Looking for a Compact Bridge Type Camera (Long Zoom Range)

[The Lorne Ranger]

Hi All,

Just wondering if anyone has any recommendations.

I go to a lot of gigs and like to take photos, i've also shots gigs with my SLR in the past but obviously I dont get in with my SLR if i'm just s regular gig goer.

I've had Canon powershot G series and S95 cameras, Panasonic Lumix TZ10, fuji X10, but I find although these are great cameras, the zoom range isn't quite what I'm after for shots of bands from the crowd.

So I'm looking into a bridge type camera, the like of Fujifilm FinePix HS30EXR, or a Canon PowerShot SX40 HS, but I'm not sure how big these cameras are size wise, i.e. from pics they almost look as big as my SLR.

Ideally what I'm looking for is a compact bridge camera, excellent image quality (Even at the far zoom end) and no much bigger than the likes of the Canon G1X.

Anyone any recommendations?

Or am i asking too much?! :bonk:

 

[Phil Young]

I don't think there's anything that has the maximum aperture that you want in those type of shots.

It's no USA shooting at f5.6 if your camera only looks good up to 800 / 1600 iso...

Small DSLR high resolution no good? I'm thinking Nikon D3200 and then crop to get even further...?

 

[The Lorne Ranger]

I don't think there's anything that has the maximum aperture that you want in those type of shots.

It's no USA shooting at f5.6 if your camera only looks good up to 800 / 1600 iso...

Small DSLR high resolution no good? I'm thinking Nikon D3200 and then crop to get even further...?

Yup it's a fine line I'm treading I know! but I've had good results with compacts up to f4.4, just depends on the light really.

I've already got a Canon 7D SLR and some good quality L series lenses, so that's not the issue.

Security chaps are unlikely to let me in with any type of SLR without a photopass.

So even with a smaller Nikon D3200, I'd still need a zoom lens of some sort for the long range, which would put me way past the bridge type size range.