Bridge camera (Page 2): The photos are labeled correctly. I know to do a proper comparison they need to be from the same view but that was not possible here. I wanted to show...

haroldross Loc: Walthill, Nebraska

Wahawk wrote:

For a proper comparison they should include the same view as well.

Unless you have them labeled backwards, I think the SX50 version is best.

The photos are labeled correctly. I know to do a proper comparison they need to be from the same view but that was not possible here. I wanted to show difference. When you zoom way in, you can clearly see a difference in the quality. The photo taken with the SX50 has much better lighting. The 5D MK III photo was taken while crossing the street at the wrong time of the day.

viscountdriver Loc: East Kent UK

James56 wrote:

Surprisingly Kodak seems to be the current front runner with their new camera in the superzoom field (as far as reach goes anyway)...

http://www.ephotozine.com/article/kodak-releases-details-on-az651-23827

The Kodak has a tremendous spec but its image quality is unknown. Worth waiting for a few reviews. If I got the Kodak I would be turning a full circle.

lsaguy Loc: Udall, KS, USA

I, too, do a lot of airshow photography. I find the most important thing for taking shots of fly by's is a viewfinder. Very few bridge cameras have them. I still have my Fuji S1500 for just that reason.

johneccles Loc: Leyland UK

Hello Viscountdriver, if I was in your position I would go for a
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200 or the Canon SX50 HS. Look at these reviews:
http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/panasonic_lumix_dmc_fz200_review/
or
http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/canon_powershot_sx50_hs_review/
I hope this of some help to you,
John.

RetiredPhotog Loc: South West Ohio

viscountdriver wrote:

I am an elderly gent and my Nikon D7000 which I love is getting a tad heavy with a long lens. I am vaguely thinking perhaps I ought to go to a bridge.
It has to have a 50x reach, be capable of raw and not too worried about price.
Any suggestions and will I lose much in quality?
I have a tripod and a monopod but they are not practical at air shows which is my favourite.

I am like wise an elder gent, I have a great Nikon D7100 with a number of nice lenses and a SX50 and find my self using the SX50 a lot more often simply due to the light weight and convenience of not having to carry all the extra gear. I find a lot of things I used to do that due to age modifications you have to change your style and the SX50 is one of them.

The SX50 shoots great using raw or jpg as long as you stay at the 50 x optical zoom and don't use the digital zoom. Occasionally I may use the 200x but only if I am not too concerned about quality.

viscountdriver Loc: East Kent UK

RetiredPhotog wrote:

I am like wise an elder gent, I have a great Nikon... (show quote)

Do you find the view finder difficult on this camera?

berchman Loc: South Central PA

viscountdriver wrote:

I am an elderly gent and my Nikon D7000 which I love is getting a tad heavy with a long lens. I am vaguely thinking perhaps I ought to go to a bridge.
It has to have a 50x reach, be capable of raw and not too worried about price.
Any suggestions and will I lose much in quality?
I have a tripod and a monopod but they are not practical at air shows which is my favourite.

How elderly is too elderly to be finding a DSLR plus a long lens too heavy? I ask because at 76 I still carry a Nikon D800 with a 17-35 f/2.8 and a Nikon D700 with a 70-200 f/2.8, one on each side and don't find them too heavy.

Shakey Loc: Traveling again to Norway and other places.

Wahawk wrote:

But at this point I would stay with the proven quality of the Canon SX50 or the Sony HX300.

There are many fine bridge cameras around. You need to visit a camera store and handle what's available. I have the same problems: age and infirmity.

I like the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 25-600mm. There are others with longer lenses. What swung my decision was the smooth focusing and the constant 2.8 aperture (if needed) when zooming. Plus the quality of the Leica lens. All this you can check in store with a polite salesman.

johneccles Loc: Leyland UK

Shakey wrote:

There are many fine bridge cameras around. You need to visit a camera store and handle what's available. I have the same problems: age and infirmity.

I like the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 25-600mm. There are others with longer lenses. What swung my decision was the smooth focusing and the constant 2.8 aperture (if needed) when zooming. Plus the quality of the Leica lens. All this you can check in store with a polite salesman.

Here in the UK it's not that easy to find a camera shop to wander into. In London there are quite a few but in the rest of the UK we are stuck with PC World and that's it. Most large towns have a camera shop, Tesco sell a few cameras but they tend to be budget models, also Argos stock a range of cameras which are at the lower price end, and they also sometimes sell discontinued models, which can be a bargain.

Picdude Loc: Ohio

viscountdriver wrote:

I am an elderly gent and my Nikon D7000 which I love is getting a tad heavy with a long lens. I am vaguely thinking perhaps I ought to go to a bridge.
It has to have a 50x reach, be capable of raw and not too worried about price.
Any suggestions and will I lose much in quality?
I have a tripod and a monopod but they are not practical at air shows which is my favourite.

I don't know what range of aperture stops the SX50 has. My sister-in-law has an SX40 that she likes, but her biggest complaint is that it does not give her the DOF range she would like in a camera. Depending on what you're shooting, that may not be a problem. Just a thought to keep in mind.

bee7474 Loc: Selah, Wa

I am with you. I recently switched from my heavy Canon 5 D Mark II with all the expensive and heavey lens to Canon's SX 50. It does far more and does a good job. View Linda From Maine
her pictures with the SX are great. Besides the SX is cheap. Good luck Bee

haroldross Loc: Walthill, Nebraska

viscountdriver wrote:

Do you find the view finder difficult on this camera?

This is why you really need to check out the cameras in person. I feel the EVF of the SX50 to be its weakest point. I have gotten used to it but I do hope that if, and when the SX60 is released, the EVF will be improved.

One Camera One Lens Loc: Traveling

I can well understand the problems of carrying heavy equipment and needing something lighter, I for one have a Canon for my main camera but also carry , usually seperately, my Nikon L-820, it's got great glass, as Nikon is known for but some of their bridge cameras have what you want, light weight, good tele and great pics.
I always believed it's not so much the camera, but the man behind the camera. If you understand light and the limitation of your camera you'll be ok. Most of us, I guess, have had enough experience over the years to know how important light is to photography, that's what it's all about, that we can basically got out an buy any bridge camera and make it a friend of our.........good luck and keep shooting..........

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

viscountdriver wrote:

I am an elderly gent and my Nikon D7000 which I love is getting a tad heavy with a long lens. I am vaguely thinking perhaps I ought to go to a bridge.
It has to have a 50x reach, be capable of raw and not too worried about price.
Any suggestions and will I lose much in quality?
I have a tripod and a monopod but they are not practical at air shows which is my favourite.

I'd borrow or rent an SX50 and try it out at an air show to make sure it would do the job,
Bob.

2 Dog Don Loc: Virginia Beach VA

viscountdriver wrote:

I am an elderly gent and my Nikon D7000 which I love is getting a tad heavy with a long lens. I am vaguely thinking perhaps I ought to go to a bridge.
It has to have a 50x reach, be capable of raw and not too worried about price.
Any suggestions and will I lose much in quality?
I have a tripod and a monopod but they are not practical at air shows which is my favourite.

Look at the Fujifilm lineup I have 2 a S100FS and a HS20EXR here is a link to the HS50EXR they are great cameras very light and excellent image quality also great video here is a link http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital_cameras/s/finepix_hs50exr