Point and shoot cameras are perfect for anyone who participates in birding. By their very nature, they offer a very basic out-of-the-box user experience.
Given just how many models of point and shoot, or compact cameras are on the market these days, though, we can sympathise if you find the whole concept of buying one incredibly stressful.
However, it doesn’t need to be that way.
Not if you use our great guide to the best point and shoot camera for birding. In this post we will discuss the 5 compact, point and shooters on the market we think are the best.
While we are sure this will help you find the best accompanying camera for your relaxing and soothing pastime of birding, we will help you understand what you are buying a little better and what features you should be looking for and tips for using them.
Before all that, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of the best point and shoot cameras for birding.
Our 5 Best Point and Shoot Camera’s For Birding
Here’s our top 5 choices, in no particular order, to help you choose the perfect point and shoot camera.
1. Canon PowerShot ELPH 180 Digital Camera
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The first of the awesome point and shooters we’ve got in our guide is the Canon PowerShot ELPH 180. Canon are obviously no strangers to designing and manufacturing digital cameras for users of all kinds and their compact models, like the ELPH 180, are very easy to use for beginners.
With this model you get the benefit of an 8X Optical Zoon and is equipped with the Optical Image Stabilizer to give you the easiest and most flexible experience achieving the images you desire.
Truly stunning quality of images is possible thanks to the combination of DIGIC 5+ Image Processer and the 20.0 MP CCD Sensor. It also enables you to take high definition 720p videos. Rather than requiring that you adjust the camera’s settings on your own, there is the Smart AUTO feature that selects the right settings based on the shooting situation.
If you do not feel as if you have the steadiest hand, don’t worry as this camera is bolstered by Digital ID that compensates for the effects caused by subject movement and camera shaking.
2. Panasonic Lumix FZ90 4K Digital Camera
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Next up we have the Panasonic Lumix. Panasonic are another highly regarded and popular company in the camera market and their Lumix range of digital cameras in various styles and sizes are, for the most part, highly professional.
Even if you are not a professional, for a relatively affordable price you get the benefit of high-quality features such as the viewfinder that delivers a high-resolution image, so you are able to set up your images better.
It features a whopping 60X zoom which means you can capture stunning images both far and wide. You can use the 20mm wide-angle to snap beautiful landscapes, while an optical zoom that size will ensure you don’t always need to get especially close to the birds you are trying to capture.
In addition to the still images you can take with this camera, you can also capture birds to a 4K high-resolution at the incredible 30 frames every second. Not only can you use this footage to show your subjects in their natural habitats, it’s a nice and easy way to find perfect still images.
If that wasn’t enough, this camera will also work well in lower light conditions, so when you are trying to shoot birds at dawn or dusk, you can.
3. Canon PowerShot SX620 Digital Camera With 25X Optical Zoom
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Back with Canon and one of their great models from the PowerShot range, the SX620 digital camera. This offers a robust 25X optical zoom and also is equipped with the intuitive IS, like the other Canon, that helps to stabilize the images so that if you have a touch of the shaky shaky hands or your subject is moving a lot, because, well, they are birds.
A combination of the DIGIC 4+ Image Processor and the 20.2 MP CMOS Sensor help this to deliver some of the most stunning quality of images possible, even when you are snapping them in low light conditions.
This camera can also capture amazing 1080p Full High Definition video footage. One of our favourite features, and perfect if you like to use online and cloud storage for your shots or are active on social media, is the built-in Wi-Fi and NFC.
This makes it easy for you to transfer and share videos and images, So while you are out on a long day taking lots of shots, you can continually ensure you have enough space, by sending them off as and when you’re able to making room for more images.
4. Nikon Coolpix A10
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No recommendation list of the best point and shoot cameras would be complete without one of the leading names in the industry, Nikon. Nikon are known for their dazzling adverts on TV and the internet and providing users with a memorable experience that makes getting those shots you really want easy and fun.
With a 16.1 MP CCD image sensor and small but responsive 5X optical zoom and NIKKOR glass lens, the cheapest in our guide, is still able to produce some fine quality photographs.
If you just want something that will fit in your pocket and you can just pull out at very short notice, without the need for any complicated setup, this is the point and shoot camera for you.
While the quality might not be quite there, you can’t argue you with how it will meet the need for urgent photography. Did we point out you can also record High Definition 720p video too.
5. Sony DSCW830 20.1 MP Digital Camera
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We now have come to the last point and shoot camera in our guide and if you felt it’s been lacking any Sony products, you’re in luck.
The last we wanted to discuss was this 20.1-megapixel digital camera. It provides you with a powerful 8X zoom and even has Steady Shot stabilization to prevent problems occurring from shaky camera hands and moving targets.
Like all the other digital point and shoot cameras in our guide, this can deliver video footage too, thanks to the 720p MP4 High Definition movie mode. Several other great features and the highly regarded Sony name on the camera, makes this worthy of some serious consideration, even at its low price.
Now we’ve discussed the best point and shoot cameras for birders, we wanted to help make your decision over which is right for you even easier!
Buying Guide
Megapixels
Now, megapixels are one part of a camera that used to be more important than it is now. It really made the difference between two cameras that were seemingly the same. However, in recent years, most digital cameras feature 10 megapixels or even more.
This is idea for making large and clear prints of your images. Although it would seem as if the higher the megapixel rating, the better the prints, it is incredibly difficult to tell the difference between 10- and 15-megapixel photographs. So, if you’re getting a 10 megapixel or up camera, it doesn’t really matter too much. Unless you are a professional who notices the very tiniest of details.
Helping You Enhance Your Experience
- Automatic shooting modes – as we’ve noted elsewhere in our guide, the very premise of point and shoot cameras is that they are easy to use and don’t require much in the way of setup. Therefore, look for a camera of this kind with various automatic shoot modes for the different types of images you intend on taking, like close-up, action, landscape and portrait. With these you don’t need to set the light sensitivity, shutter speed or aperture. The camera does it all for you.
- Wi-Fi Connectivity – Wi-Fi connectivity is a great feature to have as it means you can transfer and upload images as and when you take them. This could be great if you are taking a lot of pictures on a particularly long shoot. You can always make sure you have enough onboard memory by continuing to upload them to the cloud or elsewhere and deleting them from the camera’s memory.
- Correcting and Detecting – With even simple point and shoot cameras there may be some correctional features included that reduce or eliminate the effects of certain photographic problems such as face recognition, anti-blink mode and red eye correction.
Conclusion
So, if you are looking to really get the best birding experience possible next time you are on the hunt for the rarest and most beautiful flying creatures in your local area or further afield, make sure you use this guide when buying a point and shoot camera.
