History
I have had a number of single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras, Canon X and Practica Y etc. Then came the Canon Powershot Z with 3x optical zoom lens. The only thing irritating me all the time using it was the useless zoom factor. I decided that the next camera should be one with as much zoom as possible.
In 2011 I bought a used Canon SX20, went to Norway photographing birds. It was a good camera but the birds were still too far away.
Next a Fujifilm FinePix HS30EXR with manual 30x zoom. It hard a really hard time to focus when using all that zoom. It's menus was a terrible mess, the *manual* zoom was OK since, when you go birding, it was always max zoom :0). Luckily, I fell on a concrete quay and dropped the camera so effectively that it bounced several times and the lens and house separated in two. In the bin with it!
The "real" super zoom cameras were starting to appear but since I was tired of the underwhelming results in low light I decided to buy a Panasonic Lumix FZ1000, 16x, 1" chip, hoping the better photographic quality would compensate for the smaller zoom range.
It didn't.
Today
I then bought a Lumix FX82, 50x, 1/2.3" sensor as a complement and as time went buy, this camera was the one I brought with me almost always.The FZ1000 was sturdy built, much faster in all respects and image quality was better but still it was in the bookshelf back home.
As of now I'm trying to find some camera that could combine the best features in the FZ1000 with the zoom factor of the FZ82.
It doesn't exist.
Modestly (?), I'd like a camera with at 1" chip (bigger is hardly possible in this context), at least 40x magnification (roughly what up till now means 800 mm lens), at least 4k video. The industry has decided to stop at Sony Cyber-shot RX10 IV. 600 mm (~25x) lens is not enough, 800 mm is an absolute minimum. Otherwise this camera seems to have it all:
UPDATE 20220129: I did finally buy the Sony RX10 IV, 600mm, 1". It was sooo heavy, soooo expensive but it was possible to use as a replacement. In fact, my FZ82 is not used any more. There were other advantages that made me switch. It didn't work with the Lumix FZ1000, 400mm, 1" camera but this seems to the trick!
END UPDATE
Why isn't 600 mm enough? Perhaps I'm just lazy, taking photos from my garden chair?
The picture below would not be possible to take with 600 mm, that's why. From ~80 m this was taken at sunset with the FZ82. It's post processed and meant to be shown at max 50% actual size as an illustration on the web.
Just to give an idea of what "~80 m" means in reality...
I tried another approach. I looked among the MicroFourThirds, no zoom there for me. I looked at the best cameras for flying bird images (FBIs :). I looked everywhere!
To get a feeling for the inherent problems
in the birding camera context, first have a look at the top performers but don't forget to check some of the price tags! Remember that you also have to buy the lens!! Also remember, you have to carry it around, looking a bit nerdy. (Still they got these pictures with at most 600 mm lenses! Cropping and post processing? Did they have a hideout to come close?) :
https://mirrorlesscomparison.com/best/mirrorless-cameras-for-birds-in-flight/
and then, for the other end of the spectrum, on this extremely competent review of the Nikon P1000 125x 3000 mm by TheSnapChick. Especially notice the physical size difference and weight difference betwenn this Nikon and my Lumix FZ82...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
It's a difference you will remember every time you take the Nikon P1000 with you!
Conclusion:
It looks like the industry:
1) thinks the superzooms are toys, they don't think these photographers aren't serious ( They mean: If you are, why don't you buy a REAL camera). I think there is a lot that could be done to make using these cameras a better experience.
2) still are not producing the performance I'd like to see them do, and I'm convinced will come in a year or couple of years. (An afterthought... we'll see.)
My search for some camera I'm willing to try is on hold, I will just have to wait and see...
When waiting
There is, however something one can do to make the catching the fast flying birds on film easier (using 1200 mm lens). Buy a red (green is better) dot sight from AliBaba and put it into the flash hot- shoe, (~$25!). This will enable you to follow the birds with both you eyes open, that means that when the bird flies out of the sight, you can still see with your other eye were it went! Invaluable, I promise!
Why isn't 600 mm enough? Perhaps I'm just lazy, taking photos from my garden chair?
The picture below would not be possible to take with 600 mm, that's why. From ~80 m this was taken at sunset with the FZ82. It's post processed and meant to be shown at max 50% actual size as an illustration on the web.
I tried another approach. I looked among the MicroFourThirds, no zoom there for me. I looked at the best cameras for flying bird images (FBIs :). I looked everywhere!
To get a feeling for the inherent problems
in the birding camera context, first have a look at the top performers but don't forget to check some of the price tags! Remember that you also have to buy the lens!! Also remember, you have to carry it around, looking a bit nerdy. (Still they got these pictures with at most 600 mm lenses! Cropping and post processing? Did they have a hideout to come close?) :
https://mirrorlesscomparison.com/best/mirrorless-cameras-for-birds-in-flight/
and then, for the other end of the spectrum, on this extremely competent review of the Nikon P1000 125x 3000 mm by TheSnapChick. Especially notice the physical size difference and weight difference betwenn this Nikon and my Lumix FZ82...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Conclusion:
It looks like the industry:
1) thinks the superzooms are toys, they don't think these photographers aren't serious ( They mean: If you are, why don't you buy a REAL camera). I think there is a lot that could be done to make using these cameras a better experience.
2) still are not producing the performance I'd like to see them do, and I'm convinced will come in a year or couple of years. (An afterthought... we'll see.)
My search for some camera I'm willing to try is on hold, I will just have to wait and see...
When waiting
There is, however something one can do to make the catching the fast flying birds on film easier (using 1200 mm lens). Buy a red (green is better) dot sight from AliBaba and put it into the flash hot- shoe, (~$25!). This will enable you to follow the birds with both you eyes open, that means that when the bird flies out of the sight, you can still see with your other eye were it went! Invaluable, I promise!
UPDATE 20220129:
experience shows, you must glue the sight to the camera to keep setup stable. It sounds like madness but it won't destroy any of the camera's functionality. I used bondic to glue it to the closed flash. Now eveyrthing works perfectly and i can trust my setup when going out.
END UPDATE
To illustrate, this is what you see:
THE END!
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