Advice please re Bridge camera/lens (1 Viewer)

[christineredgate]

I need to find a decent bridge camera which is lightweight,has a viewfinder,and takes good quality images.Will be used for group shots,events ,and the odd landscape /view,sunset etc.Do not need a super zoom,unless quality really is superb,when it could be used for rugby etc.,and maybe the odd bird pic.I have looked through masses of reveiws,was considering the new Panasonic Lumix DMC 1000 ,have read all the reviews and comments on D Preview,somehow it seems the aperture only goes to F 9 therefore would not be okay for distant landscapes etc.Othe ralternative is a good quality Canon fit lens,which is lightweight,compatible with a 650D,and has IS,does not have to be Canon,I do know that there are some other good lenses available .Not needed for macro,birding or most sports functions,I do have a 70-200.
Please any help would be most appreciated .I have just sold a 16.35 mm and a 600D,so need a replacement .either bridge or a lens which could be used on a 650D.Many thanks .Will check for any replies later in the day.

 

[Geoff Brown]

Look at website DPreview. It gives opinions on all aspects of equipment and the comments in their forums also give guidance.

 

[njlarsen]

Are you sure the F9 really is a problem? if you use aperture priority, the camera will just give you a faster shutter time which will improve the results. F-values higher than 9 likely would lead to deterioration of the result due to some physics I cannot remember the name of right now.

Niels

 

[christineredgate]

Thankyou for replies.

 

[jimthomson]

The camera has a 1" sensor and the lens is from 9.1 to 146 mm

I think that you will find that if you plug these numbers into a depth of field calculator that the camera will be fine for landscape. F9 and 9.1mm will be in focus from about a foot to infinity

 

[christineredgate]

Jim,thankyou.I keep reading all these reviews,but people quite often stay with one manufacturer,and say that all else is rubbish.It does get very confusing.

 

[njlarsen]

Christine,
there is a comparison of the Pana and the Sony (that seemingly share their sensor) on DPReview: http://www.dpreview.com/previews/panasonic-lumix-dmc-fz1000/7

Niels

 

[christineredgate]

Thankyou Niels,i have just had another read through the reviews,although this camera does seem to be quite heavy,it is good and solid for resting on a bean bag,and would be quite easy to use on a monopod.I'll keep watching out for more info.Thanks again.

 

[GrahameNZ]

Christine,
Honestly you ask for the almost impossible.
Really it depends on what your idea of "quality really is superb" is.
It's a wonderfully relative concept
For a bridge camera the Canon sx50 will do all that you ask above and more.
But at the end of the day you do sacrifice iq (image quality) because of the small sensor.
If you not impatient the sx60 has been coming out "in a few months" for quite some time.
Will be an interesting beast when it does.
Personally I'd stick with the 650 and a couple of lenses a zoom for the wider end of the range, I can't comment here and a zoom for the longer end.
The Canon 100 - 400 is decent, it's not a prime in terms of iq, no zoom ever will be.
But this is worth a thought the new Tamron 150 - 600.
There's a long thread on this lens here
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=270494
Taking the crop factor of your sensor into account this will give you an equivalent of 960mm at the long end.
Affordable decent long piece of glass.
Happy hunting

 

[Steve Babbs]

If you're mainly interested in landscapes a decent lens to go with your 650D would seem to be the obvious choice. A bridge camera will not match SLR quality. Their main attraction is the huge zoom in such a light, and cheap, form. The Panasonic does seem to be a rather a different beast to most bridge cameras but, when you have a good, a light weight, SLR body, I can't see why you would want to make a change.

 

[iveljay]

Landscape is the tricky one, there is so much detail in many landscapes that the majority of folks using large format sheet film were landscape photographers. If you want to be really inspired/depressed look at this website.

http://www.tristancampbell.co.uk/blog/ - not a bird visible but they must be there somewhere!

Personally I stick to large sensors (slrs usually) for landscapes as Steve and Gahame say. Most of my landscape, people shots etc. are shot on non-zoom, prime lenses anyway.

As a photographer who also shoots bird pics, as opposed to a bird photographer I have more or less ditched all my super zooms/bridge cameras and am down to two, both of which weigh more than some of my slrs, one which is over 10 years old - yes they did digital back then and it still takes superb pictures.

On the other hand I do recommend the Canon SX series as general go everywhere cameras to my friends and they are still speaking to me. Horses for courses.