I'm getting too old for DSLR. What Bridge camera?

Tulipone

Tulipone

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Chris
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Went out yesterday with my Panasonic S5 and 100-400 lens and realised it is getting too heavy for me. I use it as a walkabout and have no desire to talks a monopod / tripod / gimbal routinely. I need to think about what happens next.

Are there any decent bridge cameras with a good range that take raw images?
 
I had the same issue with my Nikon DSLR camera and lens. I chose to go down the four thirds route with the Panasonic G9, and what a difference it made. Not just a smaller camera but also smaller lenses as well. one extra lens I got apart from the excellent 12-60 mm (24-120 FF) Leica Elmarit lens was the 100-300mm(200-600 FF)
Having image stabilisation not only in the camera but also in the lens working together eliminates the need for tripods in most cases. Also the video side is excellent.
2 x sd cards and does RAW and Jpg

P1005683a.jpg

hand held unedited

pity it is so degaded with youtube ( taken in Portugal) sorry about my breathing on the video

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5TdOYvjg4w
 
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Tulipone said:
Are there any decent bridge cameras with a good range that take raw images?
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It really depends on what you mean by "decent".

I'm currently using a Panasonic FZ82 and I'm happy with its 20mm (yes, 20mm) to 1300mm equivalent that covers pretty much everything...

Panasonic FZ82 camera GX7 P1140753.JPG

This little fellow was three or four feet away...

Robin on garden fence FZ82 P1010569.jpeg

...and this chap was about forty feet away...

Crow on grass by road FZ82 P1010541.jpeg
 
I replaced my Sony A9 and 200-600mm lens etc and now use a Sony Rx10 iv and haven't been disappointed.
Af is great and it does everything I need it to do...
 
Thank you for thoughts so far. Pretty depressing to find out how much your hands shake - I guess the other option is to join a gym but that’s not going to happen.

Will have a look at the options offered and check weights.
 
GreenNinja67 said:
This is what I mean.

No offence but if the OP has been used to an S5 he's not going to like that output.
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Everyone is different and we can only help by showing examples.

If they show qualities that the questioner doesn't like, then we've saved him money. On the other hand, if they show qualities that the questioner likes, then we may still have saved him money.
 
As APS-C and even MFT bodies may depending on which you choose not offer any significant bulk and weight savings over FF I think the choice of lens could matter a lot, focal length and aperture. You mentioned a 100-400mm but I don't know what aperture that lens has. Moving to MFT an equivalent focal length would be 50-200mm. In good light the image quality of MFT can hold up well but you will take a noticeable hit to depth of field and bokeh if the aperture settings are identical.

I have a Panasonic 45-150mm f4-5.6 and it's a nice lens and sharp enough for me from wide open but it's only 90-300mm in FF terms but there are doubtless MFT lenses with a longer reach. I do know there's a Panasonic 35-150mm f2.8 and probably an Olympus equivalent too, still only 150mm at the long end though but the f2.8 will help with exposure and bokeh.

Another choice is a 1" sensor bridge or even compact camera. These can give nice results in good light but you wont get the IQ you get from MFT to these. I don't think I'd want to drop below 1" sensor cameras unless it was absolutely necessary to allow me to carry on with my photography.

Good luck choosing.
 
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I have the same issues, but see it as a challenge to keep going with my D500 and 500 prime (with tripod and gimbal). - It's a slippery slope, when we let things like old age get in the way of what we enjoy..........Now i'm off to the gym! :exit:
 
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Sorry to buck the trend, but I have Lumix S1 and a Leica V-LUX bridge camera and I am more than satisfied with the images from the V-LUX. It has a 25-400m lens range and takes 24Mp RAW images as well as jpgs. There is a 5 axis stabiliser built in. The same camera can be had from Panasonic as the TZ1000.

Boats at St-Simeux LSF.jpg

Masgiral Barn PT Format Colour.jpg

End of the Line.jpg
 
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I replaced my Canon 5D4 by a Sony A6600 and, for my bird or sports shots, the camera/lens combination is 1/3 the weight which is certainly the difference between me taking photos or giving up. I have kept the Canon for studio work.

Dave
 
The Sony RX10iv is excellent.
 
I think a trip to WEX on Friday. Sadly looks like the Sony RX10 iv is out of stock but will do some research on that - the G9 is also a possibility as looks to be about 500gms lighter with a 100-300 lens. Just starting to also look at the A6600.
 
Taken with G9 and Panasonic 100-300mm lens. Had to use flickr in the end to show proper result (unedited)


Oak tree trunk
shutter speed 1/1000- aperture f5.6 - ISO 3200- focal length 300mm ( 600mm in FF)- distance 65ft (tape measured)
 
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Clive K said:
Sorry to buck the trend, but I have Lumix S1 and a Leica V-LUX bridge camera and I am more than satisfied with the images from the V-LUX. It has a 25-400m lens range and takes 24Mp RAW images as well as jpgs. There is a 5 axis stabiliser built in. The same camera can be had from Panasonic as the TZ1000.
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Clive, this may not be the time or place for this but on my screen none of those pictures seem to have a clear point of focus. This may be a result of the downsizing and posting process... I don't know. Do they or if not do the originals look sharp on your screen? It almost looks like you've got some sort of camera decided focus mode or zone focus thing selected and it's not focusing on any specific thing.

Sorry if I'm wrong.
 
woof woof said:
Clive, this may not be the time or place for this but on my screen none of those pictures seem to have a clear point of focus. This may be a result of the downsizing and posting process... I don't know. Do they or if not do the originals look sharp on your screen? It almost looks like you've got some sort of camera decided focus mode or zone focus thing selected and it's not focusing on any specific thing.

Sorry if I'm wrong.
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the internet is crap for posting detailed photos I have found out , so I now resort to Flickr (as above) which is far better than most other methods in my opinion
 
Malc
I always find it better to post an example from a particular camera setup to give a better idea together with the data if possible.
 
I recently bought a Sony A7CR 61MP Full Frame camera. I re -bought a Sony 18-135 aps-c. The two together are very light, but give me great reach & pin sharp as a walk around combo.

I also bought a Sony 70-350 when I take birds, Jet planes & so on, and the results are as good as any 600mm FF lens I have tried, but very much lighter. Obviously you may not need the latter, but I mentioned it because you can still use Mirrorless cameras and travel light.

As it's Full Frame I can also use a small Full Frame lens like the 17-28 and get great results. Jack of all trades, and so far, master of all.
 
why go to four thirds??? here is why

P1005743aaaa.jpg

on the left my Panasonic 100- 300mm lens in FF terms 200-600mm On the right my Nikon70-200mm lens
Pana. weight 1lb and 4oz ( 635.029 grams )
Nikon weight 3lb and 8oz (1723.65 grams)keeping it as it is an f2.8 lens
got rid of my Nikon 80-400mm lens far too heavy
 
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The RX10 I’ve appears to have been out some considerable time. Are there any rumours of a replacement?
 
Having thought this through think that I have decided to remain almost as I am but probably the 100-400 is heading off soon, probably to be replaced with the Panasonic 28-200.

The Sony RX10 appears to meet the need but the idea of paying £1.4K for a new but 7 year old tech worries me but likely a 1” sensor camera is in my nearish future - if Sony do an update then likely then.

Grateful for all your thoughts
 
Tulipone said:
Having thought this through think that I have decided to remain almost as I am but probably the 100-400 is heading off soon, probably to be replaced with the Panasonic 28-200.

The Sony RX10 appears to meet the need but the idea of paying £1.4K for a new but 7 year old tech worries me but likely a 1” sensor camera is in my nearish future - if Sony do an update then likely then.

Grateful for all your thoughts
Click to expand...

You have to go with what you're happy with but I think this is the wrong way to look at it. I try to start at the end result and work backwards to determine the kit and the settings. For example I rarely take low light pictures and I don't need a cutting edge focus system. I may print to A3 and I may want to do a 100% crop to fill a screen and I want a reasonable amount of DR. You'll have your own needs but it is possible that 7 year old tech could satisfy them if you can get over the fact that it was introduced 7 years ago.

Which ever way you go including staying pretty much as you are, I hope you can be happier with your kit :D
 
I have paid special attention to this thread because on our recent safari holiday my OH's interest in photography was renewed whilst using the company's loan Cano 80D & Sigma 150-600 zoom. She said she would quite like to join when I go to wildlife hides :)

Though she got a real buzz out of the experience the sheer weight of the kit when not on the gimbal was awkward to handle when handheld.

Now, she has an old Panny FZ28 but the handling, controls and slow AF meant it has sat unused for a few years....................

So reading about the RX10 IV piqued my interest as suitable to continue her renewed photography, especially of wildlife, interest.

NB probably looking more 2nd hand than a new one :thinking:
 
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Picked up a decent second hand RX10iii as a travel option. Will be keeping it! Tried a few bridge cameras in the past and been less than impressed but this meets my wants/needs. I understand that the iv has a few extra bells and whistles but none that I can't live without.
 
Tulipone said:
Having thought this through think that I have decided to remain almost as I am but probably the 100-400 is heading off soon, probably to be replaced with the Panasonic 28-200.

The Sony RX10 appears to meet the need but the idea of paying £1.4K for a new but 7 year old tech worries me but likely a 1” sensor camera is in my nearish future - if Sony do an update then likely then.

Grateful for all your thoughts
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Good luck with whatever you decide Chris :)
 
Nod said:
Picked up a decent second hand RX10iii as a travel option. Will be keeping it! Tried a few bridge cameras in the past and been less than impressed but this meets my wants/needs. I understand that the iv has a few extra bells and whistles but none that I can't live without.
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When I upgraded from a iii to a iv I did not notice much difference - unless you do birds in flight or the like you will be fine :)
 
Seconding either the recommendations for a A6600 (although would actually go with the A6700 which is far superior) or A7CR depending on budget. The latter with a lightweight prime (40/50mm F2.5) has image quality that will blow the other options away while being the same weight. The 70-350 pairs beautifully with both.

Micro four thirds is also a great shout.
 
woof woof said:
You have to go with what you're happy with but I think this is the wrong way to look at it. I try to start at the end result and work backwards to determine the kit and the settings. For example I rarely take low light pictures and I don't need a cutting edge focus system. I may print to A3 and I may want to do a 100% crop to fill a screen and I want a reasonable amount of DR. You'll have your own needs but it is possible that 7 year old tech could satisfy them if you can get over the fact that it was introduced 7 years ago.

Which ever way you go including staying pretty much as you are, I hope you can be happier with your kit :D
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Being happy with the end result and being able to manage the means to get there is the key.

It irritates me that (some) companies have an annual refresh cycle. It'd be good to know that your x that cost a tidy wedge remains the latest and greatest in brand for more than a few months. It would be inevitable that as soon as I bought an IV a V would be announced and that'd annoy me after spending £1500. I think the decision to px the 100-400 against a 28-200 will suffice for my immediate needs but it has been an interesting path for me to see that.
 
dibbly dobbler said:
When I upgraded from a iii to a iv I did not notice much difference - unless you do birds in flight or the like you will be fine :)
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Oddly, that's one of the things I do with it and find it OK for! Probably not as good as the iv but the saving paid for my flights!!! Having used it for a holiday, I have a few tweaks I'll do to some settings to suit me better but as a one unit solution, it does a good job, even if it is a little soft at the long end.
 
Nod said:
Oddly, that's one of the things I do with it and find it OK for! Probably not as good as the iv but the saving paid for my flights!!! Having used it for a holiday, I have a few tweaks I'll do to some settings to suit me better but as a one unit solution, it does a good job, even if it is a little soft at the long end.
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Glad to hear you are happy with it! I don't find mine soft at all but ymmv etc :)
 
Hefty crops don't help the shots - and I can be hypercritical of my own shots!
 
Tulipone said:
The RX10 I’ve appears to have been out some considerable time. Are there any rumours of a replacement?
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No, there are rumours and logical thoughts of no replacement.
I had all four RX10 models but got fed up with a couple of aspects of the IV and now use an OM-5 and 12-100mm which does the vast majority of what I need.
 
The RX10 images always impress me. Those shots from @dibbly dobbler are lovely.

Modern MFT cameras are also incredibly impressive from a technical perspective and if I was worried about weight of my overall kit I'd grab a G9ii or an OM systems model in a heartbeat.

I'd also suggest that it's not a black and white answer though. I owned an S5 and the image quality is wonderful. You can really push and pull the Raw files to get something where you need it to be without ever seemingly hitting a breaking point providing your initial exposure was taken with intent but by the miracles of modern advancement the more recent MFT sensors are within a couple of stops of their FF equivalents in terms of dynamic range. Depending on what you shoot, this difference might not matter at all.
 
Some old professionals have told me that the heavier lenses build muscles in their arms and then allow them to take steadier shots without motion blur. :P Amateurs don't spend enough time to build those muscles :P
 
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