Bridge cameras roundup August 2023

Sydney icons  Panasonic FZ1000.2

This has given bridge cameras a new lease of life.

Sales of fixed lens digital still cameras in 2022 were about 2% the level reported by CIPA in 2008. CIPA does not identify which of those fixed lens cameras are bridge types and which are small compacts and others.

There are still some bridge cams on the market and some of these deliver very good results while providing an enjoyable user experience.

Bridge cams have some very useful photographic features which interchangeable lens models, small compacts and smartphones do not. These include a fully ergonomic design with substantial handle and thumb rest and a set of controls much the same as we can find on a mirrorless interchangeable lens model. Bridge cams have an integral compact lens of greater zoom range than we will find on the front of an interchangeable lens camera. They have a built-in electronic viewfinder above the optical axis of the lens and an articulated monitor screen. Most of these are fully articulated and touch sensitive for maximum versatility.

Here is a round up of models available new in August 2023.

We can summarise the main features of each in a table:

Notes:

1. We can have a Leica V Lux 5 for AU2290. This is a Panasonic Lumix FZ1000.2 with a Leica logo, some neater styling around  the top plate and strap lugs, different non slip material and a very expensive red dot on the front.

2. All focal lengths expressed as full frame equivalents.

3. I recommend RAW capture with all these bridge cams then post processing in Adobe bridge, Camera Raw and Photoshop. JPG capture will not allow any of these cameras to deliver their best possible results. The cameras are best used by enthusiast photographers who know how to take control of the capture process for optimum results. They are not point-and-shoots for selfies by happysnappers. selfies. 

4, Each of these cameras can do video, some more capably than others with 4K available.

Manly beach 30 July 2023   Panasonic FZ1000.2

Canon Powershot SX70 HS

This is the smallest, lightest and in my estimation the least desirable model in this group. The specifications look interesting but in practice the SX70 is disappointing. There is no hotshoe, no filter thread, no lens hood bayonet mount and the monitor screen is not touch sensitive. The old style contrast detect autofocus is decently accurate on static subjects but slow especially in low light. The lens does a reasonably good job in the middle of the zoom range but has a lot of color fringing at the wide end and is not sharp at the long end. The handle is comfortable but there is only one control dial. Image quality is dominated by massive levels of digital noise with poor detailing and variable color rendition.

The only reason I can think of to buy this camera would be if one always buys Canon. Unfortunately, mediocre models like this damage the brand and the status of bridge cams in general. Canon has all the technology required to make a really good bridge camera. Please……………..

Nikon Coolpix P950

I owned a P900 some years ago and spent time with it. The P950 is a minor upgrade to the P900. These ultrazooms with the tiny 7.67mm sensor are always struggling at the long end of the zoom. An aperture of f2.8 on this camera is equivalent to 2.8 x 5.55 = about f16 on a full frame camera. This means diffraction limited sharpness loss is already present at the widest available aperture and only gets worse as we zoom out. Add to this the inherently consumer level quality of the lens itself and the likelihood that it will be used to photograph distant subjects with the influence of haze and atmospheric distortion and we have a recipe for image quality which is mediocre at best and that’s on a good day with bright light and good contrast.

Nikon Coolpix P1000

Pump the P900 up with growth hormone and we get the P1000. This thing is huge, which seems to defeat one of the main advantages of bridge cameras, namely their compact size. I have not used this particular model but as noted above am unimpressed by real world results with ultrazooms on mini sensor cameras.

I can’t recommend either of the Nikons. Their selling point is the ultrazoom lenses which look better on the spec sheet than they perform in the real world.  

Panasonic Lumix FZ300

This is an upgrade to the FZ200 which gained a minor cult following for its 25-600mm (equivalent) constant f2.8 lens. The FZ300 retains the sensor and lens and adds an improved body, better DFD autofocus, weather resistant construction, better controls and better performance.

I rate the FZ300 as easily the best of the mini sensor models in this little roundup and the only one I can recommend.

It does everything better than the SX70 which is a close match for size and price.

I rate the FZ300 as my personal favourite of all the cameras in this roundup because of the amount of imaging capability and performance it packs into such a compact, moderately priced package.

The biggest bridge cam on the left and the smallest on the right Photo courtesy of camerasize.com

Panasonic Lumix FZ1000.2

Now we move up to three models with the larger 15.9mm diagonal sensor which has about 4x the area of the mini sensors in the models above permitting better image quality but a requiring a shorter zoom range.  The FZ1000.2 is an upgrade to the FZ1000 with the same sensor and lens but with a better set of controls, improved menus and improved performance. The user interface is well designed and implemented and the operating experience is very satisfying for an experienced user with controls which are well placed, have good haptics and well chosen functions.

Within the focal length range of 25-400mm the FZ1000.2 delivers very good to excellent results in a wide variety of photographic situations from landscape and close-ups to documentary, street, portrait, sport/action and wildlife.

Panasonic Lumix FZ2500

This model is aimed mainly at videographers. Everything on board including the lens design, controls and extensive video options are configured for videography. As a still camera I found the lens unacceptably soft although some users have indicated they are happy with the lens for still photos. The lens extends fully when powered on and thereafter zooms internally, making for a long lens barrel.

Sony Cyber-Shot RX10.4

This is the most technologically advanced and expensive model of the group. It has a stacked high speed sensor, phase detect autofocus and high speed performance not available in any other model in this roundup. 

The 24-600mm lens offers greater reach than the 25-400mm lens in the FZ1000.2.

It is the best camera in this roundup for wildlife, sport/action and birds both perched and flying.

Unfortunately the user interface can be frustrating and would benefit from a complete re-design from the ground up. The menus are old style Sony with like items scattered about in different submenus, multiple mystery items and overly complicated navigation. The physical controls are a strange mixture, unlike any other Sony or other mainstream camera model . There is no front dial, the rear dial is located where a joystick could be, there is a fixed function exposure compensation dial where an unmarked rear control dial could go, the monitor screen is not fully articulating, aperture is changed with a ring on the lens, there is an LCD screen which is not required but which bumps the Mode Dial off to a suboptimal location on the left side of the viewfinder housing. The one which caught me out all the time when I was using the RX10.4 is the little rotary dial lower left on the front of the camera controlling S, A, C, MF focus mode. This is cleverly positioned so we cannot see it when operating the camera so it is very easy to overlook.

So, advanced technology, ergonomics in need of a major upgrade. It’s a Sony.

Summary

Bridge cameras have become much more attractive to enthusiast photographers in 2023 than they were in 2022, due entirely to the striking improvement in image quality enabled by new Adobe AI post processing technologies.

Will camera makers respond to this by directing a bit of $$ to bridge cam R&D ?

All current model bridge cams could be greatly improved by updates to autofocus and image processing technologies which camera makers already have in their box of capabilities.  They don’t need to invent new stuff, just incorporate what they have into bridge cams.

Please…………….