Thanks Graeme, I was going to mention that rig too.
I agree, it sounds to me like you're after something beyond a basic
point-and-shoot, Michael. I use a full Nikon kit with big lenses, but you
certainly can't lug them around easily. However, I also own a Nikon 1 V2
with the 70-300mm lens and it is quite amazing. As Graeme says, it has an
equivalent focal length of more than 800mm. It also shoots stills at up to
60 frames per second, which is, of course, faster than most video! If I have
one objection to the Nikon 1, it is that with the small sensor images can be
noisy.
See the following link for some images made with this setup. Please note, I
took these photos purely to test out the capabilities of the camera and
lens, so they're not particularly amazing photographs:
http://paul.angrybluecat.com/Trips-and-Locations/2014/Portland-Dec-2014/
I did shoot the pelagic the following day using this setup and I must say
that even shooting at 15 frames per second was incredible for birds in
flight (sorry, I have not got around to processing and publishing those
shots yet). The electronic viewfinder is acceptable on the Nikon, and there
are facilities to assist with manual focus. The Nikon 1 lenses all seem to
have manual focus rings.
I did purchase the adapter to allow "big" Nikon lenses to be mounted to the
Nikon 1. I have tried a few lenses, including my big 600mm f/4 lens (giving
an effective focal length of 1620mm), but have not managed to make any
acceptable images. Perhaps I'll try some more, but my current thoughts are
not to bother with that.
The Nikon 1 is available in a waterproof model - the AW1. I took one of
those snorkelling, and it worked reasonably well. However, it lacks the
electronic viewfinder, so I wouldn't recommend it as your main camera.
As Graeme said, the Nikon 1 setup is not cheap. The V2 is $399 with an
11-27.5mm (30-75mm equivalent). The 70-300mm is a little north of $1000.
Paul Dodd
Docklands, Victoria
-----Original Message-----
From: Birding-Aus On Behalf Of
Graeme Chapman
Sent: Wednesday, 25 February 2015 11:01 AM
To:
Cc:
Subject: Best compact zoom lens camera
Hello Michael,
You clearly need a professional quality camera, not a lightweight compact.
I suggest you have a look at a Nikon V2 or V3 with the latest 70-300mm lens
which (at 300 mm) results in an equivalent focal length of over 800 mm.
It won't quite fit in your pocket but it is light, compact and well-built.
Also roughly $2000 - you get what you pay for.
Cheers
Graeme
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