Bridge Cameras for Wildlife Video and Photography

Bighorntracks touched on a topic that I'm very passionate about so I thought I would share my experience with bridge cameras for wildlife video and photography. I'm definetely an amateur when it comes to photography but based on the amount of time I have spent in the outdoors shooting video and still photos with bridge cameras I could write a master thesis. Here's a link to a video I shot exclusively with a panasonic bridge camera. I've taken crazy awesome stills with the camera also. Enjoy!

And if that doesn't spark your interest for what a bridge camera can do take a look at a few photos of these muley photos:

They are amazing little pieces of technology.

You got some great stuff with that Panasonic.
Like I said in my post, my beef with these types of posts is that there is no comparison.

I have seen guys take stunning photos with cell phone cameras.
I have seen crap photos taken with high dollar, professional DSLR systems.

I have seen a lot of great stuff taken with the bridge cameras, but??

Given those exact same conditions, from the same position, at the same time, operated by the same user, how do they stack up?

That was the question I posed.

I seriously doubt that an 800mm camera lens worth $15,000.00 attached to a $7,000.00 full frame camera body, with a 1.4 teleconveter between them, would loose to a bridge camera, or any digiscoping set up.

I have seen some amazing photos taken by bridge cameras. Example, yours.
I have also seen some amazing photos from all kids of digiscoping set ups.

I still have a lot of questions though.

So much of photography is based on shooting conditions.
Lighting, angle, air clarity.

So, unless you take an honest look by comparing photos taken under the same conditions, how can we acurately judge?

I try not to form an opinion too early.
Jury is still out for me.

I have to do some serious low light comparisons, some close range comparisons, and some ultra long range stuff.

One thing I do believe, and your photos show this, the bridge cameras are the cheapest option that are capable of producing some amazing images.

You can not buy a spotting scope, adapter and camera for less than you can buy a bridge camera.
You can not buy a traditional photography set up capable of reaching out like the bridge camera for the same amount.

They should have a huge following in the wildlife community.

Don't get me wrong. I am glad you posted and I think your stuff is great.
I hope it inspires folks to buy these things.

My intent is not to show what is capable under perfect conditions, but to compare results under all conditions.

You see this kind of thing all the time with digiscoping.
One guys perfect cell phone pic goes up against another guys perfect point and shoot pic.
The truth be told, both set ups took 9,000 crap pics to get that one stunner.

Then guys read the internet, see everyones perfect shots and can not figure out why their photos are not working like everyone else's.

As I said in my post, this is what I wanted to get around. I wanted to get around the perfect photo contest and see photos taken under exact same conditions.

Especially distance.

The only way I could figure out how to do it is to go buy one. Take it with me.


I would love to have someone like yourself go out on a few trips with me. Stand side by side with me, take the photos and see what what we get.
Not as a challenge, not to prove anything, just a scientific examination, for our own benefit.

Because, really, I don't care what you use. I only care to know what is possible for my own benefit.
From what I have seen on the internet, everything is possible of capturing fantastic images under certain conditions. The problem is, these conditions are usually unknown.

I don't like the unknown.

What I would really like to find out is, if the smaller sensors and limited ISO range of these cameras, can perform in low light at a level comparable to digiscoping set ups.
That is the next thing I would like to try.

I agree with you 100% BigHorn and you bring up some very good points. The most important being that there really isn't any information anywhere doing a side by side comparison of a bridge camera, a dslr and a digiscope set up in use at the same time and under the same conditions. In fact, your post with pics is the first I've seen discussing the issue. Thanks for posting it.
At the end of the day it really comes down to what works best for you and more importantly spending the time with whatever set up you choose and get what I call "rockstar good" with it. It's like anything else-the more time and work you put in the better you will get. Again, I'm far from an expert. I just love taking photos and video with bridge cameras. So for me they are the "rockstars" of the camera world. Can a bridge camera take a better quality still than a higher end dslr with prime lens? I say no way. But for me the quality produced by panasonic bridge cameras is "good enough".

As far as digiscope set ups go- again, you really have to spend the time with the equipment and be incredibly patient. I've seen stills and HD video produced with the ##### scopecam adapter set ups that are crazy awesome. ##### raised the bar for digiscoping biggame hunts and wildlife photography and video. But for me digiscoping requires carrying some heavier equipment and set up time. My lightweight compact bridge camera is always at the ready and super fast to turn on and start filming. I know I have to get a little closer to get quality stills and video with my bridge camera but getting closer to my subject is one of the driving factors in my pursuit to take a good picture or shoot some sweet video. Although if I'm within 200 yds of a big muley I can get some fantastic video no matter what the lighting conditions are.

For me bridge cameras are the only way to roll. That's not to say everyone will get the same results I do. But I can honestly say that anyone who puts in the time will be incredibly pleased with the stills and video captured with bridge cameras. Here are a few photos taken with my bridge camera under very cloudy almost dark conditions and at about 100 yard distances.



ttp://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos2/1464greasewood_ghosts2.jpg

I've done quite a bit of experimentation with superzoom point and shoots vs. dslr's with the ETC function.

I have had a Canon T3i with it's 3x crop zoom function. A Panasonic G6 with it's 4.8x ETC (extended tele crop) and now a Panasonic GH4 with the same 4.8x ETC. This turns my 300mm lenses into a 1500mm and my 600mm into a 3000mm equivalent. It's orders of magnitude more reach than you can get with the superzooms at about an 800mm equivalent.

The main place the superzoom point and shoots fall down is at dawn and dusk. They are smaller sensors and smaller lenses that require way more light to work well in the magic couple of minutes at dawn and dusk.

If anyone is looking for a new superzoom, the Panasonic FZ1000 is looking to be an incredible one. 4K at 30fps, 1080 at 60fps and a 120fps 1080 slowmotion mode. It's a 1" sensor and does pretty well in lower light.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonic-lumix-dmc-fz1000

Here's a slomotion sample of my older G6 at about 300 yards, while my buddy HJB was up around 150 yards with his Canon SX. Maybe he can chime in with the samples of the same video.
https://vimeo.com/90916591

In any case all the new options are completely amazing and it's an awesome time to be into filming critters.

Cheers,
Pete

By the way HDP, those are some amazing images in the sunset of those bucks !!!

Cheers,
Pete

Pete, thanks for the kind words AND for all the cool information! You're knowledge and experience in outdoor photography and filming is a huge benefit to us all. Thanks for taking the time to share your talent. The video you capture is INCREDIBLE!! I enjoyed watching it over and over.

Here's another short video "collage" that I shot with a panasonic bridge camera. The conditions were far from ideal and it was very windy with heavy snow and rain. I crawled down a dike to within 150 yards of the deer, set up a small tarp to keep the rain and snow off my camera and began filming. Even under very low light conditions the bridge camera did a great job of capturing some pretty solid video. Hope you enjoy it!

>If anyone is looking for a
>new superzoom, the Panasonic FZ1000
>is looking to be an
>incredible one. 4K at
>30fps, 1080 at 60fps and
>a 120fps 1080 slowmotion mode.
> It's a 1" sensor
>and does pretty well in
>lower light.
>http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonic-lumix-dmc-fz1000


Just bought one today...