camera sensors

[Roderick]

Hi, Can anyone tell me if it is technically possible for a bridge camera to have a sensor as big as the sensors used in dSLR cameras?
If this was possible it would eliminate the low light problem with bridge cameras.

[RichardTaylor]

Yes,
However it wouldn't be as compact as a bridge camera. It would be similar in size, including the slr lens, to a SLR ( the body itself may be a bit smaller than a DSR if it didn't have a mirror).

[Roderick]

Originally Posted by RichardTaylor

Yes,
However it wouldn't be as compact as a bridge camera. It would be similar in size, including the slr lens, to a SLR ( the body itself may be a bit smaller than a DSR if it didn't have a mirror).

Hi, Thanks for your reply.
I understand by what you say is that the camera would be about the same size as a dSLR. I would be quite happy with that but I don't think there is such a camera on the market at present.
If there were, it would have the quality of the dSLR plus the ease of use of the bridge. ( no lens changes at difficult moments in the field)
Nice to hear from someone in Sydney. I spent several happy years in Australia, five of which were in Mosman.
Thanks again.

[inkista]

Well.... there would be one other change, and that would be the lens size. No more 20x or 25x or 30x zoom factors if you increase the sensor size that much. The lens sizes have to increase just as much.

A typical bridge camera gets the "superzoom" factor by having a 5mm-100mm lens. If you multiply the sensor size by a factor of 5, you have to do the same thing to the lens focal lengths. And a 100mm lens is a very different beast from a 500mm lens.

And no macro capability without a special macro lens.

You can't just supersize the sensor and get all the same behavior out of the optics. They've kept the sensors on the bridge camera small in order to offer you the superzoom range and macro capability and all that jazz in the same small inexpensive package.

Increasing the sensor size would require reducing the zoom range or interchangeable lenses (depending on how much bigger you make the sensor), which is why we have the enthusiast compact class, and all the new mirrorless compact cameras, like the Nikon 1 System, micro four-thirds, and Sony NEX. Right now, camera manufacturers are trying to find out what the right sensor size/feature/price balance is for someone like you who wants the convenience of a small camera, but the better image quality and capabilities of a larger sensor.

[ravncat]

And another issue for getting the same "low light" capability is in the lens brightness. Bridge camera's don't often have very fast lenses - sometimes they have lenses that are bright when at the widest angle. Bright lenses also tend to be larger - and further complicate the design.

[Roderick]

Hi, Thanks to all the replies I have received I realise that I have greatly underestimated the complications involved regarding lens/sensor matching.
It is now obvious to me that the lens system is probably the most complicated, and also the most important part of the camera.
Perhaps future developments in lens manufacture will make it possible to have larger sensors in bridge cameras.
I appreciate your views.
Thanks.