Comparing brdigecamera zoom (hx100v) vs mirrorles camera (nex-6)

victordroogh

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I am going to replace my Sony HX100v bridgecamera for the Sony Nex-6 mirrorles camera.
Now i want to be able to zoom in further with the nex-6 camera then i was able to do with the HX100v.

I've read that the 30x zoom of the HX100v does not say a lot about how far i could actually zoom.
But the sony specification website of the HX100v mention that the camera is comparable with a focal length of 27-810mm.
(source: DSC-HX100V | H Series | Overview | DSCHX100V.CEH | DSCHX100V | Sony)

Can any body tell me if this is correct / seams feasable, i.e. would this mean I would need a lens of over 810mm to be able to zoom in further?

I made a quick comparison with my mothers camera that has Sony DSLR with a ?-300mm lens vs my HX100v.
Fully zoomed in (no digital zooming) my hx100v did zoom in further then the 300mm lens.
The street sign that I shot for the comparison was about two times bigger with the hx100v vs the 300mm lens.
I think this might somewhat confirm that i would need a lens of over 810mm for my Nex-6 to be able to zoom more.

Can anybody help me?
 
If insane zoom is your most important property you are looking in a camera then my advise to you is stay with a bridge camera.
To get a lens with the range you are looking for in a DSLR will cost you a lot.
I know very little about mirrorless cameras but I doubt very much you have anything that can touch the range you are looking for.
For a DSLR you might get away with a lens with 400mm and on that you can put a telecoverter but even that will be expensive.
I think if you don't want to spend a lot of money then just stay with a bridge camera.
 
I've never heard of a decent or reputable DSLR zoom lens that covers a 30x range.

It's easier to do in mirrorless cameras, since the lens can be much closer to the sensor, and smaller changes have larger proportional effects, thus requiring fewer compromises in the structure of the lens to allow insane zoom ranges. It's also easier to do with smaller sensors.

Still, a 30x range is not going to be great optical quality no matter what. And the smaller sensor that allows it to be possible is itself going to mean less realistic resolution and low light capability.




However, if what you do is go and climb mountains with your camera, and can't afford the space for a large camera and lenses or the hassle of having to change lenses ever, even for dramatically different framed shots, then it still may be worth it for you. There is real value in huge zoom ranges if that's what you need. But you will pay for it in quality. Do NOT expect professional / DSLR quality shots with that. Normal mirrorless cameras can do well, and optics are not their drawback. But the optics of a 30x zoom camera IS going to be its main drawback.
 
If insane zoom is your most important property you are looking in a camera then my advise to you is stay with a bridge camera.
To get a lens with the range you are looking for in a DSLR will cost you a lot.
I know very little about mirrorless cameras but I doubt very much you have anything that can touch the range you are looking for.
For a DSLR you might get away with a lens with 400mm and on that you can put a telecoverter but even that will be expensive.
I think if you don't want to spend a lot of money then just stay with a bridge camera.

Thanks for your comment.
Zoom is not all I want, but I like to photograph wildlife and that is easier in some cases when you have much zoom.
Your comment helped me out, now I know I cannot expect same level of zoom for "low" amount of money.
Most of my pictures were not taken with much zoom, but it would be nice to have it when it would not cost to much.

Just found it odd that you could have much zoom for a $400 bridgecamera and would not be able to have equivalent zoom with a lens of equal cost.
 
Just found it odd that you could have much zoom for a $400 bridgecamera and would not be able to have equivalent zoom with a lens of equal cost.
Placing lenses further from the sensor (to allow room for the mirror) results in more complicated engineering that makes it difficult to achieve huge zoom ranges.

Most DSLRs also have much larger sensors, which require bigger pieces of glass to fully cover with an image.

Complex design = many pieces of glass moving around in complicated ways, and when all those pieces of glass also have to be 4x bigger to cover the sensor, you end up with massive cost increases.

And to add on to that, most DSLR users are going to be more demanding about image quality, so that means even more glass, and more exotic glass and aspherical elements, and different glass designed to adjust for errors at different parts of the huge focal range, blah blah.


It becomes almost practically impossibly expensive and heavy, which is why they aren't sold.
 
There ARE a few superzoom cameras that have excellent optics, but they are few and far between. For example: Panasonic FZ70 Review

The Canon SX50 is pretty good too: Canon SX 50 Review

These two have been give the seal of approval of one of the world's leading landscape and candid street/genre shooters...he's VERY picky about image quality.

Anyway, I was at Target yesterday, and picked up the newish Pentax X-5...a nifty superzoom/bridge camera, with in-body IS. I LIKED the fit and feel and handling of it in the store, and the zoom was a 580mm equivalent at the long end!!! I came home and read the reviews...it's highly flawed in controls, and has no RAW capture option, and no aperture-priority nor shutter priority modes, and the IMAGE processing is so-so...buuuuuut, it was on sale for $199...and "this" is the kind of image quality most people associate with these new massive superzooms.
 
You will need to sit quietly with yourself and go through your priorities.
You can get a DSLR with very good zoom lens and get excellent results
You can look for a bridge
Look for a mirrorless but I really dont know enough about their lenses, I dont think they have long zooms as DSLR does.

Let me give you a little point to think of.

You can get a Nikon D3200 with the 18-55mm VR lens (cost 530$ before tax) to that you can add the Nikon 70-300mm VR lens (cost 430$ before tax).
Nikon D3200 is Nikon basic camera but is a fantastic camera for those new to photography a very powerful tool.
On this camera the lenas 70-300mm VR is actually 105-450mm due to its crop sensor. It must be confusing but on my camera the Nikon D7100 I have this lens with the same factor as its also a crop sensor camera and its a VERY effective long zoom lens.
The D3200 is also not a big camera for a DSLR.
I got my 70-300mm VR used for 280$ which made this lens even sweeter so if you are willing to get a used lens then thats a way to make this deal cheapper.
If you can afford an even better camera then the Nikon D5200 or the D7100 are on the higher range of Canon crop sensor DSLR range.
 

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