Bridge Cameras

Jeltz

Jeltz

Joined
Monday January 4, 2010
Location
Wiltshire
What's the image quality of the higher end bridge cameras these days in comparison with low end DSLRs

I'm pondering on a FinePix HS30EXR which is available @ £240 on the high street, has a wider angle lens than my Nikon D40 and would less bulky to carry about. Its got 16MP but IME MP means next to nothing its all about the sensor and lens.
 
Its a business/personal thing I paid for the Nikon out of personal funds before I became a partner of the business and it was put into service when my work camera died and cash flow was tight(er). I'm just thinking it might be time to retire it and use it as I originally intended.

That Canon looks great, I don't often need a lens that goes much wider than 28mm (35mm equivalent) but there are times when it would be handy.
 
Jeltz said:
That Canon looks great, I don't often need a lens that goes much wider than 28mm (35mm equivalent) but there are times when it would be handy.
Click to expand...

I'm a DSLR user myself, but my wife has used an SX40 for just over a year now & I have to say the results are excellent. face it, Canon don't make crap cameras & if the SX50 is anywhere near as good as the SX40, it will be a real gem
 
I have a Panasonic GF-1 and have had it for three years now. It's one of their LumixG Micro Series range that is compatible with the Micro Four Thirds Lens system. It's a seriously good camera with many excellent features and a very wide range of available lenses.

It's a very portable, flexible system that is very worth a look

Jon
 
I would think one of the Micro Four Thirds cameras would be a good alternative. They are very small compared to a DSLR, excellent image quality and still with the added benefit of interchangable lenses.

I know some people who have abandoned DSLRs and switched to the 4/3 system and would never go back. If I didn't have an army of lenses, Flash Guns and other accessories for my Canon DSLRs I would be tempted by them.
 
I have a Canon Powershot G10 and it's fantastic. I've recently read reviews of the newer Powershot G15 and G1x, which might be a bit over budget, it might be working looking at the Powershot s series.
 
Events are now having new security limitations on Cameras!! Size and Detachable Lens. These are the new regs from the Kentucky Derby: Cameras with detachable lenses, cameras equipped with lenses more than six inches in length, and tripods of any kind.
You may want to wait to see what happens before you buy!
Sad!
 
I normally shoot using a Nikon D80/Olympus E-5 and have spent many thousands on kit for it over the years, but recently I have been absolutely stunned by the quality and ease of shot you get with the Nikon 1 series bridge cameras.

Got myself a J1 last year and to be honest, I take it on all family trips and have had some beautiful shots with it. Point and shoot, but with all the settings you need in a quick situation, as well as the flexibility of being able to change lenses.

What I would say though, and I think it'll help get the best out of a bridge, is try and go with a brand you've used before, are familiar with the menu systems etc.

My old man is a lot more familiar with Panasonic than I am and he finds those much easier to use than I. Personally I get on better with Nikon menus and ways of thinking.
If you are used to the Nikon D40 then I would very strongly suggest you give the Nikon 1 series a go before any others, because you'll have half of the learning done already and be in a much better position to use the camera for what it's good at. Rather than spending time learning new ideologies.

Alex
 
I've got a FinePix HS30 & I love it. Really easy to use, loads of features & is quite light. Only thing that slightly annoys me about it is that the longest shutter speed is only 8 seconds & there is no bulb mode, so long exposure photos are a bit limited. Apart from that I love it, & the zoom level is phenomenal.
 
In have had issues before with Fuji bridges including one where the sensor managed to kill itself (and the repair cost was more than the camera purchase price)! However this may have just been really bad luck on my part.

The higher end Panasonic lumix's are definitely worth a look (i still use my ancient fz8 for macro work) and I have heard some very good things about the high end Sony bridge cameras as well. If low light performance is important Panasonic have a model with a constant f2.8 aperture throughout its zoom range. I believe there are now a few bridge cameras on the market with SLR sized sensors which boast excellent quality and many at the higher end also output in RAW format as well as JPEG. Just don't be lured by the 50x+ zooms without checking quality first as the easiest way to increase zoom is to shrink the sensor (and most likely reduce quality). There are tons of reviews available online for just about every model out there so if you see something you like google it. The only issue I have with the better quality bridge cameras (apart from the loss of "proper" lenses) is that price wise they can be the same as an entry level SLR and lens kit. We are approaching Christmas now so I wouldn't be surprised if all the manufacturers start offering cash back deals soon like they did last year so it might be worth waiting a month.

As above the csc's are well worth investigating and would give you more in the way of flexibility but I feel they are a little pricey (and some of the lens prices are a bit eye watering). IIRC some also have adaptors available that allow them to take SLR lenses as well as legacy m42, etc lenses.
 
A vote here for the Lumix DMC FZ45. Excellent picture quality and relatively cheap. The menu can be a bit frustrating at times, as can the shutter lag but other than that it is a great camera, even in full automatic mode it gets everything spot on.
 
The fz200 is the one with the constant aperture leica lens (which I have also heard good things about) and has a 12.1mp sensor (not sure if this has to do with image quality - I remember a few years back Panasonic running sensors at less than their max mp capability to improve quality). However it is SLR money. I seem to remember a canon bridge getting a good writeup in one of the photo mags but don't remember the model.

Best bet TBH is to get into a shop where you can try out different models and see what you like.
 
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