IMpressive stuff, Chris. How many more superzooms will you have, do you think? I'm pleased you're doing all my testing for me :whoo:
Sue, I think I'm done... for now.
The only one remaining to audition is the Panasonic FZ200 + a teleconverter, but that combo becomes more expensive...
I guess you can call the class of superzooms I've been looking at "super-duper zooms". Here's my brief rundown of the 3 current models:
Canon SX50: best IQ. The sensor and lens are both better than the Fujis, in terms of noise and sharpness. What kills it for me, though, is the tiny, low-res EVF and small, uncomfortable grip. Those ergonomic flaws are simply a cataract to wildlife shooting.
Fuji HS50exr: best body & handling. Best EVF - much better than Canon's. Best performance in menu speed and AF. The one I had suffered from build quality problems, though, namely a de-centered lens, malfunctioning LCD and gritty zoom mechanism. Images are noisier and less sharp than the Canon's. I had to return my HS50 because of the functional issues, but I kinda wanna try it again. It cost a $100 more than the Canon SX50 or Fuji SL1000.
Fuji SL1000: good EVF, better than the Canon and almost as good as the Fuji HS50. Big, comfy grip, like the HS50. More menu-based than the HS50, and sluggish in that regard. Also a bit sluggish shot-to-shot. Images are a little less noisy than the HS50, particularly at ISO 400 & 800. The lens on mine has more PF & CA than the other two cameras. It's also an incredibly
slow lens, dropping to a maximum aperture of f/6 at around 300mm. By way of comparison, the Canon SX50 is at f/5.6 until around 900mm. The SL1000's battery life is horrible, at 100 shots or fewer for my usage, the other two cameras last at least twice as long.
The lenses on both Fujis are more prone to bloom than the Canon. I notice this because I've been shooting swans.
Overall, I'm somewhat deflated. I feel like I'm being forced to choose between usability and image quality. The Fuji SL1000 is something of a compromise, the images are slightly better than the HS50 and the grip and EVF allow it to be a significantly more pleasurable shooting experience than the Canon SX50. I am tempted to try another HS50 in the hopes that it has a sharper lens. If that were the case, I could cope with the noisier images.