Canon SX10 IS Bridge Camera

[-Rob-]

I currently own a couple of Nikon D300's and a range of decent quality lenses and flashes etc. However, there are times when I don't want to cart around the expensive and bulky stuff so I am looking at getting myself a decent compact camera. Well i say compact but really I'm looking more at a 'good for every scenario' bridge camera.

Having had a read of a fwe reviews and comparisons I have found myself looking at the Canon SX10 IS. What I like about it is the relatively compact body (compared to a DSLR), the huge zoom range, good image quality and image stabilisation and the fact that there is a hotshoe on the top for adding a better flash.

Does anyone have any experience of of using this camera? Is it worth the £200 investment for use on holidays and days out and for the girlfriend to use with the kids? Is there anything else you'd recommend instead and why would you recommend it?

 

[lawrenceots]

Probably not what you want to hear, but I would personally suggest one of Nikons small bodies - D40 for instance, or if you could push the budget, 5000. Depending if you already have a do all lens, its simply a pretty compact package, and would give far better results.
Bridge wise, I have had an S3, but wasn't happy with the sharpness of it. Fujis seem much better than that, my grandad has just got an S100FS, and it is absolutely amazing. From the time I had a go if it, the image quality at high ISOs was outstanding, and seemed better than the new HS10.

 

[trencheel303]

Canon S90? It's a 'proper' compact, with manual control and RAW. Bridge cameras are gimmicky IMO as they cost more then nearly any 'proper' compact and really don't offer that many more features - people just think they do because of the glorified lens on the front and that ripoff SLR look.

I used to be a bridge camera apologist until I realised the above... lol.

 

[-Rob-]

Probably not what you want to hear, but I would personally suggest one of Nikons small bodies - D40 for instance, or if you could push the budget, 5000. Depending if you already have a do all lens, its simply a pretty compact package, and would give far better results.

One of the reasons I would like a "do it all" compact or bridge camera is because I don't have a single lens for my DSLR that I could use on holiday to cover every eventuality. This camera will just be for snaps. I want good image quality but realistically I'm not expecting anything near what I get with the D300. I don't mind if the images are sometimes slightly soft or have noise in them, it's what I expect from holiday snaps. These images will never get printed, they'll be put on facebook at 600x600px.

Canon S90? It's a 'proper' compact, with manual control and RAW. Bridge cameras are gimmicky IMO as they cost more then nearly any 'proper' compact and really don't offer that many more features - people just think they do because of the glorified lens on the front and that ripoff SLR look.

I used to be a bridge camera apologist until I realised the above... lol.

I realise that a standard compact would do a good job and take similar photos. What the bridge offers is a much greater zoom range. As for the bridge being more expensive, it is probably slightly cheaper than the S90 you suggested getting.

One thing I have noticed is that the SX10 has a smaller sensor than the S90 but with the same megapixels so they are being crammed on to a smaller area. As for whether that will give a real noticable difference is debatable.