Greetings All

I am rather shocked that no one mentioned (at least not in the messages I
perused) the Panasonic Lumix. I have used the DMC-FZ30. The lens is built into
the camera, so I guess I am talking a camera, not a lens.

It has an optical zoom that takes you from 35 to 420 with an internal
stabilizer. The lenses are made by Leica. It is 8 megapixel. And it is WAY more
compact than the Canon, making it much easier to tote about. My CA birding friends
mostly use this camera, though nationwide, the Canon seems more popular.

If you throw on the Olympus 1.7 teleconverter, you can get up to about 700mm
without losing any light.

Big advantages-- you can still use autofocus with the teleconverter on.

Another big advantage is that the teleconverter can be rapidly removed for
macrophotography. For those interested in taking photos of bugs and flowers and
such, the Lumix excels at macrophotography. Nothing like taking photos of
dragonflies so close that the dragonfly takes off because the lens touches its
wing!

The FZ30 is no longer made. They now make a FZ50 which is 10 megapixel. I
have it, but haven't used it yet. Got tremendous reviews. And.... it costs only
about 500$.

Cheers
Steven Mlodinow
Everett WA