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My dad retired to a lake and wants to start shooting wildlife. He already has some guns, but wanted my opinion on a camera he could get for less than $500.
I guarantee he won't be shooting RAW files and just wants beautiful JPEGs to print and show off to his friends. My favorite camera to shoot with is still my Fuji X100, partially because of the film simulation modes that take little to no editing to look the way I want them to.
Such a wide lens (though a 35mm equivalent isn't "wide") won't let him capture those bald eagles in their nests, so he'll either need a point and shoot with a zoom or an inexpensive system camera. Because Fuji has the film simulation modes that are so pretty, I'm thinking of recommending an XT10 - has all the manual controls one might want, but also can get great JPEGs on full auto. One can be had from Adorama for under $400, and in the meantime he can get an inexpensive zoom lens.
Alternatively I'm thinking something like a Canon G1X might be good, since it's smaller than a DSLR or even most mirrorless systems, and he won't have to worry about lenses.
Does anyone have any thoughts for accomplishing his wishlist?
