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!