Any good long zoom bridge camera with DSLR manual zoom & focus rings?

[DayDreamer]

As the title really.

I have been researching entry level DLSR's, with my absolute top budget of £400, but realise, as I no longer work, I would find it hard, in the future, to justify spending the money needed for zoom lenses.

So now looking at the bridge camera, and I know the limitations compared with DLSR, but hey you get get a 'one camera fix' to quite a few wishes.

I remember a friend, some years ago, owning a Fuji where it has the two rings for zoom and focus and that I would find really good. The other feature I was hoping for is to be able to shoot in RAW for no other reason than I have plenty of time to fiddle on my laptop and I want to find out what the gushing praise of RAW is - or to me - perhaps isn't

 

[CaptainPenguin]

My daughter has an older Fuji 6500FD that has manual rings and I think some of the top end modern Fuji's have the same set up

 

[DaveKing]

For £400 you could get a 2nd hand canon 450d with 18-55 and 55-250mm

 

[Moreorless]

For £400 you could get a 2nd hand canon 450d with 18-55 and 55-250mm

I'd definately consider that Day Dreamer, the 55-250 looks to provide the performance you'd normally expect from a much more expensive zoom and has an equivilent range up to 400mm in 35mm terms.

The 18-55 IS, 55-250 IS and 50 1.8 lenses all provide exellement image quality for the price, espeically on something like a 450D.

 

[DayDreamer]

Hi Dave and thanks for your input but where could I buy that?

Would I be safe in buying second hand as I am not sure how long cameras last?

Also Hi to moreorless and thanks for your thoughts

 

[srichards]

http://www.harrisoncameras.net/productlist.kmod?ManufacturerID=1&categoryid=915

They offer a 12 month warranty with all their second hand gear.

They've also got a Sony a200 with kit 18-70 kit lens for £200. Would leave a good chunk for other lenses like the 50mm 1.7 for the low light and shallow depth of field photography you said you would like to try.

 

[DayDreamer]

http://www.harrisoncameras.net/productlist.kmod?ManufacturerID=1&categoryid=915

They offer a 12 month warranty with all their second hand gear.

They've also got a Sony a200 with kit 18-70 kit lens for £200. Would leave a good chunk for other lenses like the 50mm 1.7 for the low light and shallow depth of field photography you said you would like to try.

Thanks Suz for keeping for your help and keeping an eye on my (fluctuating & indecisive ) needs, wishes, desires, hopes, etc

 

[mcwarrior]

Not sure if its any good, but you can get a cheap Canon Powershot Pro1 off feabay, shots raw if you need it and is the only PnS with L glass Canons ever made, pic quaily is outstanding, i've got one here and paid £55 for it with out a mark on it. Also uses canon flashguns.