Considering buying the HS30

Rachotilko wrote:

Although not for that cheap as you mention, took the kit with standard zoom.

And I did the math: HS30's image circle diagonal is 8mm, G3's 21.6mm. That means relative crop factor of 2.7, when cropping the G3's sensor area to HS30's size.

This cropping extends the the stantard kit zoom's max equivalent focal length from 84mm eq to 226mm eq (sufficient for me right now). Wanting more, I'd buy 40-150mm (80-300mm eq), that would yield (when cropped with relative factor 2.7) reach of 810mm in equivalent terms.

Cropping the G3's output by relative factor of 2.7 also means getting the resolution down to 2.2MPix, which is often sufficient (approx 1700x1300 pixels in 4:3 terms). So you gonna lose the resolution, but there's no hope in obtaining high quality 16 million pixels (or even 8MPix) from small sensor camera anyway. Again, the overall situation is to be improved with a purchase of the telezoom lens (such as 40-150).

That's about it regarding the long end. The wide end's output is uncropped, ie. qualitativelly hugely better than small-sensor output.

Gains ? Cropping freedom (non-existent with small sensors), decent glass (with fewer optical compromises & with decent firmware autocorrections), efficient IS, great autofocus speed, great video, great EVF.

I just see no need for the bridgecam anymore.