Which bridge camera with big zoom to choose?

Canon SX70 vs Panasonic FZ82 vs Nikon P900 vs Kodak AZ901, full comparison.

If you need very long-range binoculars, which also allow you to store images, a bridge is the solution. The advantage of a bridge is that its fixed optics put it at an advantageous price compared to the telephoto lenses of hybrids and SLRs. The counterpart is a sensor in small format 1/2.3" with a lower sensitivity that makes the images in low light grainy if you do not increase the exposure time. These cameras are better suited for daylight.
Another advantage is the minimum focusing distance of 1cm, which makes them ideal for macro photography.

If you have not yet chosen your model, here's a brief comparison between the Canon SX70 and the closest competitors which all offer a very big zoom. It is based on manufacturers' specifications, testers reviews and consumer reviews, and even a reading of the online manual ...

Comparison of specifications

Canon SX70

A little more pro oriented than its competitors. But there is little progress compared to the SX60 released in 2014! We could have hoped for a bigger zoom.

For:

• You can adjust the brightness of the screen on several levels.
• The digital zoom is combined to the optical zoom without having to reduce the resolution of the images. A big advantage.
• Video 4K.
• High definition viewfinder.
• The most compact of the four.

Against:

• In custom mode, you have to save the configuration to retrieve it when you wake up the device, which has advantages but is tedious.

Lumix FZ82

Good camera for video and for a simplified photography. Panasonic is always technically ahead of the competition.

For:

• The only one to offer focus stacking: the camera takes several shots with different focus and combines them into a single multi-focus image.
• Great aperture.
• You can move the focus with your finger on the screen.
• Good stabilization even at long end.
• Reactive touch screen.
• 4K video.
• Competitive price.

Against:

• The diopter wheel tends to move by itself.
• Granularity at 800 ISO.
• Fixed screen.

Nikon P950

The P950 is the successor to the P900 besides the P1000. The latter weighing 1400g, we place it in a separate category.

For:

• Giant 83x zoom.
• Wide aperture of 2.8 in wide angle.
• Viewfinder activated automatically when the eye comes in front of it.

Against:

• Lower image resolution.
• Focus is not always responsive for videos.
• Small viewfinder.

Differences with P900

• 4K video.
• RAW now supported.
• Improved viewfinder.
• Bigger buffer to avoid delay between two shots.
• GPS is gone.

Kodak AZ901

Kodak has very few user reviews on Amazon. This brand seems a little neglected and in fact, it offers few new models. The AZ1000 has confidential distribution.
The 90x zoom is actually no more magnifying than the Nikon's 83x, because it starts at a wider angle. The maximum focal length is the same.

For:

• Autonomy.
• Good pictures at long distance.
• JPEG compression removes the granularity that appears beyond ISO 400.
• Switching to digital zoom requires you to release the button and press again to continue beyond the optical zoom.
• Special effect that turns the photo into a sketch that Kodak is the only one to offer (Sony offers a cartoon special effect on recent models).

Against:

• Zoom noisy and slow to unfold.
• Focus not always effective.
• The wide angle on the panoramas has fuzzy corners (this is not the case indoor or with the zoom).
• Does not support the SDXC card format.
• Some recurring reliability issues.

Beyond these cameras you can found also 1" bridge cameras and that increases the quality of pictures from 400 or 800 ISO to 3200 ISO. This also reduce the zoom factor to 15x or 25x and increase the price by a big factor also.

See also: Which is the best camera for a trip?