Bridge camera advise please

JayceeC

JayceeC

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I would like to get a 600mm lens for my Nikon D5200 but they are out of my price range.

I would also like a "everyday" put it in the car or bag camera for when you don't want to carry around lots of gear.

This got me thinking about a Bridge camera with a 30X optical zoom which may cover me for the 600mm lens, It will be used about £150 budget

Would this be a viable option" killing two birds with one stone ? "
 
Also consider the travel zooms, such as Panasonic's TZ or Sony's HX cameras, which will fit in most jacket pockets...

Cameras Sony HX90 and Panasonic TZ70 DSC01601.JPG

There will now follow many posts about how small sensor cameras are rubbish... :runaway: :naughty:
 
gman said:
Not sure if this helps: https://www.reviewed.com/cameras/best-right-now/best-30x-travel-zoom-digital-cameras

Or why stop at x30 when you can go 125x / 3000mm! lol

Nikon COOLPIX Compact Digital Cameras | Point and Shoot Cameras

Discover Nikon compact cameras for effortless shooting on the go. Enjoy portability, powerful features, and Nikon’s renowned image quality.
www.nikon.co.uk

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1bIXAV9Cnc
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I would love one for the £150 budget! :)
 
gman said:
Not sure if this helps: https://www.reviewed.com/cameras/best-right-now/best-30x-travel-zoom-digital-cameras

Or why stop at x30 when you can go 125x / 3000mm! lol

Nikon COOLPIX Compact Digital Cameras | Point and Shoot Cameras

Discover Nikon compact cameras for effortless shooting on the go. Enjoy portability, powerful features, and Nikon’s renowned image quality.
www.nikon.co.uk

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1bIXAV9Cnc
Click to expand...
I think I saw someone with one of those last year and it quite a lump though none too sure about the weight.

Having said that the few images the guy showed me on the rear screen looked pretty good!
 
Must be a great tool for surveillance!
 
Your £150 budget might stretch to a Sony RX10 III or even IV if depreciation is the only factor

They're the only ones you'll be happy with, I tried some of the cheaper bridge cameras but at the long end the PQ was dreadful, especially if it was moving.

It was 10 years ago mind

I've now got a RX10 IV and for most things it's very good
 
wack61 said:
Your £150 budget might stretch to a Sony RX10 III or even IV if depreciation is the only factor
Click to expand...
Not according to the adverts I can find. The cheapest RX10 mark 1 I found (in a quick look) was £281, more or less twice the OP's budget.
 
As a guide to what these small cameras can achieve, so the OP can see if they meet his needs, a random selection of images from TZ cameras at maximum zoom and all cropped to 2/3rds or less of the frame...

Moon against black sky TZ70 P1030233.JPG
British Airways Airbus A380 TZ40 1020149.jpg
Robin singing TZ40 1000633.jpg

The last one is cropped down to about 1/6th of the full frame.
 
Tbh that last Robin picture looks awful in terms of detail but I guess there is more to it that that
 
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Don't know if I have tunnel vision on this, but

I don't believe any one here thinks that a compact will near to a Nikon D5200 with a 600mm lens for image quality, and everyone knows there will be compromises with a compact.

The op stated


I would also like a "everyday" put it in the car or bag camera for when you don't want to carry around lots of gear.

This got me thinking about a Bridge camera with a 30X optical zoom which may cover me for the 600mm lens, It will be used about £150 budget


The zoom range and the budget exclude any bridge/compact with a larger sensor.
The desire for a bridge camera excludes (for now) compacts.

The biggest quality problem with the small sensor is noise. This usually is more of a problem when cropping, on an uncropped image, it does not usually destroy the photo.
The best way to avoid this is by having a better optical zoom, as optical losses are normally less obvious than sensor losses, though of course a longer zoom lets in less light, so as with most things there is a balance.

Good optical image stabilisation is a must, as "don't want to carry around lots of gear" would normally exclude a tripod

To me, this barrows the filed down a lot.

My suggestion of a Panasonic is simply because I have used them and owned them, the only other bridge we have had in the house recently in the price range is a Canon, and it is not as good as the Panasonic.
My suggestion is also based on what the OP was looking for, if that gets modified along the way, so might my suggestion.

There are Panasonic bridges available for less than the FZ82, but the FZ82 does a better job of getting reasonable pictures more often. (I have several TZ series to compare with)


These are uncropped photos from the FZ82, only resized to post here.
They would not stand up to being cropped without noise becoming too much for my liking, however with the long zoom, that is not such a problem.

None of them are supposed to be great photos, just what I took for comparison.


About 200m away
P1000582.jpg



650m away, compares well with a Canon650+300mm+2X converter
P1000713.jpg



Not certain how far
P1000754.jpg
 
stickytape said:
Tbh that last Robin picture looks awful in terms of detail but I guess there is more to it that that
Click to expand...
Hmmm, which part of "so the OP can see if they meet his needs" did you miss in my post? :thinking:
 
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Thanks for the replies and pictures, it has helped me a lot.

Most of the time the subject has been just out of reach of my 300mm lens to get a printable picture which would be mostly of birds/wildlife.
It has just been a year since I got my camera and I am getting a feel for the things I like to capture wildlife, landscape and macro'ish .
 
AndrewFlannigan said:
Not according to the adverts I can find. The cheapest RX10 mark 1 I found (in a quick look) was £281, more or less twice the OP's budget.
Click to expand...
I meant the cost of ownership, it might cost £1000 for a mk4 but if you sell it you'll get most of that back

Buy quality gear for the right money and ownership can be £0, I've bought many bodies and lenses over the years £500 to £3000, pretty much broke even on all of them.

Low end consumer gear bought new is where you lose your money
 
wack61 said:
Low end consumer gear bought new is where you lose your money
Click to expand...
If you read the original post carefully, you'll find that the OP is thinking in terms of a second hand purchase for around £150. :headbang:
 
AndrewFlannigan said:
If you read the original post carefully, you'll find that the OP is thinking in terms of a second hand purchase for around £150. :headbang:
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I was replying to your comment as to why I was suggesting a RX10, not his search for a used bridge camera

A budget of £150 is only going to bring disappointment as the pictures you posted clearly demonstrate

You come across as a grumpy old man in your posts
 
wack61 said:
A budget of £150 is only going to bring disappointment as the pictures you posted clearly demonstrate
Click to expand...
That is a matter of opinion and your opinion does not appear to have much value in regard to the stated requirement of the OP
wack61 said:
You come across as a grumpy old man in your posts
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Thank you for those kind words. It would be rude of me to make any comment about you...
 
wack61 said:
A budget of £150 is only going to bring disappointment ...........................
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Only if you don't know what to expect, or you use it in a way that you should be using something else.

A budget of £150 can give very acceptable results for most everyday needs.

The OP has stated that as his budget, so I think it is appropriate to let him know what he can do with it, not what he can do with 3 or 4 times his budget.
 
I recommend the Panasonic fz72 for that price. Some secondhand low shutter bargain are available around that price range and for a camera with 20 to 1200mm focal range it is in my mind excellent value. ;)
Here are a couple of shots taken with my fz72 earlier in the year.

Blackheaded Gulls by Ajophotog, on Flickr

Swan by Ajophotog, on Flickr
 
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Just in case anyone was wondering how these super zoom ranges come about (I know I was), this link explains it all in a very few sentences:

Bridge cameras and huge zoom ranges.

I must confess to a little GAS when it comes to the Nikon P1000 but I like my pictures noise-free so I expect this particular GAS attack to go away without treatment.
 
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ajophotog said:
I recommend the Panasonic fz72 for that price. Some secondhand low shutter bargain are available around that price range and for a camera with 20 to 1200mm focal range it is in my mind excellent value. ;)
Here are a couple of shots taken with my fz72 eariler in the year.

Blackheaded Gulls by Ajophotog, on Flickr

Swan by Ajophotog, on Flickr
Click to expand...


You will get an FZ82 for that as well, may need to be a little more patient, but although the 72 and 82 are very similar, the 82 is a good few years newer, and has some useful extra features.
 
Sangoma said:
You will get an FZ82 for that as well, may need to be a little more patient, but although the 72 and 82 are very similar, the 82 is a good few years newer, and has some useful extra features.
Click to expand...
The FZ82 is incredible value, especially second hand.

The equivalent range of 20mm (ultrawide in full frame terms) to 1200mm (very long in full frame terms) makes it the ideal camera for taking out when a "better" camera would be too much weight and trouble. It won't give "perfect" results in all cases but it can tackle so much in one compact package...

Clouds over the River Clyst at Clyst St Mary FZ82 P1000869.JPG
Miniature spring loaded pliers FZ82 P1000997.JPG
Outdoor thermometer on window FZ82 P1000701.JPG
Full moon FZ82 P1000886.JPG
 
Sangoma said:
You will get an FZ82 for that as well, may need to be a little more patient, but although the 72 and 82 are very similar, the 82 is a good few years newer, and has some useful extra features.
Click to expand...
I've had both and although the 82 is newer with better lcd and a few other bits I found very little difference apart from the image quality was better with the 16mp sensor on the 72 over the 18mp sensor on the 82. I was quite disappointed upgrading to the fz82 from the fz72 so ended up getting rid of it and buying the fz2000. I will probably get another fz72 later.
 
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I got a Lumix fz82 last week. "opened but not used" I sold a lens so it came in on budget.

Will upload a few photos when I get the hang of it, my week one of 52 for 23 picture was taken with it.

Thanks again for you input.
 
Out of curiosity I've just had a look at the DC-FZ82 and not only does it have a massive zoom but you can also buy a 1.7x teleconverter. I have no idea what the quality might be like at full zoom with converter (although I can hazard a guess) but that's insane!
 
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So far so good. Not had the oppotunity to take many pics but very pleased with these two

No cropping on the moon picture, just resting on the window frame .

P1000030 by John, on Flickr

1 by John, on Flickr
 
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