Sensor sizes
Having taken AP for five decades and seen cameras evolve during that period, I constantly question whether I should change my gear. One big question is the relationship between weight, sensor size and image quality. If I put a cap on the image size of A3+ (which I can print at home), and an 850g limit on total weight of camera and lens then it certainly narrows the field. Range would have to be up to equivalent 400mm. When looking through the magazine at the marvellous pictures displayed every week I notice that the vast majority are taken using a full frame or APS-C type SLR but hardly ever with a 1-inch sensor camera. I’ve had quite a few Canon SLRs over the years but switched to a Panasonic FZ1000 bridge camera (with a 1-inch sensor) six years ago as decrepitude marches on.
A favourite subject of my wife and I is tennis so I’ve started to look back through some older shots taken on 35mm film, APS-C and 1-inch digital to compare the quality.
I can clearly see an improvement as we moved into digital. However I struggle to see much difference between the Canon EOS 70D and the bridge camera pictures. Maybe the Canon allowed some heavier cropping when necessary but is too heavy now. Is my vision clouded or am I missing something? Could Micro Four Thirds be a step up or should I sit tight and see what’s coming around the corner?
Brian H Holmes
There’s a constant assumption that bigger sensors are always best, but the moment you throw in real-world constraints of size and weight, and accept the idea of ‘good enough’ image quality rather than the best possible, the picture changes.
Given the requirements laid out here – A3 prints, 400mm equivalent lens, approx. 800g weight – a 1-inch sensor bridge camera is the best answer. The integrated lens and smaller sensor allows a larger-aperture lens, with the FZ1000 boasting a 25-400mm equivalent f/2.8-4. You can match the zoom range with an Olympus OM-D E-M5 III and 12-200mm lens, but the f/3.5-6.3 aperture cancels out many of the potential advantages of the larger sensor, so I’m not sure it would be obviously better for the intended use.
For your needs it’s difficult to suggest a clear improvement on the FZ1000, which is a very fine camera. One other option is the excellent Sony RX10 IV bridge camera, which has a longer 24-600mm equivalent f/2.4-4 lens, but it weighs and costs rather more.
Andy Westlake, Technical Editor