Seeking camera advice for outdoor photography (in Florida)

I am considering purchasing a camera to do some outdoor photography here in South Florida. Nothing professional, just as a hobby. And I am a complete and utter amateur at photography.

I’d like something better than point-and-shoot, and with decent optical zoom. I’m thinking compact system cameras might be a poor choice mainly because it looks like they lack viewfinders and only use the digital screen, which I imagine will be hard to see in bright Florida daylight. Or do they make them ultra-bright?

Which leaves DLSR (no, I’m not considering non-digital). I don’t want to spend a ton of money, since this might not end up being something I use a lot. I’m not sure how much I wish to spend, but I’m thinking less than $500. $300 to $400 range maybe.

Go to dpreview.com and check out their DSLR ratings.
I’m partial to Nikon, but all the major camera makes are pretty good.

And, yes, you are right - an LCD preview screen is a terrible idea in bright sunlight (not to mention it forces you to hold the camera in one of the worst positions for taking good photos).

If you’re a brand new, inexperienced amatuer, don’t get hung up on the technical details the camera.
Camera buffs are like gun lovers…they love to talk (and boast) about the tech specs.
But if you’re a newbie…it just gets overwhelming, and doesn’t really matter.
The pupose of a gun is to shoot stuff…the purpose of a camera is to shoot stuff, too. So get out there and shoot!
(to continue the analogy: you are a beginner at a shooting range, not a military sniper. You just want to hit the easy targets.You don’t need super expensive equipment, you don’t need to compare specs, etc. )

Definitely get a camera with a viewfinder which you can hold up to your eye.It’s much better than holding the camera out at arm’s length; and on a bright sunny day , a viewfinder is the only way to see what you are doing. There are a couple compact (“SLR-like”) cameras on the market that still have viewfinders.
Go to a camera shop staffed by real photographers (not Target or Walmart), tell them what you want, and let them show you a couple cameras. Hold it in your hands and try to feel comfortable with it. Try the zoom, etc.
There are a million settings on a dozen different menus, so you’re gonna get confused. Don’t sweat it—learn a couple of basic settings, and ignore the tech stuff till you have more experience.
You want to have fun, not get all hung up worrying about white balance and how much more distortion there is at ISO 1600 than 100.

No matter what kind of camera you use, a picture of a sunset is going to be pretty, catching a zoomed-in pic of a deer in the woods is going to give you a good feeling, etc. Even if the lighting is a bit too dark, or you used averaged-focus instead of spot focus. It wont get accepted at National Geographic, but it 'll bring a smile to your friends and family.
Have fun!

For that kind of price I really like my Nikon d3100. It’s an older model, but has a lot of good things the newer ones don’t seem to have. The nicest thing I like is the ability to switch from taking one shot per camera click, to multiple ones and set the self timer.

I’m only an amateur photographer myself and haven’t regretted buying it yet. I will be taking it on my first vacation here in a few weeks.

If you’re talking about shooting wildlife, you’ll want something with a good zoom.

Also, if you have specific things you want to take pictures of, let me know. I have a few friends down here that do this. Depending on your preferred subject, I might be able to get some locations for you.

Your budget is 1/10th - 1/50th what it should be for anything serious.

Not DSLRs, but I like the superzooms- had a Cannon S5 until it broke and then got an SX-20. Downsides are compact sensor with long lens = poor light gathering ability, and distortion at very long zooms. They have a high resolution electronic viewfinder that I’ve found adequate. I bought one intending to get a DSLR, but in 5 years haven’t bothered.

What do you mean by “serious”? I just want something better than point and shoot for personal pictures. Probably not “serious” by your definition.

You can certainly find a decent quality DSLR for $400 or less (example). But if optical zoom is a priority, you will likely need a lens that will add to the cost.

If you have time, take a look at some of these and tell me what kind of photography appeals most to you:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ornello/

The equipment used for each photo is listed beneath the photo. Most people severely underestimate what they need to own to get the photos they want. I sold camera equipment for many years.

‘Outdoor photography’ can be quite varied. Please tell us more. Good lenses start around $300 and go up from there.

I just want to kill some time taking pics at the many nature preserves and beaches nearby. The subjects will be birds, turtles, crabs, alligators and the like, maybe some interesting looking plants.

I won’t be selling the pics, maybe just sharing them on Facebook and/or Google+. And maybe not even that.

I cannot justify spending thousands of dollars for just this. Frankly, I got some satisfying pics with my $200 6MP point-and-shoot several years ago. If the thing had better zoom and higher resolution I might have just stuck with it.

Sorry I haven’t replied to many people here who took the time to make suggestions - I thank you all for your advice.

I like the sound of this, thanks for the suggestion.