Updated: Best bridge camera: the top SLR-style, superzoom cameras reviewed

By TechRadar from TechRadar  8th Nov 2014 | 16:10 These cameras have huge optical zoom lenses that are fixed to the body

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Bridge cameras are compact cameras with SLR-like styling and extra-long zoom lenses and they are the great survivors of the camera world. Back in the noughties they proved very popular with enthusiast photographers, and while many predicted they would be wiped out by the rise of affordable DSLRs (especially budget ones) and compact system cameras, this hasn't happened.

Actually it's not that hard to figure out why. Not everyone wants the relative bulk, faff and expense of an DSLR and a big bag of lenses, so it's the combination of power and portability, at an affordable price, that explains the enduring appeal of bridge compact cameras.

The best examples now offer DSLR-like levels of control and fast, wide-aperture lenses, along with raw shooting and other useful extras such as Wi-Fi and articulated screens. Bridge compact makers have been working hard to keep these cameras fresh and appealing to serious photographers, so read on to discover the best buys.

Sensor size: CMOS, 1-inch | Pixel count: 20.1 | Screen type: 3-inch, 921,000 dots | Maximum continuous shooting rate: 12fps | Maximum video resolution: 1080p (4k supported too)

The Panasonic FZ1000 is the brand's flagship bridge camera, packing a 16x optical zoom lens (equivalent to 25-400mm) and a large, 1-inch sensor with 20.1 megapixels. Most bridge cameras have small 1/2.3-inch sensors, so this gives the FZ1000 a serious quality advantage. It can also capture raw files as well as JPEGs.

This is not just any old lens either, being Leica DC Vario-Elmarit glass with a maximum aperture of f/2.8 at the widest point and f/4 at the narrowest. It's a relatively short zoom range compared to other bridge cameras, but for quality-conscious photographers the larger sensor will more than make up for that. There is also a Hybrid 5-axis Optical Image Stabilisation to reduce the risk of camera shake when the lens is zoomed out.

The image processor is the updated Venus Engine that, according to Panasonic, will offer improved resolution, gradation, colour reproduction and noise control. What's more, the FZ1000 is the first compact or bridge camera able to record 4K (3840 x 2160 pixel) video at up to 25fps (PAL) in MP4 format. So, you can enjoy 8Mp still images on 4K televisions. Up to 49 AF points are available and a Custom Multi AF mode enables you to use blocks, rows or columns of AF points.

The Panasonic FZ1000 has a 2,359,000-dot OLED electronic viewfinder, and vari-angle rear LCD – but it's not touchscreen. You can't shoot raw in HDR mode and the camera is a bit bulky, but otherwise it's a very good buy.

Read our full Panasonic Lumix FZ1000 review

Sensor size: CMOS, 1-inch | Pixel count: 20.2 | Screen type: 3-inch LCD, 1,290,000 dots | Maximum continuous shooting rate: 10fps | Maximum video resolution: 1080p

This is another classy bridge compact, and like the Panasonic FZ1000 it has a relatively large (1-inch) 20.2 megapixel sensor. The zoom range is restricted to 8.3x, but it does have a constant wide aperture of f/2.8. Being able to access such a wide aperture is very useful in low light or for reducing depth of field for creative effect (especially when combined with that relatively large sensor).

Indeed, the sensor is the same as the chip inside the well-regarded Sony RX100 II premium compact, and if that wasn't tempting enough, Sony claims the redesigned Bionz X image processor will be three times faster than its predecessor. There is manual control and raw shooting too. The Sony RX10 uses a 1.4 million dot electronic viewfinder, which is a very decent resolution, and there is also a rear-tilting screen to aid composition. Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity comes as standard, and you also get a hotshoe for adding an external flash unit.

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Tickets issued due to red-light cameras are illegal, says Florida court

An appeals court decides that in Florida, private companies that operate red-light cameras have no right to send out tickets.

Will the police department in Hollywood, Fla., now reissue thousands of tickets? StopOnRedFlorida/YouTube screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET

When we reach nerdvana, even the law will be automated.

A human court, however, has decided that a current form of automated law enforcement is actually unenforceable, at least in Florida.

I am grateful to the open-eyed bloodhounds at Watchdog for spotting a Florida appeals court ruling.

The judges mulled the fact that private owners of red-light cameras were the ones who sent out tickets. The judges concluded: "Hang on, that's not legal."

Clearly, those weren't the literal words used in the judgment (PDF). The Fourth District Court of Appeals phrased it like this: "The City is not authorized to delegate police power by entering into a contract that allows a private vendor to screen data and decide whether a violation has occurred before sending that data to a traffic infraction enforcement officer to use as the basis for authorizing a citation."

The city in question is Hollywood, Fla. The court went further and said: "Dismissal of the citation is the appropriate remedy where a private third party effectively decides whether a traffic violation has occurred and a citation should be issued."

This particular case involved American Traffic Solutions. It bills itself as "the leading provider of traffic safety, mobility and compliance solutions for state and local governments, commercial fleets and rental car companies."

It also boasts "over 3,000 Road Safety Camera systems installed and operating throughout the United States and Canada."

The company subpoenaed Eric Arem in 2011. He fought and lost, but won on appeal.

I have contacted the city of Hollywood to ask whether it will fight the ruling or whether it will have all the tickets reissued by the police department. There is also the option, presumably, of refunding money illegally obtained.

At the heart of the use of cameras -- whether at red lights or on highways -- is the suspicion that they're mere moneymakers. Last year, an Ohio judge described speed cameras as "nothing more than a high-tech game of 3-card Monty."

Earlier this year, residents of Tamarac, Fla., were incensed that a red-light camera had been mounted near the emergency room of a hospital.

Then there was the Baltimore case of a man who received a camera ticket that claimed he was speeding. It was sent with an image of his car completely stationary at a red light.

Authorities and private camera companies (see video above) say cameras improve safety. The National Motorists Association says they actually increase the number of accidents.

Of course, if this is all about money, the city of Hollywood may merely consider whether there's a cheap way to get tickets sent by its police department. If there is, perhaps nothing will change.

Who would be surprised, though, if the cost of actually having a member of law enforcement examine every ticket before it's sent means red-light cameras slink out of town?

Chris Matyszczyk Chris Matyszczyk is an award-winning creative director who advises major corporations on content creation and marketing. He brings an irreverent, sarcastic, and sometimes ironic voice to the tech world. See full bio

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