If you can find which Leica compacts have a Panasonic version - the Panasonic version is same glass (lens) but you aren’t paying for the name and the UI software is a bit different otherwise it is the same camera
Ex: Panasonic ZS200 is 'the same" as Leica C-lux, offering a 24-360mm equivalent lens in a tiny package. New about $600, used around $200-$300. The Leica version? $1200.
All the Lumix cameras I have loved were Panasonic branding of the high quality Leica cameras :)
Do you know if that’s true for the fz-80 (or 82) cameras?
FZ80 is not leica at all; I dont know about the 82.
I kinda figured, judging by the ticket price.
It sounds like you’re stuck in a very tricky user group: people who need a ‘reasonably affordable’, rugged, compact bridge that can handle near microscopic with a full range (true) f-stop lens.
Or maybe the ‘lensless’ camera is closer than imagined? (Of course, you’d need a bigger, faster processor…
For myself; I adore my Lumix LX100 (and prior to that, LX3). These are based on Leica but I personally do not need zoom for birds; the OP wanted that :)
I need wide angle mostly, and hotshoe, for cave photography (sunguramy.com) that has macro ability for the bio work; which the LX100 is perfect for. Sadly it isn’t weather sealed…I keep hoping for sealing on future models. The LX3 actually holds up better to cave environ; but the IQ is much less than LX100, being so old and a much smaller sensor.
I dipped into the olympus tg6 for having a good macro when the caves are particularly muddy & wet & crawly, which is more often than not for the cave bio. If the lx100 came in a sealed version that would be idyllic! Or I would absolutly love to find a panasonic GM5: the smalled m4/3 system camera ever made <3 it is so teeny but all the packed features and I could throw a wide angle macro on it and it would still be smaller than my LX100!
Thank you so much for all of the replies everyone!
An example of what kind of camera’s is used in iNaturalist you can find Excel document with list of camera’s used in iNaturalist:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fliiB5RgbYx9-N88R-xPMsUfDVjfnLLo9p_tKERKJrQ/edit?usp=sharing
This is interesting, what is the probable new version.
I am also looking for a camera - bridge, big zoom, good macro — but am finding nothing good in the market. Canon and Nikon seem to be phasing out bridge cameras and forcing people to invest in Mirrorless, and some of the other brands don’t good reliable bridge equivalents.
IF you do a search for Panasonic LUMIX bridge cameras, there are several new models available, with an assortment of features and corresponding prices.
I have taken many iNaturalist photos with the Nikon Z50 camera and 50-250mm lens. This is a small light-weight and high quality combo that lets you crop into the subject if necessary and still get a usable photo for the internet. The small mirrorless camera has a built in flash that occasionally is needed. If you are willing to spend more, you could get the Z7ii, though it doesn’t have a flash.
It’s a good price for what you get but I suggested it because it has better than average optics and a very, very usable zoom range from close up (not quite macro) to distant birds. If you don’t want to photo birds then that doesn’t matter but I guess mots people would like to be able to do so.
what exactly do you mean by “still usable for the internet” ?
I compared the Z50 with my D3300 using this cameradecision website
They Z50 compares very favourably.
iNaturalist’s recommended photo size is 2404 pixels on the longest side; this give a file that is about 800KB. Most cameras, even smart phone cameras can exceed this file size.
Part 2: However, if you have to crop the photo extensively to get just the subject, a higher resolution camera is needed. Again, the newer smart phones are good for closeup–that’s their main advantage excellent closeup photos and you can quickly check if the subject is in focus. I have had good results with a Z50 with a 50-250mm lens.
This topic was automatically closed 60 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.