Typically wildlife photographers out to get the perfect shot of a bird in flight or wild animal in the veld are wielding large lenses mounted on the most expensive of camera’s either a full frame camera or an APS-C to extend the lenses reach. In recent years some well know photographers have experimented with 4/3 cameras for this purpose with some success.
However, there are a lot of individuals who participate in this activity which have no intention of selling a large print, they are more interested in recording sightings for their purposes and sharing with fellow enthusiast over the internet. Their need for high-quality resolution is not essential. Instead, they are seeking a lightweight simple to operate camera that has an excellent lens range and produces low-resolution internet quality images, not print quality.
It would appear with the crash in the point, and shoot market, likely brought on by the use of smartphone cameras, some companies are now addressing this niche market by using 1″ sensors.

Photographer Sven Skafisk took the latest 2016 CIPA camera production data and created the chart above showing that compact cameras have continued to decline while DSLR and mirrorless camera sales seem to have stabilized a bit.

A quick review of DPreview shows three such cameras release in recent years one just in June of 2018, the Sony RX100VI, the Sony RX10IV, and Panasonic’s FZ 2000. Although a lot of these individuals currently use 1/2.3 sensor 12-megapixel cameras, that they have had around their necks for years with their binoculars, it is likely this will change. However a 1″ sensor is more than four times larger than a 1/2.3 sensor; also there have been significant improvements in resolution, dynamic range and colour in the last two year with the new sensors. A 1″ sensor has a surface area of about 116mm². A 1/2.3″ sensor has an area of about 28mm². Having 4× the light-gathering area is a huge advantage that is pretty much impossible to overcome.
Nikon seems to have opted to go in a different direction the Nikon Coolpix P1000 retains the 1/2.3 sensor, I suspect so they can produce the longest through in a camera yet 24-3000mm (35mm equivalent). For those that need such a zoom lens perhaps it is worth the compromise in sensor quality.

Courtesy of camerasize.com

Courtesy of camerasize.com

	Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VI	Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV	Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2500	Nikon Coolpix P1000
Announcement	Jun 5, 2018	Sep 12, 2017	Sep 19, 2016	Jul 10, 2018
Sensor Size	1 inch	1 inch	1 inch	1/2.3
Resolution	20 megapixels	20 megapixels	20 megapixels	16 megapixels
Focal Length	24-200	24-600	24-480	24-3000
Focus Points	315	350	49	unknown
Maximum Aperture	2.8-4.5f	2.4-4f	2.89-4.5	2-8.8f
Weight	301g	1095g	915g	1415g
Dimensions	102 x 58 x 43 mm	133 x 94 x 145 mm	138 x 102 x 135 mm	146 x 119 x 181 mm
Frames per second	24	24	12	7
File formats	RAW and JPEG	RAW and JPEG	RAW and JPEG	RAW and JPEG
Price	CA$1600	CA$2200	CA$1300	CA$1300

Sony Cybershot R100VI

The RX100 VI is my choice for the photographer who wants to not only do birding but travel with a camera that is lightweight and versatile. The lens quality of this camera because of its shorter throw 24-200 will not be as effective as a longer throw, but image quality will be better. The camera is also 1/3 the weight of the other three cameras and the only one that can be placed into a jacket or shirt pocket. 

If birding is a minor interest one might even consider the RX100 V(A), which is the replacement camera for the RX100 V, the Zeiss lens in this camera only ranges from 1.8-2.8f an extremely bright lens and with a 24-70 lens, it is opitically better than any of the four cameras. I would suggest that this camera is likely the top 1inch camera on the market in terms of image quality.

Sony Cybershot RX10 IV

The RX10 IV is a good choice if you really need a longer reach telephoto lens its 24-600mm equivalent range should meant the needs of most birders who dont need the higher quality of larger sensors, of the four new cameras in this category the RX10 IV has the brightest lens combined with a frames per second rate twice that of the FZ2500 and more than three times that of the Nikon P1000. 

It also has 350 focus points an important different from these other two cameras.
If you consider trying to capture a good image of a bird in flight, having a frame rate of 24 fps compared to 12 or 7 and 350 focusing points compared to 49 or less, this camera is much more likely to produce a great shot under these circumstances.

Panasonic Lumix FZ2500

The FZ2500 to my mind is not positioned well in this field at the moment against the RX10 IV or the P1000, it does not have the best frame rate, it’s zoom is shorter, its lens is darker, and it has a very low amount of focus points. I am not sure how you would characterize its advantages its not significantly lighter than the Sony cameras, so the only real advantage over the RX10 IV is its price over the RX10IV but it looses this advantage over the other two cameras. 

Nikon Coolpix P1000

The P1000 of the four cameras has the longest throw in its zoom lens 24-3000, it also has a 1cm minimum focus so it can be used for macro shots as well. When the camera lens reaches out into the telephoto range and the f-stop rises steeply camera shake and light becomes a critical issue. Nikon uses a “Dual Detect Optical VR (Vibration Reduction)” to compensate, it suggests that this increases the number of stops by five; using accelerometers and corrective elements in the lense to analysis the image and reduces the impacts of shake. The downside is the 1/2.3″ sensor which will be a compromise from the other camera’s 1inch sensors. 

If you are interested in a longer reach for the zoom lens it is possible to extend this to 6000mm, with some loss in quality, using a feature called Dynamic Fine Zoom. It is also possible to push this to 12000mm but again with a significant loss of image quality.

Conclusion 

Looking at these three cameras, I would recommend the RX100 VI for someone who is concerned about portability and weight, as well as making sure you are buying a camera that is suitable for all purposes. However, a serious birder is likely to be happier with the RX10 IV as it has the longest reach in it lens a 24-600mm 35mm equivalency, and they may not be as concerned about its bulkiness.
If it is a long throw zoom lens you are after then the P1000 might be worth the compromise of a smaller sensor. The lens does become very dark at its outer reaches so it may require a tripod in poorer lighting conditions to reach the 3000mm equivalent. I am not sure why you might need such a reach and the compromise in quality and weight is significant. Still it is impressive technology.

References:

Spoilt for choice: which Sony RX100 is right for you?
Ken Rockwell on the myth of the 1-inch sensor.

Why are larger sensors better at low light?
Six Benefits of Using Cameras With Larger Sensors
The Best Mirrorless Cameras for Wildlife and Bird Photography – 2018 Round-up
How To Choose A Camera For Bird Photography
Nikon Coolpix P1000 shoots for the moon with 3000mm equivalent zoom
Sony Cyber-Shot RX10 IV DPreview
Sony Cyber-Shot RX100 VI DPreview
Nikon Coolpix P1000 DPreview
Panasonic FZ2500 DPreview
Panasonic ZS200

Sensor Size Comparison Chart

I really enjoyed reading Mat Coke’s article on simplifying your life as a photographer. His ideas resonated with me, you can read the article by clicking the link but here is a summary.

1. Keep your processing area clean and hang a few prints for inspiration.
Hidden in this advice is the idea that you need to print your work and put it in a frame or presentation format. It does make a difference, and it is not the same as working on screen processing and posting to the internet. Something different happens when you print and frame, you see the work differently. When you move from screen to print you move from a 72dpi world to a 300dpi world which is much less forgiving. Suddenly you can see flaws in your image and your processing. Other times the photograph just does not work in print which informs what you will do differently next time you are in the field.

2. Organize and clean your space and your gear into one kit ready to field with a clean card, charged battery, and sell anything that you don’t need.
Mat is right this does focus your mind and your creativity, it also means if a sudden opportunity arises you can grab the kit and field your camera quickly. When the equipment is down to you critical lenses, for example, my 24, 35, 85 and 135mm primes, I know what I want to use in a given situation. When I had all my lenses were with me somehow my mind was more cluttered with all the possibilities, and choices were not as sharp as it was with a simplified kit.
3. Confront your GAS
Gas, gear acquisition syndrome, I find creeps in when you are not out creating new photographs. It consumes the mind with what you might be able to do with some new camera or lens or device. More importantly GAS often keeps you from getting out there and creating with the gear you already have.
Gear acquisition should come out of a need that arises in the field when working on a project and a specific piece of gear would allow you to advance your project. When you begin the other way around by dreaming up what you might do if you had this or that piece of gear it often turns out to gather dust on your shelf.

ONA Mirrorless Kit Bag

4. Learn one new thing at a time.
There is always something new to learn in photography, and the temptation is to try and explore everything you can all at once, rather than mastering one technique at a time. For example, if you are trying to understand how to best sharpen your images. Make sure you experiment with some images with varying degrees of noise and files from different cameras. In addition to taking in least three good articles or videos on the subject. Make sure you know how all the adjustments operate and print to see what happens when an image is enlarged and not on the computer screen. Then move on to the next thing you want to master whether it is in a post-processing technique or how to light a model’s face.

5. Work within projects.
Experimenting with your photography and capture everything that catches your eye, is part of the creative process. But looking for themes or projects in what interests you is also part of understanding and developing your own creativity. So it is just as important to deliberately work on a specific project whether it be doing a series of portraitures, milky way captures or studies of architectural details. If you are stuck on what project, you might work sort through your back catalogue and arrange the images into categories or themes, and you will likely find themes emerging that will give you an idea for a project.

The Perfect 50mm

1. Leica Summicron-M 50mm F/2 with Voigtlander VM-E CLose-Focus adapter. This has a lot of appeal for the following reasons:

• Extremely high quality and a sharp lens
• Superb rendering characteristics
• MF even more comfortable with the A7rII than with the Leica M9
• *Real* manual focus throw rather than focus “by wire.”
• Smallest of the 50s but also the heaviest
• A telescoping lens hood is an awesome feature
• The aperture ring on the lens
• $2400 plus $300 adaptor

2. Zeiss Loxia 50 F/2. Also an excellent choice for a manual focus lens. It has the following features:

• Excellent quality/sharpness
• Rendering characteristics unknown. They look good in reviews, but unlikely to be “better” than the Leica.
• Electronically coupled – EXIF data transmitted with the image
• MF zoom is automatic as soon as you start to focus. (On the Leica, it has this function mapped to a custom button – so also not difficult) 
• Is a more modern lens technically – even though its design is based on the Zeiss Planar 50mm – first released by Zeiss in 1896 – arguably the most plagiarised lens design of all time. 
• The aperture ring is on the lens
• $1300 price 

3. Sony/Zeiss 55mm F/1.8. This is the only autofocus lens of the group.

• It is exceptionally sharp and the second sharpest lens available for Sony (GMaster 85mm F/1.4 is #1) according to DXO. Is used for all the Sony cameras in Dpreview tests.
• Zeiss Sonnar *T* optical design and Sony electronics  
• The only AF lens in the group, although it can be used in MF with full electronic EXIF and zoom capabilities – just like the Loxia
• The lightest lens in the group – 2 oz lighter than the Loxia and 4 oz lighter than the Leica.
• Slightly faster (1/3 stop) than the Leica or Loxia
• No aperture ring
• $1150

The Wide Angles

Batis Kit

Sony Kit

The Ultimate Kit

References

References: