Birding is a hobby or a profession which takes a lot of patience and the right gear. You never know where this will take you to. One minute you are at a park watching birds and the next minute you are wandering in a forest. The most important thing is the camera which is your best partner in this whole process. If you are a professional photographer, then you might know the importance of having the right camera. So, if you are looking to buy the best point and shoot cameras for birding, then you have to look no further. We are going to be telling you guys which is the best DSLR camera for bird photography. So let us not waste any more time and get right to it.
Decide What you Want
Before you go out to the market and buy the cameras, you need to first decide what do you actually want. You should know what you want from your camera and what you are going to be doing. If you don’t know your requirements, then how can you buy the right camera. There are many cameras in the market, which can provide you different results based on your requirements. If you are going to be shooting objects from a faraway place, then you will be needing something with the best zoom lens and so on. So, before you buy a camera make a list of your requirements.
Which is the best DSLR camera for bird photography?
Now let us get to our list of the best cameras for your birding and wildlife photography purposes.
Nikon COOLPIX P900
The first one on the list is Nikon COOLPIX P900, which is a digital camera and can be considered the best overall camera for your every need. It is a pretty solid and compact camera which is quite easy to use and to carry around with you. It has a great 83X zoom so you can take the pictures of a bird sitting on top of the tree with great precision. The great thing about this camera is the electronic viewfinder which eliminates half of your problems. It automatically turns on whenever you lift the camera up to your eyes to take a picture. Surprisingly it is not that expensive too, which can let you get the best results without putting too much stress on your wallet.
Pros
- 83X zoom.
- 360 shots per charge.
- Great View finder.
Cons
- Recovery between photos is a bit slow.
PANASONIC LUMIX FZ80
Next up is the masterpiece from Panasonic which is known as LUMIX FZ80. It gives you the freedom to zoom from 20mm to 1200mm, which can let you get the best shots from a faraway place. You can also shoot up to 4K videos at 30fps. The best thing about it is that you can quickly take pictures within the blink of an eye. Plus, it is also pretty affordable which make it a best fit for you if you are looking for a camera under a budget. It also features the Power optical image stabilizer with which you can take absolutely clear pictures, even while you are taking it from hands.
Pros
- Nice Zoom
- 4K video at 30fps
- Quick
- Affordable
Cons
- Poor low light performance
- Zoom pictures get a bit grainy
Sony 100M7
Well, we all know Sony has never failed to provide the best quality products, every single time and this time is no difference as well. Sony 100M7 is a great compact camera which is absolutely no hassle to carry around with you at all. With the 20fps continuous shooting you can get things done with precision. It is a great thing to have while you are out there shooting for birds. You can also make clear and crisp videos on it up to 4K resolution. The autofocus it features is also pretty good and extremely fast too. With the lightweight of just 0.61lbs, it proves to be the best travel buddy. The image stabilization is also top notch which this camera offers. You can take steady and clear pictures even while you are moving or if your hands are shaky. This will eliminate the possible blur in the image as well.
Pros
- Continuous shooting at 20 fps
- Great video performance
- Fast autofocus
- Lightweight
Cons
- Expensive
- Only 8.3x optical zoom.
Fujifilm X100F APS-C
Fujifilm X100F APS-C is a really compact and lightweight camera which should certainly be on your list. It is packed with great features and latest technology to provide you the best results every single time. The small and compact body makes it easy for you to take it with you wherever you go for birding. It also has a built-in ND filter for crisp and clear pictures. With the great ISO range of up to 12800, you can get great results even in the low light settings too. The autofocus is also good with 91 autofocus points.
Pros
- Compact and highly portable
- Built-in ND filter
- 12800 ISO
- 91 autofocus points
Cons
- Too much expensive
- Video quality not that high
- No Zoom
What do you need in a camera?
There are some basic but important things which a camera should have, if you want to use it as a tool to take your birding experience to the next level. So below mentioned are some of the things which you should look out for.
Autofocus
Autofocus is one of the most important things to have in your camera, if you are going to be using it for birding. We all know that the birds or other wildlife animals are never sitting still, and it requires precise focus to capture their picture. You cannot always just sit around and focus manually, and it is pretty impossible sometimes if you are a beginner. In your camera you will see the AF points or Auto Focus points. The more your camera’s AF points are the more accurately it can focus on an object. So, pick the camera with a good viewfinder and more AF points.
Low-Light Performance
Birding involves patiently waiting for the birds to appear or fly past you. It is not always done in the day light which provides you clear and crisp pictures. When you are sitting around waiting for the birds to appear and the darkness of night comes upon you, then there is nothing much you can do. Because it is not recommended to use a flash-light or an artificial lighting setup as it can scare the birds away. In these situations, you will be needing a camera which can perform well in the low light settings as well.
You can always increase the ISO of your camera, which is basically the sensitivity of your camera to the light. But the more you will increase it, the more chances will be of getting noise and grains in your image. So, choose a camera which can perform well under low light settings without compromising on the quality. These cameras are a bit expensive but can provide you great quality. You can also go online and check for the camera’s picture quality in dark, to make sure you are buying the right thing.
Lens Compatibility
The one big thing about birding or wildlife photography is that you never know what is going to happen. This element of surprise excites many people. But it also means that you never know what you are going to be doing the next moment. One minute you are capturing the bird sitting next to you and the other minute you are capturing the duck swimming across the pond. Your camera needs to be able to adapt to the different condition. This means it also has to be compatible with the different lenses which you will be needing to use. This why the cameras offered by Nikon and Canon are the best option because they are absolutely compatible with all the lenses. So, make sure to pick a camera which is compatible with all the lenses.
Size and Weight
Size and weight are also a big factor which can affect your overall performance. You will be moving all day long in search of a good picture so the weight should be less for you, to carry the camera around with you wherever you go. The lighter your camera is the more freely you will be able to move around, without putting too much stress on your arms or shoulders. Similarly, the size of the camera also matters a lot. It is pretty difficult to be holding a bulky and huge camera in your hands. The size should be compact enough for you to handle it with ease and in a carefree manner.
Water and Dust Proof
You never know what type of environment awaits you, when you are out there looking for birds to take pictures. What if you reach a forest where you drop the camera in dust or in a puddle of water? Your camera should be water and dust proof, so it can never let the rain or any other dust particles get in your way. If you are in the middle of great birding session and it starts to rain, then you cannot miss a shot. So, find a camera which never lets water or dust to ruin your session or harm the camera itself.
Durable
As we mentioned before, the wildlife photography or birding requires to be able to shoot in unexpected conditions. Your camera should be durable enough to take on a good amount of beating. If the camera cannot endure minor falls, bumps, or anything else, then it is not worth investing your money in it. There are many good quality cameras in the market, which have been tested for durability to provide you good quality product on which you can rely even with your eyes closed.
Shooting Speed
Shooting speed is the one thing to keep in consideration, while you are looking for a camera to do wildlife photography or birding. You need to take the pictures in split seconds because the animals won’t wait for you to take their photo. You need to find a camera which can provide you good shooting speed, so you never miss a shot ever. There are many low-priced cameras, which can give 3 frames per second. Even though it is good enough, but you still need a camera which can provide you more than 10 frames per second, to stay one step ahead of the game.
Types Of Sensors
Sensor plays a major role in the overall picture quality. There are basically two types of sensors one is Crop Sensor and the other is Full-frame Sensor. A full frame sensor is mostly used by the professionals and fashion photographers as it can get more light in the lens. These are a bit expensive than the other sensor as they are majorly used by the professionals.
Crop sensors on the other hand are the first choice of most wildlife photographers. These are really compact and light weight so you can carry them around with you wherever you go. These sensors are also affordable and cheap so you can buy them without putting too much stress on your wallet.
Some Tips to Keep in Mind
If you are new to birding, then there are some tips which you should always keep in mind, so that you can get the best results every single time. Below mentioned are some of the useful tips which can help you in a major way.
Keep Quiet
The most important thing while you are taking photographs of the birds or any wildlife for that matter of fact, is that you should always keep the noise to the minimum. It is very important to keep quiet and don’t make any noises which can scare the birds away. Make sure to put your cell phone and other gadgets to the silent mode too.
Turn Off the Camera Flash
If you take a picture with your flash on, then it will certainly scare away all the birds and you won’t be able to get the perfect shot. Some birds might not even come back after seeing a light or flash.
Get Sun at Your Back
The best technique to keep in mind while taking pictures of birds is that you always have to get the sun at your back. It will provide you nice colors to get the whole beauty of the bird as well as eliminating the unwanted shadows. If the sun is in front of you will get glares and the picture can get dark too. The bird will also not be visible in that picture.
Let’s Go Birding
These were our picks of the best point and shoot cameras for birding. All of these cameras can give you enough power to shoot with precision and accuracy. We hope this article answered your question that what is the best camera for taking pictures of birds. We also added in a buyer’s guide so you can know what will suit your needs. So, choose the right one from these cameras and make sure to keep the important features in mind which we mentioned.