Superzoom bridge for Africa

I have some good friends that are going to Namibia in April. Neither of them are really "camera" folks - basically use cell phones for photography but they asked about a larger camera to take given the chance for some interesting landscape and wildlife. They are planning to rent a camera so the purchase price is not really an issue, as there is not a huge difference in rental costs, it appears.

I have seen some photos taken in Africa with a Canon SX60 HS by a friend and they seemed to be pretty good quality.

Any suggestions from folks that have used one of the bridge cameras?

They will need at least 400mm of reach

Thanks.

Whatever they get, they should get it before the trip and practice taking photos with it. The ensures they have the camera before they leave, and it is working properly with time to swap for a working copy, if needed. More practically, they will have time to learn the controls and be able to take a shot quickly without fumbling for a mode, whether it is a single point focus for an animal in a cluttered scene, or a different focus for a flying bird, or other controls to get a nice exposure.

Capn Jack wrote in post #19188683
Whatever they get, they should get it before the trip and practice taking photos with it. The ensures they have the camera before they leave, and it is working properly with time to swap for a working copy, if needed. More practically, they will have time to learn the controls and be able to take a shot quickly without fumbling for a mode, whether it is a single point focus for an animal in a cluttered scene, or a different focus for a flying bird, or other controls to get a nice exposure.

That part I completely agree with, I suggested that myself. Maybe if they rent for a week and really like it, they would/could purchase before the trip.

If your friends live in the States they might want to look at a Canon refurb SX540 at $219 instead of renting. See https://shop.usa.canon​.com …bished-powershot-sx540-hs

They do live in the States, thank you for the link.