Bridge camera...16x Optical (400m) equivalent, from hitting start button to capturing image..3.8 secs. at 10metres....and oh so light around the neck!
Hi Ken,
That's a great shot and although the bird "dropped in" you still have to take the picture, so kudos to you. I can remember the freedom provided by my old FZ30 and of course the quality and performance of bridge cameras has improved many fold since those days.
I'm a lot like you and Swissboy and don't like changing lens if I can help it. I have only three lenses and when I travel I leave the macro at home. On the road, I only use the 12-35 Pro (305g), the 100-300 (520g) and the GH3 (550g). The total weight of the 100-300 mounted on the GH3 is a very manageable 1070g. This would be even lighter if mounted on one of the smaller Panasonic bodies like the G6 or the GM5. Not far off the weight of the FZ1000 (831g). But certainly much lighter and compact than what some photographers carry around. On my local walkabouts I only carry the GH3 and the 100-300
When I had the FZ30, I often thought to myself, wouldn't it be nice to just upgrade the sensor and save the lens. That's impossible because of the supporting electronics that go with the sensor but the next best scenario is replacing the camera and only change lenses very infrequently. That's where I'm headed now. The quality of cameras has improved so much over the last couple of years that cycle times of meaningful improvements are lengthening. Much like computers need to be replaced less often now compared to years ago. The cycle time for cameras is also longer since they are not impacted by the types of needs that still drive computer replacements i.e. connectivity, memory, multitude of applications etc. For cameras it comes down to the sensor and base features. In conjunction with this, prices of cameras have dropped (or rather higher quality cameras are available at lower prices).
This confluence of events makes owning 2 bodies each with a dedicated lens very feasible and relatively affordable although not for everyone. Once the initial investment is made, I will probably only need to upgrade one body every 2 or 3 years. I'll be using a rangefinder form factor for weight and space savings. The only need for a hump on a mirrorless camera is to place the manufacturer's logo. I would have bought one of the Pansonic's for this but they seemed reluctant to provide a rangefinder with a viewfinder and a view finder is essential for tele shots.
Anyway a longer post than I had intended but I wanted to agree with you that fussing with lenses is a pain and so is heavy and bulky gear. The good news is that I will have a new kit for Belize and it will give me the freedom I enjoyed with my first two cameras, the FZ1 and FZ30, both bridge cameras.
Paul
photo life list, now at 722 birds,
http://paultavares.smugmug.com/Wildlife/Birds/MyBirds/