mikegreenwald Loc: Illinois

The Sony Rx100/2 is outstanding for the purpose stated. This subject comes up frequently, and it is always recommended by many, including me.

viscountdriver Loc: East Kent UK

Get the Canon SX50 and I hope you understand the instructions because I don't

Beagleman Loc: Indiana

I just bought the Olympus Stylus 1 bridge camera. It goes to 300mm and has f2.8 throughout. It is very small and easy to carry. The Sony RX10 is HUGE compared to it. If you don't need a viewfinder though there are many other smaller cameras for travel.

--Beagleman

Papa Joe Loc: Midwest U.S.

I'm not familiar with the Lumix, but I enjoy my SX-50 tremendously. I've done some very good low-light work too with it. Love the zoom feature and the ability to shoot in Raw, Jpg or both simultaneously.

Basil Loc: New Mexico

I'll second that. I recently bought t he SX50 after a lot of research and soul searching. For me it came down to the SX50 or the Panasonic FZ200. Both Cameras have their pros and cons, but for me, it come down to the super-zoom of the SX50 and the IS that had rave reviews. I'm sure the FZ200 is also a great camera, but I'm very satisfied with the SX50. I would recommended to anyone looking for a great bridge camera.

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

CANON SX50 RECALL -
Be advised -
14,000 Canon PowerShot SX50 cameras recalled
The rubber around the viewfinder of this advanced point-and-shoot may cause skin or eye irritation

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2014/03/14-000-canon-powershot-sx50-cameras-recalled/index.htm

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

I recently bought the Lumix FZ200 for my wife and we both love it. It is lightweight and the zoom works well. No it doesn't go out to 1200mm like the Canon SX50 but it goes to 600mm with good resolution. It also has the f2.8 Leica lens which helps with low light photography. It is a keeper for us.

Dennis

MtnMan Loc: ID

I just bought the Sony NEX 7 for travel and hiking. It weighs nothing compared to my D 800 but has a 24 MP DX.sensor. The panorama feature is fabulous. It has worked out grat for hiking.

My main contender was the Panasonic GX 7 which has a 4/3 sensor.

Alas my first air travel since buying it is next week but involves really fabulous opportunities for birds so I'm back to hauling the D 800 and Sigma 150-500 which together are an order of magnitude larger and heavier than the delightful Sony. It involves a boat so at least I don't have to lug it.

NeilL Loc: British-born Canadian

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

RJNaylor Loc: Delmar, New York

To add to all other thoughts -- in May Canon is releasing for sale an updated G1X Mark 2 with a 1.5" sensor but a much faster lens ... While I chose the RX100M over the Olympus 4/3 for a light camera, the new Canon might have been the choice if it had been available.

Beercat Loc: Central Coast of California

Some of the cameras mentioned are not really "bridge cameras" :wink:

The Sony RX10 though larger than most is still considered a bridge camera.

What the RX10 has on all the other "bridge cameras" is the size of the sensor, the largest of all.

Another plus is the superb video so you now have a great 20MP still camera along with a very good video camera, all in one package. Some say the RX10 is heavy .......... it's the glass! Good glass usually has some weight to it and isn't cheap.

There are several other good bridge cameras, the question is which one fits your needs the best. As I take professional video I choose the RX10 because it was a great compromise to give me good quality video from a 1" composite sensor plus the need to take good stills to incorporate within my video edits, all in true bridge camera size :)

A few complaints I have with the RX10 is the LCD screen which has directional limitations. I also wish the shutter speed dial was a bit larger, plus I prefer touch screen menus but it does so much well I overlook some of the limitations.

When I shoot nothing but stills for money I still pull out my high end Canon but for a second body or travel camera I leave the Canon at home along with all the heavy extra equipment and now take the RX10.

NeilL Loc: British-born Canadian

Very well put, Beercat! I would like to add that the lens is Zeiss glass - a legend. To buy DSLR lenses of this quality and constant 2.8 aperture to cover the full 200mm range of this Zeiss would probably cost in excess of $2,000. THEN you have buy the body, too. If you can afford the RX10 price-tag, $1,299.00 it's a bargain.

rudyp16 Loc: Toms River, NJ

THe FZ200 is awesome. I own it and lent it to my daughter for her cruise. Don't leave home without it.

N Tom Loc: Tucson, AZ

I own a Panasonic FZ200 which I truly love for its versatility-- including its VIDEO capabilities and EXT. MIKE JACK which is why I got it instead of some other bridge cameras. HOWEVER if I were looking for HIGHER RES STILLS including landscape images and something light weight, I believe that I'd go for the Sony RX100-II with extremely high resolution for stills. Following is a list of some of its various features: (They are sold in a few places for around $550).

. . . the tiltable 3.0” 1,229K-dot display assisted in framing and shooting in difficult situations. The unit preformed well in low light for both stills and movies and has a fast 0.13-second Auto Focus response. We found the unique Setting Control Ring around the lens to be a great feature. Adjustments were smooth and seamless with clear feedback on the display. Another impressive feature is the programmable Function button. Your favorite functions are only a button press away and you can assign up to 7 functions from 17 possibilities. The RX100 II has numerous image enhancing and creative features as well as a sound functioning Image Stabilization system. It’s big camera performance in a small package.

Description
When beautiful scenery inspires the artist within, capture every exquisite detail with the compact Cyber-shot RX100 II. You’ll enjoy extraordinary light sensitivity, breathtaking image quality and beautiful background defocusing thanks to a newly developed 1.0-inch back-illuminated CMOS sensor. . .

Beercat Loc: Central Coast of California

Another good choice, same sensor as the RX10 and the small package



:)