Canon PowerShot SX50 HS Digital Camera with 50x Ultra Wide Angle 24-1200mm Lens (12.1 MP, 50x Zoom) 2.8 inch Vari-angle LCD

Cards on the table, folks... my main camera is a Nikon D7100. My backup is a Nikon D200. My first DSLR was a Nikon D70. I am a Nikon man with Nikkor glass.I was going to Central America. I'd heard how you get mugged every 5 minutes. I wanted a camera that would take great photos but that if it got stolen, well... And I wanted a lightweight, relatively small camera that I could make unobtrusive in muggy situations.And of course, if you're going for a bridge, there's no legacy, so this was the chance for Nikon man to try a Canon camera.Yes, folks, you guessed it. Let me introduce you to my new mistress.This is a great little camera. It produces very likeable photos, with no fuss at all. Its zoom is totally ridiculous - 50x! But yes, I used it once or twice to great effect.OK. Like any mistress, this camera has its irritating features.If you take several shots in a very short time, you can land up with serious shutter lag. That is, you can find yourself waiting a second or so for the shutter to click, and normally if you're taking a lot of shots in a short time, that is not a desirable feature.The huge zoom can lead to shaky shots - rather more than I would really want of my photos are blurry. A little camera like this tempts snapshots, and the zoom tempts candid, but it isn't a miracle-worker and you have to manage your expectations.Colour, contrast, fantastic, nothing to say. The camera's viewfinder (I chose this camera largely because it has a viewfinder) is electronic and not wonderful, but it works and delivers. You can also use the screen to frame your shots. That's a feature I came to enjoy, since the screen can rotate, allowing you to shoot overhead or low down without difficulty. Or even round corners.What really, really irritated me was that the native RAW shots (CR2) can only be read by modern software. And the modern software only runs on modern operating systems. So to shoot RAW, I would have to upgrade my Leopard operating system to Snow Leopard or Lion, which I really, really did not want to do. But in the end, I did it anyway.Bottom line? Would I have looked for a different camera, had I know then what I know now? No. Now that I'm back in the real world I carry this great little beast everywhere with me.

If you're looking at this camera, you probably want more out of your compact camera but aren't ready to go all the way to SLR. In that case, look no further! I spent quite some time pondering between this and an SLR. In the end, I decided I could not be bothered with carrying separate lenses and pay premium for that hassle.This camera's main selling point is its ludicrous zoom capability, one that exceeds the magnification capacity of standard SLR telephoto lenses. And the image stabilization is up to the task. I was able to shoot a full-frame close-up of the moon, simply hand-held by bracing myself againt a wall. Its macro capability is equally ludicrous, as you can focus even on stuff that practically touches the lens.I like to shoot at night, and that's where a camera's sensor and processor make a big difference, so I've taken the camera out on a few walks. On auto mode, it tends to bump up the ISO, so it can get quite grainy. But its dedicated night mode is brilliant! Fully handheld night shots have come out without grain and minimal motion blur and the colours are vivid. I think it takes 3 rapid shots and somehow combines them.The camera sports the same DIGIC5 processor as Canon's current SLR range (all the way to the top), so in terms of that, you get the best Canon has to offer.It has more controls than a compact, but fewer than an SLR. The buttons are big and spaced out, and using them with a double layer of gloves is not a problem. It's lightweight (for its size) and well-balanced and though it's plactic it doesn't feel flimsy. The variable angle screen is one of those things you don't know you need until you've had it (immediately I found myself shooting without lifting the camera to my head, or at weird angles), so it's very handy. The viewfinder is small and the colours are not faithful, so you probably won't ever use it. Finally, a feauture I really appreciated was the level indicator. Even with the grid on display, my photos are often crooked, so this is an extremely useful feature for me.You probably want to buy a cheap lens-hood to protect this beast of a lens from impacts that might scratch it.EDIT:Now that I've had it for a year, I thought I'd add some more info:At some point the shutter got stuck. Canon took care of it as it was within warranty. Although I sent the camera to Canon UK, it came back from Germany (as tracking info indicated), something I was not informed at all about. So service took overall somewhat longer than I'd have liked.So far no other issues.If you're an avid fan of shooting sunsets, you should know that discoloured lens flares are often an issue with very bright light sources. Canon's post-editing software has some tool for chromatic aberrations, but don't expect miracles.

This is a brilliant camera for professional photographers or people who just want to take brilliant photo's. it provides many modes, such as scene and allows you to play around with the composition. it also has record which is quite appropriate for capturing the moment. it is easy to hold, and the zoom id brilliant! it may however be appropriate to get a tripod since when zooming long distance it is really quite difficult to hold steady. the camera has many settings to play around with, and a LED screen in which can be turned around so as to protect from scratching it can also be pulled out like a camcorder and can be closed so that you can take a photo through the view finder. it is a top notch camera. the only thing that i dislike is the instructions which are on a disc therefore is difficult to refer to easily. The product is brilliant, and should fulfill anyone's photography needs. the delivery however was not so good since i had to wait for more than 3 weeks to receive it since Yodel had failed to deliver it, however i was only to find that the camera had been delivered to the wrong house, in which i wouldn't mind to much if it wasn't a camera worth that much money. but the product is great :)