Bridge camera or buy long zoom?

[Mrsfrz]

I have a Nikon D7100 that I only use on Auto because I'm a novice. I'm going on an Alaskan cruise and want to have a long zoom lens for wildlife. I was considering getting a 28-300mm lens for the D7100 but also have researched the bridge cameras with long zoom, some over 400 mm. The ones I'm considering have a 1" sensor. Any advice? 

[TheOldBear]

1 hour ago, Mrsfrz said:

I have a Nikon D7100 that I only use on Auto because I'm a novice. I'm going on an Alaskan cruise and want to have a long zoom lens for wildlife. I was considering getting a 28-300mm lens for the D7100 but also have researched the bridge cameras with long zoom, some over 400 mm. The ones I'm considering have a 1" sensor. Any advice? 

 

My walk around lens for my Olympus is a 12-200 zoom [similar to a 24-400 lens on a 'full frame' body]. I also have an ancient Panasonic FZ-50 'bridge' camera - and rented a long [100-400] zoom lens for an airshow [lens goes back to LensRentals Tuesday]

 

There is nothing wrong with using mostly [or exclusively] auto modes, while concentrating on framing the shot. 

 

It looks like a few choices will be part of planning

• Buy vs Rent
• Camera vs Lens

For 'Buy vs Rent' you should look at how frequently will you want or need to use a long lens. They can be an expensive purchase that is only used for infrequent special occasions - or you may find frequent uses close to home [sports, wildlife]. Buying also lets you get used to the lens + body combo days or weeks before the cruise, so you are photographically ready at sail-away.

 

For 'camera vs lens' an interchangeable lens system lets you swap lenses, but increases your chances of having the 'wrong' lens mounted, or needing to change lenses in poor conditions [rain, snow, dust...]. If you go for a lens, be certain it is stabilized ['VR' for Nikon lenses].

 

What lens(es) and other accessories do you have for your D7100? For travel, you will want at least a spare battery, and several memory cards.

 

I think in your position, I would look into renting a Sony RX10 mark 4 'bridge' camera [dpreview link]. It is weather sealed, has a huge zoom range [equivalent of 24-600], effective image stabilization, and a decent sized and resolution sensor.  You won't need to worry about having the wrong lens mounted - or about getting splashed on a Zodiac ride. It will also give you video options not available on your camera body.

 

 

[Gardyloo]

A few years ago I swapped my Nikon DSLR (which I used with a 28-270mm Tamron zoom) for a Panasonic Lumix FZ1000 fixed lens, "super zoom" bridge camera.  I had used previous versions of the Lumix on numerous trips including some round-the-world trips that included African safaris, where the combination of the long zoom and not having to switch lenses in a hurry was a big advantage.

 

Aside from not having to scramble for lenses, the real beneficiary of this switch was my neck.  While the FZ1000 is no lightweight among bridge cameras, my guess is that it weighs roughly half as much as the Nikon + lens (maybe less) and takes up much less room in any carry-on bags.  

 

In terms of results, I can honestly say that at comparable focal lengths, the Lumix's Leica lens gives superior performance to the Tamron's, and the other features of the camera, especially the excellent autofocus and image stabilization, are really valuable, particularly in low-light situations.  

 

If you're cruising in Alaska, it's probable that your wildlife viewing while on the cruise will tend to be weighted heavily toward birds and marine mammals (whales, seals etc.)  In that case, one of the features of the Lumix is that it takes 4K videos, so you could shoot, say, whale encounters in video, then use individual frames for still pictures.  This will really help if the animals are swimming around or flying - you can easily follow them without having to stop and refocus or recompose all the time.

 

The FZ1000 is an older model now but its successor, the FZ1000ii, is available from several suppliers for around $850 - $900.  (A couple of suppliers also have new FZ1000s available for around $100 less.)  You can also find used FZ1000s for around $300 - $400, which might be a decent option if you want to stick with your DSLR for everything else.  

 

Of course there are other comparable bridge or P&S cameras available with the same basic capabilities as the Lumix, but generally above (sometimes well above) the Lumix's price point.  Many of these are also not currently available, probably due to the ongoing problem of low/no chip availability.  It might make a used model more interesting.

 

I'll post a couple of images taken with my FZ1000 just to show what it looks like.  YMMV of course.

 

Seattle's Fishermen's Terminal

 

 

Elliott Bay, Seattle

 

 

One room schoolhouse, Amish country Pennsylvania 

 

[Oviedo32765]

To dovetail with TheOldBear's Buy vs Rent, I'd like to suggest Buy New vs Buy Used.

 

One can save quite a bit buying used (I have). I would not suggest craigslist, ebay, or thru any of the apps available for smart phones because you really never know what you are getting until it arrives. These sellers often over value or over state the condition of the item for sale.

 

I do recommend two (I have bought from both) online retailers:

• B&H Photo (Look for the Used link on the top menu strip)
• KEH Camera (Only buy & sell used equipment)

Both inspect and test each item before offering it for sale. In addition, each stands behind their products with good return policies and have very good descriptions of the item's condition. Below is a screen shot of B&H's rating system and https://www.keh.com/shop/grading-system is a link to how KEH inspects and grades equipment.

 

A final thought - when in doubt, buy new.

 

[mskaufman]

I have both.  I have a a Canon D60 with a Tamron 16 - 400 lens.  I also have a Canon SX740, which is a 40X zoom.  Each has its use.  The bridge camera does not add much weight to my overall bag.  Most of the time I use the D60.  Can't carry the D60 at all times but the bridge fits in my pocket and is valuable when something comes up when the D60 is not with me.  

[Hezu]

On 5/30/2021 at 10:52 PM, TheOldBear said:

I think in your position, I would look into renting a Sony RX10 mark 4 'bridge' camera [dpreview link]. It is weather sealed, has a huge zoom range [equivalent of 24-600], effective image stabilization, and a decent sized and resolution sensor.  You won't need to worry about having the wrong lens mounted - or about getting splashed on a Zodiac ride.

Note that regardless how weather proof the camera is, there is one part of the camera that may still need some extra protection in wet conditions: the front lens element. Water drops on the front lens can ruin images, so at least be prepared to wipe the lens dry if you want to shoot during boat rides.

 

But Sony RX10 IV is definately the bridge camera to get if you want versatile camera with good image quality and fast and accurate autofocusing. And I think AF is the feature that makes this model superior to its peers, although of course no camera is perfect: RX10 IV is expensive and sometimes I find its controls bit limited. And some competitors do offer longer telephoto that might be useful at times.

 

And one note about the zoom lenses for ILCs: if the lens offers wide focal length range that results that there has to be some compromises to archive this: at least the apertures offered (especially in telephoto end) are on the slow side that may make the lens less practical in low light conditions. And the optical design with long zoom range may produce worse image quality compared to zooms with less ambitious focal length range or prime lenses.

[KenProspero]

OP

 

If you already have a Nikon 7100 -- I'd see no reason to get a bridge camera, you can use the Program or Auto Mode.  When released, this was a 'semi-pro' camera, APS-C (or DX in Nikon terminology) so, I expect it would meet all your needs.

 

As far as lenses a 300 mm lens on a DX camera has about a 1.5 crop factor.  Essentially it means that as far as your image, it would be about field of view as a 450 mm lens on a Full-Frame Camera.  I don't know how steady your hand is, but my experience is that unless you're using a very fast shutter speed it's hard to hand-shoot with this much lens.  So unless you shoot with a tripod, I wouldn't overly worry about getting more lens in any camera.

[KenProspero]

Let me add a bit more --

Crop factor basically tells you how much Zoom you have in your camera.  Things are compared to 35mm (full frame cameras).  To make the comparison, you multiply the crop factor by the lens length.

 

Now, with Bridge Cameras, they often do the multiplication for you.  A one-inch sensor has a crop factor of about 3.  So if they tell you it has a 450mm lens -- it's usually a 150mm lens multiplied by the crop factor.  So, if you're thinking of getting a Bridge Camera instead of a new lens, read the fine print for the Bridge Camera.

FWIW -- there's absolutely nothing wrong with shooting in the automatic mode or the program mode.  You get a perfectly good picture and the camera makes the decisions for you.  However, if you ever decide you want to improve your photography skills, you'll be glad for the features the Nikon D7100 has.