You’ll now be well aware (if you’ve read the previous Tech2 Tip articles that is), that not only am I a serial camera hoarder, but I’m also a massive believer in the maxim that the best camera to have is the one you have with you! So, I’ve told you what the best camera to have is, but I’m sure plenty of people are still keen to know what my personal favourite is at the moment and why.
So, what makes the perfect camera? Obviously, that will change from person to person depending on an infinite number of personal preferences such as what genres you want to shoot (landscapes, family portraits, street, action, nature and so on); how you want to shoot (automatic, manual, a bit of both); when you want to shoot (daytime, night-time); as well as other factors such as fitting into a brand “system”, portability and so on. This is exactly why there are so many different cameras on the market, because no single camera can ever hope to tick all the boxes for all the people, no matter how much the manufacturers tell us otherwise.
For me, as someone who has access to the gamut of professional imaging equipment, there is another important but more intangible consideration, and that is I want the perfect camera to be one I enjoy shooting with. It sounds odd, but for me, as someone who spends all their time working with the “best” cameras available on the marketplace, my perfect camera is one I use to shoot my own private work, not imagery being paid for by a client. If you check out my personal Instagram channel @mpvdave you will see that I am fairly eclectic in my tastes and that I shoot personal projects that encompass a myriad of genres, from travel imagery to pet portraits and natural history to sports. Obviously, there are plenty of situations in which I bring out the big guns to capture something specific, like astrophotography or surfing imagery, but more often I want a camera that can do lots of things well...
like cat photos...
like cat photos...
seascapes...
or concert photos...
When you suggest you want a camera that does lots of things well, people tend to immediately think of Interchangable Lens Cameras (ILCs) such as DSLRs or Mirrorless camera systems. I have plenty of both of those and their inherent flexibility is mostly as a result of the system that accompanies them (things like lenses, flashguns etc), not necessarily the body on its own. This, in turn, means a big heavy bag to carry all those wonderful extra gubbins in. That’s not so great when you want, or need, to travel light. No, ILCs are out as far the perfect camera goes for me because of all the “excess baggage” that goes with them.
What I do want though, is a camera with a decent size sensor (but not necessarily a massive megapixel count though – you have to thinks of storage limitations when you’re travelling light), with plenty of manual controls in an ergonomic form (I want dials and buttons, not endless menu functions) and that means something bigger than a traditional compact camera. I’m also partial to a decent zoom lens, preferably a nice fast one (f2.8) or better. It’s a lot to ask for, however, fortunately for me, and maybe for you, such a class of camera does exist, and they are known as Bridge cameras.
Bridge cameras sit between compacts and ILC’s, offering a size similar in format to a small ILC but with a fixed lens. This size allows them to have larger sensors than most compacts and a more ergonomic layout with dials and buttons that permit plenty of manual control. Bridge cameras have had some negative press over the years because they have often been used to mount extreme focal length zoom lenses (up to 1000mm or longer) with smaller sensors resulting in questionable imagery results, however, continued development has now resulted in some exceptional cameras from all the major manufacturers, with Canon, Sony and Panasonic all being worthy of note. Canon have bridge cameras with large sensors and mid-range zoom lenses that feature their propriety “L series” glass. Sony have models that feature similar size sensors but with longer zooms (up to 600mm) built using Zeiss glass and Panasonic have sensors and zooms available in a range of sizes that use Leica glass. All three brands have models that offer F2.8 or faster apertures and that offer features such as weather sealing.
For me, I found it impossible to go past one of the Panasonic offerings – the Fz300 – which gives me a 25-600mm f2.8 constant aperture zoom lens (and yes, you read that right), full manual control, RAW image output, 4K 30fps video (+1080P at 60fps) in an ergonomic, weather sealed shell. It even has a proper, flippy-out LCD screen and a microphone jack that makes it perfect for Vloggers!
This camera is an absolute workhorse, with exceptional battery life and the flexibility to capture almost any situation. I use it as my emergency backup at professional gigs and would have few reservations trusting it to do the job if it ever came down to needing it. I also use it for much of my own personal project work because of its discreet form and portability. The Fz300 is an absolute joy to shoot with – it is comfortable to hold for long periods of time and is beautifully balanced, even with the lens fully extended – with a mix of technical sophistication and manual control that makes it the perfect companion for almost any photographic situation.
This camera is an absolute workhorse, with exceptional battery life and the flexibility to capture almost any situation. I use it as my emergency backup at professional gigs and would have few reservations trusting it to do the job if it ever came down to needing it. I also use it for much of my own personal project work because of its discreet form and portability. The Fz300 is an absolute joy to shoot with – it is comfortable to hold for long periods of time and is beautifully balanced, even with the lens fully extended – with a mix of technical sophistication and manual control that makes it the perfect companion for almost any photographic situation.
So, there you go, my favourite camera is the fabulous Panasonic Fz300 – an incredible all-rounder with great specifications and almost no flaws that makes photography, and videography, a lot of fun. It’s not a new camera by any means, having been originally announced in 2015, and you can get hold of one of these for around $600AUD now. Of course that will be too “old” for some, however, before you write it off as a poor investment think about this - it hasn’t been replaced, yet still sells well which, very tellingly to me, means Panasonic must know they created a real winner and one that would be hard to replace!
Disclaimer - If I am being 100% honest, whilst I love my Fz300 to absolute bits, I would swap it for a Sony RX10iv, simply because the Sony has a slightly bigger sensor and some incredible video specs, but only if an Fz400 doesn’t come along soon that is!
Next time in Tech2 Tips Dave is going to suggest something VERY controversial…
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