The bridge chamber
I’ve been a fan of bridge cameras since they came out a few years ago. They filled a gap that had been created between the powerful DSLR and the tiniest compact camera. The fact that they have a lens that cannot be changed, and yet can cover enormous focal lengths, appeals to many and means that they don’t have to carry a bag full of different lenses.
as they do if they have a DSLR.
Background
A little experience can help you understand where I come from. I’ve been an avid photographer for many, many years and cut my teeth, so to speak, from using Canon, Nikon, and Pentax cameras long before digital cameras came along.
I embraced the digital format and enjoyed the differences it brought. In the intervening years I have tested a wide selection of different types of digital cameras. I have tried the simple compact, bridge, DSLR and more recently the CSC or compact mirrorless camera. Each has its benefits, depending on what you want from a camera.
The quality of each type is generally good, although in many respects you still “get what you pay for”.
Popularity
Thinking of the popularity of each, I think there will always be a higher proportion of people who prefer the DSLR, but there is a newer kid on the block who is rapidly gaining ground over the DSLR due to the difference in size and portability among others. stuff and that’s the compact system camera or mirrorless camera, so named because of the omission of the pentaprism mirror from the DSLR and thus allows for the smaller, more portable design.
I think these would be the two main types of cameras on the market today, but I realize that the Bridge camera also maintains its fair share of the market and with newer models constantly emerging from companies like Panasonic, Sony, Canyon. And Nikon seems to have a healthy respect for these types of cameras. I recently bought a Panasonic Bridge camera, the FZ330 and I am very satisfied with what I have. It has some great features and in my opinion it will give any camera a good run for its money.
Sensor
Ask any decent photographer about the Bridge camera and they will undoubtedly point out the fact that they generally use a very small sensor, which is true and limiting to some degree. But, as a regular user, I find the quality of the photos I take to be clear enough to keep me happy. At the end of the day, it’s not about what each person wants and if the end result is nice and fit for purpose, then why worry about the sensor being too small?
OK, I realize that a larger sensor has many advantages and will always beat the smaller one in photography, but as I said above, if the user is happy, then there is no point in worrying about that and thinking “I must pay more for a camera with a larger sensor. “
Having said all that, Panasonic recently introduced the FZ1000 Bridge camera, which has a larger sensor and is being well received by the photography community.