC 15 MB/s

[Merco_61]

For stills, the old card should work but it is a bit slow for video in a B600.

 

I tend to go with the fastest cards I can find without breaking the bank while keeping to Sandisk or Lexar cards from reputable dealers.

[dragon49]

For stills, the old card should work but it is a bit slow for video in a B600.

 

I tend to go with the fastest cards I can find without breaking the bank while keeping to Sandisk or Lexar cards from reputable dealers.

Many thanks.

 

I'll share some pictures in this thread by the beginning of August to show off the new camera.

 

Have a good weekend!

[dragon49]

As promised, here are some pictures taken with the B600.  I'm very happy with the purchase choice.  The Anhinga spreading its wings would never had been captured with my 18x Coolpix S91.

 

https://i.imgur.com/8p4UsXN.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/JT41hw7.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/...com/e9cKqRR.jpg