Costa Rica cruisestop

[Howieh]

We will be making a 1 day stop in Puerto Limon in early December and I'm looking for a place close to the cruise port where I can photograph birds, butterflies, wildlife, etc. While I would prefer a local site (e.g. an attraction or garden within walking distance) I (we) are willing to take an excursion that is within a reasonable distance so getting there will not be too time consuming. Has anybody been here:

http://www.veraguarainforest.com/

Looks interesting. Any other suggestions are more than welcomed. Another thing to keep in mind; Diana (my bride of 50+ years) is using a walker so difficult hiking is out! Thanks.

[Rotarran]

Have you tried birding pal website?  I've often considered using it but haven't had a need for it yet.  Here's a list of birders that would be willing to be contacted regarding some birding adventures in Costa Rica:
http://birdingpal.org/Costarica.htm

[Howieh]

Have you tried birding pal website?  I've often considered using it but haven't had a need for it yet.  Here's a list of birders that would be willing to be contacted regarding some birding adventures in Costa Rica:
http://birdingpal.org/Costarica.htm

Hi and thanks for this. After further research I've decided against going to the rain forest because the ride can be somewhat difficult but perhaps one of the local birders can direct me to a local garden, etc. Btw, my SX50 has been ringing for several months (internal focusing mech., not worth fixing) and even though the camera is still working fine I am extremely disappointed Canon didn't release an update of the SX60, which I passed on. I will probably take my son's SX50 for backup (never travel with heavy gear!) but I am actually considering the P900; are you still using it and are you generally satisfied with it's performance? Thanks again for the tip.

[Rotarran]

I sold my P900.  I wasn't unhappy with its performance but it wasn't good enough to overcome its massive size, weight and cost.  I was seduced by the 83x zoom but a bit of a gimmick if I'm honest.  But it was a fun experiment and I'm glad I tried it to give me more perspective and all that.  So my next camera purchase will be based more on overall performance than just the super zoom.  I found that in many cases the max 83 zoom was useless on very distant birds.  50 zoom is enough for 95% of cases, past that things get tricky plus you have to deal with haze and other atmospheric impediments.  I also found that while the shutter was quicker than that of the SX50, the zoom was much slower than the SX50 so it's a wash there.  The P900 did take better pictures but not $700 better pictures.  Plus that weight, I just couldn't get over the weight.  I'm not a small or weak person but it gave me neck pain and fatigue...even affected my posture.  With the SX50, I can go all day and not even feel like it's there.  

My next camera is definitely going to take zoom into consideration but I also good overall performance including fast shutter and zoom speed, low light capabilities and good focus mechanism (maybe even a manual option).  And of course it has to be small and light.

Now I don't know what camera that might be as I haven't  looked into it too much but the Nikon Coolpix 610 has caught my eye. It's lighter than the SX50 has a bit more zoom (60x) and apparently even has manual focus.  I'd definitely pick that over the P900 right now...if most other things are more or less equal that is.

[MikeN]

I use the Nikon P600 and am happy with the performance in general. 60x zoom is enough for most anything I have needed it for, and its fine to carry around all day.