What camera should I purchase?

[charmed]

I own a Power Shot A3100 IS-  It takes good pictures but I would like a camera (probably a DSLR) that will take a great zoom photo during say, a concert, or at the zoo, looking at wildlife at a distance . Can anyone suggest a camera I should look at?

Thank you in advance.

[Mykolas]

Hi charmed!

Thanks for posting!

If you are looking to move into shooting with a DSLR from your PowerShot A3100 IS, I recommend starting out with one of our Rebel series models, such as the EOS Rebel T5i. 

Unlike your current camera, DSLR cameras do not have a built-in zoom lens.  If you want a good amount of zoom, you will need to choose a telephoto zoom lens.  Good telephoto zoom lenses may include the following:

1. EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II
2. EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
3. EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM
4. EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

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[Limmie]

I would have recommended the Powershot 280 with its 20x zoom but still affordable price (vs. a DSLR) except that many of us have ended up returning it because of a battery issue that Canon has solved to its satisfaction but not to the satisfaction of many of us (check the very long forum about the battery issue).  I'd love a decent zoom for the situations you outline but don't want to drop big bucks on a DSLR.  I was willing to invest a lot in lenses and bodies back in the film days when a camera would last many years (my Olympus SLR cameras were in use 1975-2005) . In the digital age things get outdated so quickly and I cannot afford to spend a few thousand every couple of years to make sure my camera works with my computer works with my TV works with my printer works with my monitor works with my storage devices, etc.  That said, a Powershot at a couple of hundred is just right for me, especially if it offers a really good long zoom. I am keeping my eye open for the successor to the 280 and hope it doesn't have the negative things that made me reurn the one I bought (the battery level indicator was only one of them).