Canon PowerShot SX50 HS - Framing Assist (Seek) Function
One feature of the SX50 HS that I've found extremely useful - particularly for bird photography - is the "Framing Assist - Seek" button (FA-S), which helps the photographer to "reacquire subjects lost after zooming".
My default focal length setting for bird photography is 1200mm, which means that when the mode dial is set to C2 (C1 being set up for macro photography) the camera fully zooms in as soon as it's switched on. I find this useful for two reasons: firstly, the vast majority of my bird shots are taken at full zoom, and so this saves a bit of time; secondly, if the lens doesn't immediately move out then I know I've got the mode dial on the wrong setting!
However, due to the restricted field-of-view at 1200mm it can sometimes be difficult to locate the subject. Pressing the FA-S button (marked with an arrow on the inset photo, bottom left) causes the lens to pull back to a focal length of about 300mm, and a white frame is displayed around the area previously shown. The camera can then be re-aimed at the subject, and the button released, causing the lens to zoom back in again.
The change in field-of-view on pressing the FA-S button can be seen by comparing the two uncropped shots of an overflying aircraft photographed earlier today.
(Note: It was such a bright day that a sharper image could have been obtained by switching to shutter priority and selecting a faster shutter speed, as my C2 settings aren't intended for "birds in flight"!)
Canon PowerShot SX50 HS - Framing Assist (Seek) Function
One feature of the SX50 HS that I've found extremely useful - particularly for bird photography - is the "Framing Assist - Seek" button (FA-S), which helps the photographer to "reacquire subjects lost after zooming".
My default focal length setting for bird photography is 1200mm, which means that when the mode dial is set to C2 (C1 being set up for macro photography) the camera fully zooms in as soon as it's switched on. I find this useful for two reasons: firstly, the vast majority of my bird shots are taken at full zoom, and so this saves a bit of time; secondly, if the lens doesn't immediately move out then I know I've got the mode dial on the wrong setting!
However, due to the restricted field-of-view at 1200mm it can sometimes be difficult to locate the subject. Pressing the FA-S button (marked with an arrow on the inset photo, bottom left) causes the lens to pull back to a focal length of about 300mm, and a white frame is displayed around the area previously shown. The camera can then be re-aimed at the subject, and the button released, causing the lens to zoom back in again.
The change in field-of-view on pressing the FA-S button can be seen by comparing the two uncropped shots of an overflying aircraft photographed earlier today.
(Note: It was such a bright day that a sharper image could have been obtained by switching to shutter priority and selecting a faster shutter speed, as my C2 settings aren't intended for "birds in flight"!)