Camera Gurus: Which Superzoon Has the Best EV?

[DRR]

mrlynn wrote:
freeradical: My T2i+Tamron lens is 5.75 (without sun shield) x 5w by 4h; weighs about 2.25 lbs. So it is rather heftier than the SX40, though you are right; the latter is not exactly compact.

DRR: I saw a review of the Panasonic FZ1000 yesterday. Looks interesting, though pricey (but then I've got about a grand into my current setup). How does the 2 million pixels compare with the others on the market?

Davester: Cost is definitely a consideration. I'm happy with the picture quality of the Rebel and Tamron, but then I was not unhappy with the pictures I used to get with my little Canon A540 compact, either; they don't look awful on my 27" iMac, though of course if you compare side-by-side the SLR is clearly sharper. I'm impressed that a lot of Forum members seem happy with the output of their superzooms. I'm only an amateur, so convenience is as important as quality.

/Mr Lynn

I don't own one (Fz1000) but at this point its EVF is supposedly best in class currently (or close to it, depending on who you ask). I've had Panasonic cameras before and they're well made. The FZ1000 does not look as compact as other superzooms so you may very well be better off with something like an SL1 which should give you the best image quality at that size (at the expense of the superzoom's reach)

[mrlynn]

I should clarify that it was content, not sharpness, that left me mostly pleased with my little A540 P&S, even photos shot through dirty train windows, which would make a pro throw up; but I like them. I used the P&S on a trip to Spain in 2006, and on our Great Northwest Train Trip in 2008, and still enjoy those shots.

I should also say that my Rebel T2i with its 18-55 kit lens is not really too heavy for carrying around. I use it indoors a lot for snapshots of grandkids and such. What drags me down is the c. 1-pound Tamron 18-270 lens. I use it with a Yangster camera chest strap/holster,

http://yangster.biz/index.html

which works OK for walking, but not for bending over, when the camera pops out (I sent Yangster some recommendations for improvements), but the though the Tamron is small for a telephoto-zoom, it's still rather bulky for lots of outdoor and traveling situations. Also, while the range is nice, I'm envious of Hal with his 40x—just can't get close enough to the birds!*

While the Rebel SL1 sounds great for a smallish SLR with an optical viewfinder, I suspect it would be rather unbalanced with an heavy lens. That's why I was thinking that a 'superzoom' that reduced overall size and weight would be an improvement, even at the loss of some high-end image quality. I was thinking that if the EV quality was getting markedly better, it might be worth reconsidering.

* Actually, for train photos I do not like telephoto shots, as nothing looks sillier than railcars that look like toys from being all scrunched up.

/Mr Lynn

[hal]

I meant to add that the sx40 EV was much better than the SX30 and the SX50 much better than the sx40. The next one might be in the range of 'good enough'.

[mrlynn]

hal wrote:
I meant to add that the sx40 EV was much better than the SX30 and the SX50 much better than the sx40. The next one might be in the range of 'good enough'.

I'll have to go look at some. Has anyone else done comparisons?

/Mr Lynn

[DP]

If you're trying to produce 16x20s, you'll have to get at least an APS-C chip size camera. I also am a firm believer in that it's a poor workman who blames his tools. An SX50 would do you well as it covers a lot of territory and the the DIGIC 5 processor makes the images very good from a small chip. My SX40 lens is sharp and as we've seen from hal's efforts, the SX50 does quite well.
One thing we need to take into account is post processing. Do you want great images right out of the camera? With any camera you need to experiment with camera settings till you hit on a formula that will work for you.
When I'm processing images I use Camera Raw in Photoshop. You can open JPEGs in the CR palette and it does makes a difference.
I use my EV 80% of the time and I've never noticed any flickering from the SX40.

[mrlynn]

DP: I may not be a great workman, but I'm not blaming the camera for my inadequacies. I just find the current rig a little cumbersome.

I don't do any post-processing at this point. Too many other things I should be doing to spend time working on images. Maybe some day. . .

I'm encouraged by what you and Hal say about the EVs.

/Mr Lynn

[mrlynn]

UPDATE:

From my 'Blue Heron' thread,

http://forums.macresource.com/read.php?1,1759253

which has been overlapping this one, I'm duplicating these posts:

I stopped in Best Buy to look at their superzooms. They don't carry Panasonics; the very knowledgeable young lady (who's been in the photo department at the Shoppers World store for quite some time) said they used to get too many back with defects. She also said that the Nikon (model?) was slow, compared to the Canon SX50 and the Sony DSC HX300, also a 50x zoom. I played with those two for a while. IMO, the Sony had by far the best electronic viewfinder, brighter, larger, and more stable than the Canon's. That alone might incline me in its direction. But on getting home I read in a review that the Sony's EVF is dim and limited in pixels. Huh?

Well, it's going to take more looking. Comments welcome, if you have any comparative info.

and. . .


Doing some Internet reading of bridge/superzoom cameras, I came across this writer recommending the Olympus SP-100, touting its novel target scope, something between an EVF and screen, with a red dot for tracking objects at maximum zoom:

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-superzoom-camera/

The superzoom to get

Olympus SP-100

The Olympus SP-100 has a class-leading electronic viewfinder and an “Eagle Eye” dot sight that allows you to easily locate and track your photo subject, even when fully zoomed in at the maximum 1200mm focal length.

Whaddaya think about this? I'd love to actually have one in my hands, though I don't know who might sell them in a brick-and-mortar store around here.

Anyone have one of these Olympus SP-100s? From the discussion around here, you'd think that Canon was the only company making superzooms, but there are others. . .

/Mr Lynn

[davester]

mrlynn wrote:
Anyone have one of these Olympus SP-100s? From the discussion around here, you'd think that Canon was the only company making superzooms, but there are others. . .

/Mr Lynn

I thought you were after a small camera. This one is isn't a whole lot smaller and lighter than your Rebel, and has awful picture quality in comparison.

[mrlynn]

davester wrote:
[quote=mrlynn]
Anyone have one of these Olympus SP-100s? From the discussion around here, you'd think that Canon was the only company making superzooms, but there are others. . .

/Mr Lynn

I thought you were after a small camera. This one is isn't a whole lot smaller and lighter than your Rebel, and has awful picture quality in comparison.
As I said above, my Rebel T2i with the kit lens is not too bulky. It's with the Tamron lens attached that it really starts getting in the way.

The Canon SX50 is indeed a nice size, though not a pocket camera by any means either. I just don't care for the EVF. The Sony HX300's seemed much more user-friendly.

/Mr Lynn