Nikon Coolpix P90 24x zoom - good enough?

So, I am still kind of looking for a cheap camera that I can take decent photos with when I go spotting. Since I do not do this often, I cannot afford to spend a lot of money (and bring all that stuff with me - love to travel light). Amazon has this one for $244 now so I am thinking about taking the plunge.

I really do not know what 24x zoom means. As a reference point, would I be able to get some decent shots from the mounds? From Rockaway blvd beach spot? Last time I used my 3x digital elf and got ok shots from the mounds but the 31L departures were just dark spots shooting from the beach.

I guess what I would like to do is be able to zoom in so that the plane takes up the entire picture when shooting. I think 24x would be enough to do that from the mounds, but what kind of zoom do you guys use when shooting from the beach?

Thanks,

Dima

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Originally Posted by dimamo1983

I guess what I would like to do is be able to zoom in so that the plane takes up the entire picture when shooting. I think 24x would be enough to do that from the mounds, but what kind of zoom do you guys use when shooting from the beach?

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Even though I have not used this camera, based on the specs (26-624mm equivalent), the amount of zoom that this camera offers would be similar in reach to someone using a 400mm lens on a APS-C DSLR (which seems to be what most of the guys shooting around JFK have for max tele)

That said, this camera would not produce the same quality images as a DSLR with a big lens. Superzoom designs are a compromise and would be subject flaws such as distortion, chromatic abberations etc. Also of issue will undoubtedly be noise. So far, there doesn't seem to be any way for manufacturers to avoid the greater about of noise that smaller sensors in compact cameras produce. Either the images are noisy (as compared to a larger sensor camera) or they have objectionable amounts of noise reduction (smearing).

So I think that the answer to your question is yes, it would appear that this camera would be sufficient to zoom in to aircraft at the popular spotting locations around JFK. Just don't expect the images to equal the quality of the guys shooting with the more expensive gear. No surprise there I guess.

Good luck!

Dan

Hey Dan, thanks for the info, helps a lot. Price went up to $278 so I'm on the fence.

>So I think that the answer to your question is yes, it would appear that this camera would be sufficient to zoom in to aircraft at the popular spotting locations around JFK. Just don't expect the images to equal the quality of the guys shooting with the more expensive gear. No surprise there I guess.<

Nope none at all. I have a Canon PowerShot SD750 with a 12X zoom and I love it. Can stick it in my pocket and pretty much take
it anywhere I go. Also takes video which tends to be a little more grainy. I use it all the time when I go spotting and have taken
some pretty cool pictures. Of course with helicopters being my specialty you tend to be closer to them than the big planes but what
the heck. You go out and shoot and see what comes out. I used to have a Pentax back in the day with a manual 75-200 zoom and
THAT was fun. The Canon serves my purpose perfectly and I think whatever smaller digital camera you get will serve your purpose.