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=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D ------=_Part_1304_25920418.1196170282536 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=WINDOWS-1252 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Disposition: inline Hi, They are all available in Canada, and have been reviewed on the appropriate web sites. I use a Sony DSC-H5 "superzoom", and if you read dpReview etc., = a more valid comparison for the latest crop of this group of cameras would be the Sony H9 (the latest version of mine), the Panasonic FZ-18, and the Cano= n S-5IS. There is not a whole lot of difference between them, and each has their relatively minor pros and cons. Compared to the alternative, namely a dSLR + long lens (I use a Nikon d70s and Tamron 200-500 zoom), these comapc= t superzooms are much cheaper, lighter and more portable, and in bright light with a reasonably close bird, can give just as good an image. However, the max. usable ISO speed is generally 100, and that fraction of a second shutter delay can often lose the shot, so for birds in flight, or moving in bushes, or in poor light, the dSLR combo will definitely produce more "keepers". The raw vs. jpeg issue can be important to some - I admit that when using m= y dSLR I shoot raw and like to fiddle about with Lightroom and Photoshop Elements, but it's not for everyone - just Google raw versus jpeg and there are lots of articles. For birds that stay still for more than a few seconds, or are predictable i= n their movements, or are too far away for a frame-filling shot with the abov= e gear even after cropping, then digiscoping is the way to go - but it's much harder to get good sharp shots. One often overlooked advantage of a digicam over a dSLR is that they can al= l shoot short segments of video, which dSLRs can't. Hope this is of interest. Richard On Nov 26, 2007 8:56 PM, Patrick Kelly <patrick.kelly@dal.ca> wrote: > Hello everyone: > > I'm not sure if these specific models are available in Canada, but this > came in earlier today on the Irish bird list and I thought it might be > of interests to some of you... > > Pat > > Begin forwarded message: > > > From: John Coveney <johnc@ecoveney.ie> > > Date: November 26, 2007 7:06:29 AM AST > > To: IBN-L@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE > > Subject: Ultrazoom 18x shootout - Panasonic FZ18 wins hands dowm > > Reply-To: johnc@ecoveney.ie > > > > Popphoto have done a comparison of the three mid-size 18x ultrazooms, > > Panasonic's FZ18 (504mm), Fuji's S8000fd (486mm)and the Olympus > > SP-560UZ > > (486mm) across a wide range of features. The FZ18 comes out best on the > > following features of relevance to birders:- > > 1. zoom lens quality, > > 2. picture quality, > > 3. speed of autofocus in good and low light, > > 4. video quality, > > 5. RAW shooting (but only one shot at a time), > > 6. image stabilisation, > > 7. burst rate at full resolution (JPEGs only), > > 8. LCD & viewfinder quality, > > 9. scenes modes (the FZ18 has "intelligent auto" that is well reviewed) > > 10. custom settings (the FZ18 can save four sets). > > > > The only area where the FZ18 was worst was on build and feel but the > > zoom > > button was good. > > > > The review is at > > http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/4836/shootout-18x-evf-superzooms.html > > > > The FZ18 would be well short of the quality, handling and > > responsiveness of > > a 1.6x cropped sensor DSLR with a good f/4 300mm lens that would have > > an > > equivalent reach of 480mm (672mm with a 1.4x converter). Panasonic > > also have > > a 1.7x end of lens teleconverter, the LT55 (about =80200??), which woul= d > > push > > the reach to 864mm. However, the FZ18 kit would far lighter and more > > compact > > and a fraction of the price of the DSLR kit. > > > > > > John C > > > > John Coveney. Mobile: +353 (0)87 276 5158. E-Mail: johnc@ecoveney.ie > > > > > > > > > > > > > > =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D > =3D=3D > Patrick Kelly > Director of Computer Facilities > =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D > =3D=3D > Faculty of Architecture and Planning > Dalhousie University > =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D > =3D=3D > PO Box 1000 Stn Central 5410 Spring Garden Road > Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 2X4 Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 2X4 > Canada Canada > =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D > =3D=3D > Phone:(902) 494-3294 FAX:(902) 423-6672 E-mail:patrick.kelly@dal.ca > =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D > =3D=3D > > --=20 ################# Dr.Richard Stern, 70 Exhibition St. Kentville, NS, Canada B4N 4K9 Richard Stern, 317 Middle Dyke Rd. Port Williams, NS, Canada B0P 1T0 rbstern@ns.sympatico.ca rbstern@xcountry.tv sternrichard@gmail.com ################### ------=_Part_1304_25920418.1196170282536 Content-Type: text/html; charset=WINDOWS-1252 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Disposition: inline Hi,<br><br>They are all available in Canada, and have been reviewed on the = appropriate web sites. I use a Sony DSC-H5 "superzoom", and if yo= u read dpReview etc., a more valid comparison for the latest crop of this g= roup of cameras would be the Sony H9 (the latest version of mine), the Pana= sonic FZ-18, and the Canon S-5IS. There is not a whole lot of difference be= tween them, and each has their relatively minor pros and cons. Compared to = the alternative, namely a dSLR + long lens (I use a Nikon d70s and Tamron 2= 00-500 zoom), these comapct superzooms are much cheaper, lighter and more p= ortable, and in bright light with a reasonably close bird, can give just as= good an image. However, the max. usable ISO speed is generally 100, and th