Bird Photography Cameras?

Question

I was wondering what kind of camera would be good for bird photography, but not cost more than $500. I have experience with cameras, and am looking for one with at least 8 Megapixles and 15 optical zoom.

Thanks!

Answer 1

For birding, you need as much telephoto as you can get.  You probably want the Olympus SP-570 UZ.  It has 20x zoom (26-520mm 35mm equivalent), has 10 megapixels, and is right around $500.