Help a newb out.

[RedClayRoots79]

Been looking around on facebook marketplace at dslr cameras.

Id like to have something to snap a clear and zoomed in pic of the cardinals at the feeders or the deer that slip down my fence line, landscapes, etc.

Looking for clear, quality, and to be able to zoom far without breaking the bank.

It'll be just one of many part time hobbies so I dont need to go super pro.

Thanks.

 

[wvdawg]

Check out www.keh.com for ideas. Pretty reputable for used equipment. Also search for BH photo - good deals on kits.

 

[gadeerwoman]

Just be sure you read the 'condition' item on keh. Almost ordered a cam from them last week until I read all the info on the condition. Some of their used cameras are not even guaranteed to work at all.

 

[Cmp1]

Nikon has a long zoom fixed lense camera,,,,P 1000

https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product/compact-digital-cameras/coolpix-p1000.html

 

[rip18]

Been looking around on facebook marketplace at dslr cameras.

Id like to have something to snap a clear and zoomed in pic of the cardinals at the feeders or the deer that slip down my fence line, landscapes, etc.

Looking for clear, quality, and to be able to zoom far without breaking the bank.

It'll be just one of many part time hobbies so I dont need to go super pro.

Thanks.

Some good advice already, but I'll add my 2 cents.

I'm not sure there is anything that won't be expensive that consistently takes clear, quality shots at a distance.

There are a lot of good quality DSLRs out there, and some real deals to be had in the used camera market as well.

Some things to think about to help do the things you asked about...

Get a crop factor body, not a full frame body. On Nikons that'll make the effective lens length 1.5 times longer than actual (though at a slight reduction in light). On Canon bodies, the length with be 1.65 times longer than actual. So, a 300 mm lens on a Nikon becomes a 450 mm equivalent, and on a Canon it becomes 495 mm equivalent. Put your hands on some Nikon, Canon, Olympus, Fuji bodies and see which ones "fit" you best and which menu & control system is most intuitive to you, then go with that brand of body. The bodies are the cheap part, it's the glass that costs in the long run.

Get something with more megapixels to allow you to crop. (That's advice that I haven't followed). I still use bodies with moderate megapixel counts & try to get good frame-filling shots.

There are a lot of "super zooms" out there that are in the 50-500 mm range (made by a number of manufacturers, including Nikon, Canon, Sigma, and more) that aren't THAT pricey that will work well with a decent amount of light. For a general, starting out wildlife lense, that's probably what I'd look at. You can pick up a used one for less than $1,000.

Since you specifically mention cardinals, here's a link to what kind of lens lengths and distances it takes to get a full-frame image of a cardinal... https://forum.gon.com/threads/why-bird-photographers-use-big-glass.155440/

Good luck!